PLEASE help - bought a strobist kit & Cactus V4s and can't get it to work!

[Ginger Pixie]

I'm hoping I am doing something wrong, as if I have just spent a lot of money on something I can't use I'll be really fed up.

I have a Canon EOS 450d, and have just bought a strobist lighting kit from Midwest, and a set of Cactus v4s.

I connected the flash to the receiver via the hotshoe, and put the trigger on the hotshoe of the camera. I get a little red light to say that the receiver is working, but on my camera menu it is saying that the flash is either incompatable or not on... it must be on, as when I press the test button on the flash, it fires...

There are three different leads that came with it, but they have funny ends that don't seem to fit in to the camera...

Either I am missing some sort of connector, or I'm doing something wrong. Or it isn't compatible, which according to internet research I did, it is...

Can someone help me please?

[Car2n]

Do you have the reciever turned on? It's a tiny switch that's easy to miss.
Don't worry about the camera menu,, your compatible.

[sybren]

If the "funny end" looks anything like the image below, or looks like it should fit onto it, don't worry. It's called a "PC connector" (nothing to do with personal computers) and it's just another way of syncing your flash. With an EOS 450D you should just stick the transmitter onto the hotshoe and the flash onto the hotshoe of the receiver.

[m.c.adams]

What kind of flash are you using? I just recieved my V4s today. I have a 350D and just put the batteries in, mounted everything and just flashed away. I'm using Canon 550 EX, 430EX and 420EX.I'm sure this probably doen't help much, for more info, try searching "cactus v4", and you'll find 100's of entries that are very helpful.
Mark

[i speak in math]

I just saw something over at strobist about flashes not working on the 40d if its in Silent Mode or some such mode. Make sure you are in a standard shooting mode and not something like museum mode where the flash is disabled. My GF has the 40D and cactus triggers work just fine on it.

[Ginger Pixie]

Thanks so much guys.

My panic was misplaced. I had the flash accidentally set to S not O, and now it works perfectly!

Phew. I was really getting stressed out!

Thanks for your help. I'm so glad it was me being an idiot that caused the problem!!!

[kptasteve]

Make sure your trigger and your receivers are all "sync'd" There are 2 flip switches with numbers. You have to remove the battery case on the receivers in order to see these. They have to match your trigger.

[bhursey]

Just a FYI.. take the batteries out of the cactus v4 trigger and receiver when not in uses.... Mine sorta died after leaving the battery in the transmitter for a month...after I left the battery out for an hour it came back to life but I could not use it for a shoot.