Cactus RF60 User manual

User Manual
Wireless
Flash
RF60

2 3
1. Getting to Know your
RF60
Thank you for purchasing the Cactus
Wireless Flash RF60. We trust that



available in market. With a built-in
commander and receiver, it not only
receives wireless signals but also
functions as a controller to command
other RF60s. The possibilities are
endless!
Please take a while to explore all
the features in your new RF60:
–Built-in wireless commander and
receiver
–Remote control of power and zoom
levels
–Group control up to four groups
Group Alias
–Optical Slave w it h delay fe atu r e
–High power up to Guide Number of
56 meters
–Compatible with Cactus V6 Wireless
Flash Transceiver
– f e a t u r e
–HSS Sympathy mode provides HSS
support when working with TTL

Table of Contents
1. Getting to Know your RF60 3
2. Caution and Warnings 4

4. Package Content 6
5. Nomenclature 7
6. LCD Panel 8
7. Getting Started 8
8. On-camera Operation: 18
Local Mode 14
9. Wireless Flash: 20
Master and Slave Modes 15
10. Group Aliases 25
11. Advanced Operation 27
12. Personalizing the RF60 38
13. Working with Cactus 43
Triggers 36
14. External Power 45
15. Forming the Capacitor 46
16. USB Connection 47
17. Optional Accessories 47
18. Troubleshooting 48
19. Notices 51
20. Warranty 53

4 5
2. Caution and Warnings
Before using the product, read the
following precautions to ensure
correct and safe use and to help
prevent damage of the Cactus RF60.
1. Turn OFF all your equipments
(Cactus units, cameras, etc.)
before changing batteries or
making connection.
2. Remove batteries and switch off


in this instruction manual.
4. Do not permanently store the
product in a high temperature
environment (i.e., under strong
direct sunlight, near cooking
stoves or oven).

in liquid or exposed to heavy
rain unless it is properly
protected.
6. Do not operate the device in the

fumes.

into the eyes of someone at close
range.

the driver of a moving car.
3. Major Specifications
–Guide Number (ISO 100):
Zoom (mm) 24 28 35 50 70 80 105
GN (meter) 33 34 38 45 51 54 56
GN (feet) 108 112 124 147 168 177 183
–Motor zooms: 24mm – 28mm – 35mm –
50mm – 70mm – 80mm – 105mm
–Power levels (22 in total):
1/1 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 1/64 1/128
1/2+0.3 1/4+0.3 1/8+0.3 1/16+0.3 1/32+0.3 1/64+0.3 1/128+0.3
1/2+0.7 1/4+0.7 1/8+0.7 1/16+0.7 1/32+0.7 1/64 +0.7 1/128+0.7
–Flash durations: 1/300s – 1/20,000s
–Modes: Local (L), Master (M) and
Slave (S)
–Working radio frequency: 2.4GHz
–Number of channels: 16
–Number of groups: 4
–Maximum wireless effective
distance: 100 meters / 328 feet
–Built-in optical slave mode:
S1 (straight triggering) /

–Power input:
requires 4 AA batteries (LR6
alkaline or Ni-MH), rechargeable
Ni-MH for best performance
–Flash count per battery cycle:
100 (at 1/1 power) /
2000 (at 1/128 power)
–Minimum Recycle Time:
0.1-5.0 seconds (with alkaline
batteries) / 0.1-3.0 seconds (with
Sanyo Eneloop)
–Color temperature: 5600k +/- 200k
–Operating temperature:
-20°C to +50°C
–Dimensions: 205 x 83 x 61mm
–Net weight: 390g

6 7
5. Nomenclature
WIDE ANGLE DIFFUSER
AND BOUNCE CARD FRESNEL LENS
OPTICAL SENSOR
TRIPOD MOUNT
EXTERNAL POWER
CONNECTOR
CONNECTOR COVER
MOUNTING FOOT
CONNECTOR COVER
3.5mm CO N N E C T O R
HOT SHOE CONTACTS
BOUNCE ANGLE
INDICATOR
LCD PANEL
MODE BUTTON
MENU BUTTON
- BUTTON
NEXT BUTTON + BUTTON
ON/OFF SWITCH
TEST BUTTON/
FLASH-READY INDICATOR
BATTERY COMPARTMENT
DOOR
MULTI/HSS BUTTON
GROUP BUTTON
USB PORT
HOT SHOE
LOCKING WHEEL
4. Package Content
Cactus Flash RF60 Cactus Flash
Carrying Case FC-3
User Manual
Cactus Flash Stand FS-2

8 9
6. LCD Panel
7. Getting Started
Inserting Batteries
1. Using your thumb, press on the
battery compartment door and
slide it open in the direction
shown by the arrow.
7.1
GROUP PANEL
OPERATING
MODES CHANNEL
BEEP INDICATOR
OPTICAL SLAVE DELAY INDICATOR
BATTERY LEVEL
HIGH TEMPERATURE
WARNING
POWER LEVEL POWER LEVEL
INCREMENT
HSS SYMPATHY
MODE
TEXT AREA SELECTION
INDICATORS
ZOOM
LEVEL
2. I n st a ll t h e b att e r ies.
Make sure the positive (+) and
negative (-) battery contacts are
properly oriented as shown in the
compartment.
3. Slide the battery compartment
door in the direction shown by
the arrow to close it.
Caution:
1. Use a new set of AA batteries of
the same brand and type. When
replacing batteries, replace all
four at the same time.
2. AA-sized alkaline, Ni-HM, or
lithium batteries can be used.
Use only one type of batteries at
a time. Do not mix battery types.
3. If you change batteries after

be aware that the batteries may
be hot.
4. For alkaline or lithium battery,
the battery level indicator on
the LCD will show when around
50% of the battery power has been
consumed, and the indicator will
STATUS
BAR

10 11

 Replace
batteries immediately when you
see the blinking signal. The
indicator is not applicable to
Ni-MH battery.

remove the batteries to prevent
possible damages from battery
corrosion.
Attaching to and detaching from the
Camera




locking wheel on the mounting
foot to the left until it locks.
7.2

locking wheel on the mounting
foot to the right until it is
loosened.
Turning the Flash on
1. Switch the On/Off Switch to ON,

                       



Section 12.3).
7.3

12 13
                         
ready indicator stays red and the

output.
- P r e ss t h e Test

Adjusting Flash Head


the surface before illuminating the
subject. This will soften the shadows
7.4
behind the subject for a more
natural-looking shot. This is called




Horizontally, it can be rotated up to


      
Caution:
1. 
not used, after a certain period

off automatically. However, the

batteries discharge over a long
period of time may damage the

Therefore, 

2. 

in short intervals, the inner
overheating prevention function
may be activated to prolong the
recycling time to about 8–20
seconds. The temperature warning
signal will appear in the
status bar of the LCD screen. If
this occurs, allow a rest time of

will then return to normal.
Tip:
hitting the subject with direct


subject.

14 15
Using the Wide Angle Diffuser
1. Pull out the wide angle diffuser

shown. The bounce card will come
out at the same time.
2. Push the bounce card back in.

coverage.
Choosing the Operating Mode
There are 3 operating modes in the
RF60, namely Local, Master and Slave.
Upon switching on the RF60, press the
Mode button to choose the
appropriate mode. The mode indicator
turns in the following sequence:
Local Master Slave
Modes Where to place
the RF60?
With wireless
control?
on camera X
on camera 
off ca mera 
Bounce Card and Wide Angle Diffuser
There is a bounce card and wide angle
diffuser set built in the RF60. The
bounce card and wide angle diffuser
can be used separately or at the same
time.
Using the Bounce Card
                          
2. Pull out the wide angle diffuser,
the bounce card will come out at
the same time.
3. Push the wide angle diffuser back
in; the bounce card will be ready
for use.
Tip: The bounce card is useful in

some of the light towards the
subject in order to create catch
lights and/or soften strong shadows
from the bounced light.
7.5
7.6

16 17
Setting Channel
When RF60 is in Master or Slave mode,
they need to communicate in the same
RF wireless channel with each other.
To set the channel, press Menu. Use
the + o r - button to select the RF
channel. Press Menu to go back to
the main screen. The selected
channel will be shown on the LCD
panel.
Natvigating the Menu

menu options on the RF60.
To change a menu option:
1. P r ess t h e Menu button to access

2. P r e ss t h e Next button to change
the menu subject in the sequence.
3. P r e s s t h e + o r – button to go
through the options of a menu

menu item will change
immediately.
4. P r e s s t he Menu button to leave
and go back to the main screen, or
press the Next button to change
the menu to the next item in the
sequence.
7.7 Menu item and
corresponding options
Text shown
on LCD
Applicable
modes
L M S
RF Channel
- 1-16
CH
- 1-16
 
Delay Timer
- 0-999 ms
DELAY
- 0-999 ms
  
Optical Slave
- Off
- S1: Straight
T r i g g e r i n g

OPT SL
- OFF
- S1(FIRST)
- S2(MAIN)
  
Quick Flash
- Off
- On
QCK FL
- OFF
- ON
  
Beep Feedback
- Off
- Fn1: Quick Flash
- Fn2: Full Charge

P o w e r W a r n i n g
BEEP
- OFF
- Fn1(QCK FL)
- Fn2(READY)
- Fn3(WARN)
  
Sleep Timer
- Off
- 3 min
- 5 min
- 15 min
- 30 min
- 60 min
SLEEP
- OFF
- 3 min
- 5 min
- 15 min
- 30 min
- 60 min
  
LCD Backlight
- Off
- 5 sec
- 15 sec
- Continuous
BK LGT
- OFF
- 5 sec
- 15 sec
- ON
  
7.8

18 19
8.1
8. On-camera Operation:
Local Mode
Set up the RF60 in Local mode


In the main screen, the power level
is shown on the left while the zoom
level is shown on the right. The
selection indicator  will be shown
at either the power level or zoom
level. Press the Next b u t t o n t o
switch the selection indicator in
order to adjust a setting of an item.
Adjusting the Power Level
To adjust the power level, press Next
until the selection indicator  is
pointing to the power ratio value

row), press + t o i n cr e a s e or – to
decrease the power level.
The power levels available for
adjustment are:
1/1 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 1/64 1/128
1/2+0.3 1/4+0.3 1/8+0.3 1/16+0.3 1/32+0.3 1/64+0.3 1/128+0.3
1/2+0.7 1/4+0.7 1/8+0.7 1/16+0.7 1/32+0.7 1/64 +0.7 1/128+0.7
Adjusting the Zoom Level
To adjust the zoom level, press Next
until the selection indicator  is
pointing to the zoom value (i.e., the

+ t o i n cr e a s e or – to decrease the
zoom level.
The zoom levels available for
adjustment are:
Zoom (mm) 24 28 35 50 70 80 105
8.2

20 21
9. Wireless Flash: Master
and Slave Modes
With a built-in RF (Radio Frequency)
module, the RF60 has the ability to
communicate with other RF60 units

RF60 wirelessly, set up one RF60 in
Master mode and the other RF60 units
in Slave mode.
Setting up the RF60 Slave
1. Make sure that the RF60 units
that you want to control through
S mode
(se e Section 7.6).
2. S et th e u n it s to t h e same RF
channel (s e e S e cti o n 7.7).
3. Assign RF60 Slave units to either
group A, B, C, or D. Press Group
to select the group for each RF60.
Each press of the Group button in
Slave mode will change the group
in the sequence of A-B-C-D. The
selected group will be shown on
the group panel.
9.1
9.2 Commanding with the RF60 Master
1. S et t h e o n - c a m er a R F 6 0 t o m o d e
by pressing Mode (see Section
7.6).
2. S et th e R F 60 M a s t e r t o t h e same
channel as the RF60 Slave units
(se e Sectio n 7.7).
3. Check the group statuses on
the group panel. Only activated
group(s) will be shown as A, B, C,
or D boxes.
Changing parameters of the Master
flash
4. On the RF60 Master, you can
change the power level and zoom


in groups A, B, C, and D.
5. The default group is the Master
RF60. In the display, the text
area will show <MASTER>. No group
is selected in the group panel,
though it still shows the group
activation status.

22 23
Changing parameters of a particular
Slave group
6. To select a particular group for
remote control, pr e ss Group and
the group selection indicator
will go to group A.
7. P r e s s Group again to select the
next group, i.e., group B. Each
press of the Group button will
select the next group in the
following sequence:
M a st e r A B C D
8. Adjust the power level of the

group using the + or – button.
Press Next to adjust the zoom
level, also with the + or –
button.
Note: The power and zoom level will
only apply to the group being
selected.
Changing parameters of all active
groups
9. You may also change settings for
all active groups at the same
time. To select all groups, press
and hold the Group b u tt o n.
10. All selection indicators of the
activated groups will be on and
the text area will show <ALL GP>.

sequence of Master-A-B-C-D will
be chosen as reference group.
11. Adjust the power and zoom levels
as you would for a single group.
The relative changes in both
settings in the reference group,
however, will apply to all active
groups, including the Master

the power level of the reference
group from 1/4 to 1/8 (i.e. a
decrease of 1EV), the power levels
of all the active groups will
decrease by 1EV accordingly.
12. To exit from all group control,
press Group b ut t o n o n ce.

24 25
Turn on and offa Slave group

particular group, turn the group
off by selecting the group (see
steps 2 and 3) and press and hold
the N e x t button. The screen will
show <OFF> in the centre row.
Note: The RF60 Master can also be
turned off by pressing and holding
the Next button in the Master group.
Once turned off, the RF60 Master will

the RF60 Slaves, changing their

14. To turn on a group again, select
the group (see step 2 and 3) and
press and hold the Next button.
The power level and zoom level
last used for the group will be
shown in the centre row again.
15. Press the shutter release button
on the camera and the RF60 Master
and Slave units in groups A, B, C,

and zoom level you have set in the
RF60 Master.
10. Group Aliases
The RF60 comes with a list of pre-set
group aliases to choose from for the
particular slave groups according to
the purpose of each. The chosen group
alias will be shown in the text area
next to the group panel. The group
alias will display whenever the
group is selected.
The group aliases available for
selection are:
KEY – FILL – SPOT – RIM – HAIR – LEFT
– RIGHT – BACK – FRONT
1. To set a group alias, select the
group you would like to set an
alias for, then press the Group
and Menu b u tt o n s s i m u lt a n e o u s l y.
2. The selection indicator and group
letter will be shown in the text
area. Press the + o r – button
to scroll through the available
group aliases.

26 27
3. P r e s s Next or Menu
alias and exit.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 to set aliases in
all the Cactus RF60s. To prevent
confusion, make sure that you
have set the same alias for the
same group in all RF60 units.
5. The alias of each group will
appear in Slave mode or Master
mode whenever the group is
selected.
11.1
11. Advanced Operation
Multi Flash
In Multi mode, a rapid series of

capture multiple images of a moving
subject in a single frame.
In Multi mode, you can change the:
 
 Flash frequency per second in Hz
 Power level
 Zoom level


caused by a single trigger event.


per second.
series duration you have in mind, you
can determine the appropriate value

frequency.
Shutter No. of 1

Flash series
duration
N o. of
     
1
F l a s h F r e q u e n c y(H z)
=x

28 29


second at a frequency of 10 times per
second (i.e., 10 Hz), the number of




second.

equal to the shutter speed. However,
it may be necessary to use a longer

series duration in order to expose
for ambient light. Alternatively, it
may be necessary to use a shorter
shutter speed, and a slightly longer
series duration as a safety margin.
Refer to the table below for the

frequencies supported by each power
level.
Maximum Number of Multi Flashes
Hz
Power 1 2 3 4 5 6-7 8-9
1/4 7 6 5 4 4 3 3
1/8 14 14 12 10 8 6 5
1/16 30 30 30 20 20 20 10
1/32 60 60 60 50 50 40 30
1/64 90 90 90 80 80 70 60
1/128 99 99 99 99 99 90 80
Hz
Power 10 11 12-14 15-19 20-50 60-199
1/4 2 2 2 2 2 2
1/8 4 4 4 4 4 4
1/16 8 8 8 8 8 8
1/32 20 20 20 18 16 12
1/64 50 40 40 35 30 20
1/128 70 70 60 50 40 40
11.1.1 Multi Flash in Local Mode
Once you have determined the number


Multi mode.
1. To enter Multi Mode, press
Multi/HSS once and the LCD screen
will show Multi a n d Hz .
2. P r e ss Next until the selection
indicator  points to the number

the hyphen.
Notes:
1. 

against a dark background.
2. 
power level higher than 1/4.
3. 
combined with a camera set to
bulb mode.

30 31
3. P r e s s + t o i n c r e a s e o r – to

4. P r e s s Next until the selection
indicator  points to the

value after the hyphen.
5. P r ess + t o i n c r e a se o r – to

second.
6. To adjust the power level, press
Next until the selection
indicator  points to the power
level (see Section 8.1).
7. To adjust the zoom level, press
Next until the selection
indicator  points to the zoom
level (see Section 8.2).
8. T o e x it M u lti m o d e, p r e s s
Multi/HSS twice to return to the
main screen.
11.1.2 Multi Flash in Master and Slave
Modes
An RF60 in Master mode will cause
a Slave RF60 that uses the same RF
channel to synchronize to Multi mode
settings.
1. To enter Multi mode on the RF60
Master, press Group until you see
<MASTER> displayed as the group
name.
2. P r e ss t h e Multi/HSS button once.
The LCD of the RF60 Master and
Slave units will show Multi and
Hz . Both Master and Slave units
are now in Multi Flash mode.
3. On the RF60 Master, follow the
steps in 11.1.1 to adjust the

frequency per second (Hz). The

Master and Slave units in all
active groups.
4. T o e x it M u lti m o d e, p r e s s Group
until you see <MASTER> in the
text area, press the Multi/HSS
button twice to return to normal

Notes:
1. 
larger than that supported by
the power level of a particular
slave group, it will be reduced
accordingly for that particular
slave (see table Maximum Number
of Multi Flashes on page 28).

32 33
HSS Sympathy Mode
The HSS Sympathy mode of the RF60 is


maximum sync speed.

with an extended duration in order
to produce even frame illumination
at shutter speeds as high as 1/8000
second.

supported in power levels higher
than 1/4, any Slave RF60 set at
power levels higher than 1/4 will

3. Multi mode and HSS Sympathy mode
(se e Section 11.2) a r e mutually
exclusive options. Pressing the
Multi/HSS button changes the

sequence:
Normal Flash Multi Flash
H S S S y m p a t h y F l a s h
4. On the RF60 Master, the Multi


The selection will apply to the
RF60 Master and all RF60 Slaves
in the active group(s).
11.2
Characteristics of HSS Sympathy Flash
Compared with normal single-burst

continuous and constant illumination
for the full duration between the

curtain closing. The contribution of

the image is therefore different to


Sympathy mode is different from

compensate 1 EV exposure loss in
your camera setting, you need to
increase the power level of a HSS

GN table below for comparison:
Power Level
GN (meter)at105mm,ISO100
Normal Flash HSS Sympathy
1/1 56 28
1/2 40 23
1/4 28 20
1/8 20 17
1/16 14 14
1/32 10 12
1/64 710
1/128 5 8
Tip:

especially in sunlight. The faster

allows you to use a wider aperture

while maintaining correct
exposure.

34 35
2. The continuous light output in
HSS sympathy mode does not freeze

would do. Instead, an HSS

blur, much like a continuous light
source would. In order to freeze
motion using the HSS sympathy
mode, you need to use high
shutter speeds.
3. Increasing the shutter speed in
HSS sympathy mode implies that

decreases accordingly.
Whenever changing the shutter
speed, you also need to adjust

to maintain the same contribution

Using the RF60 in HSS Sympathy Mode
To use RF60 in HSS sympathy mode, you

capability.


2. Switch the RF60 Master to HSS
sympathy mode by pressing the
MULTI/HSS button twice. The
centre row of the LCD display will
show HSS . This will
automatically turn on the optical
slave trigger in S1 (the mode in


11.3). Meanwhile, all RF60 Slave
unit(s) in activated group(s) will
turn into HSS sympathy mode
automatically.
3. Position the RF60 Master with its
optical sensor facing the TTL

4. Take a test shot by pressing the

5. If the frame is not evenly
illuminated from top to bottom,
set the delay timer (see Section
11.4) of the RF60 Master to 10ms
and then 15ms, 20ms, etc, until

The optimum delay time that works
with a high shutter speed should
be within the range of 10ms to
100ms.
Setting the Delay Time for HSS
Sympathy Mode
Consider the following when setting
the delay time for the HSS sympathy
mode:
 if the

mode, the delay time should be
within the range of 0-10ms. If the

would have to set a delay time at
55-100ms, depending on the camera
brand and shooting aperture
(F-nu m ber).
Camera brand: The following delay
time ranges are suggested for
different camera systems:

36 37
F-number: The higher the f-number,
the longer the delay time within
the range of the particular
camera system.
Dark Band Position: When you see a
dark band at the top of the image,
increase the delay time. When the
dark band appears at the bottom,
decrease the delay time.
Optical Trigger
Optical trigger can act as an
alternative trigger mechanism from
the radio signal. For instance, it

signals that are being emitted


trigger with the delay timer (see
Section 11.4) can be used to set the


Two optical trigger modes S1 and S2
are available for selection:
S1


S2

Camera brand Suggested delay time
Canon 52-64 ms
Nikon 55-65 ms
Sony 90-100 ms
Olympus/Panasonic 65-75 ms
Pentax 75-82 ms
11.3
1. To turn on the optical trigger,
press Menu th e n pr e s s th e Next
button until the text area shows
<OPT SL> (short form for optical
slave). Use the + a n d – b u tto n s
to select S1 (FIRST) or S2 (MAIN)
in the selection area. Press Next
or Menu        
2. The optical slave indicator
will show in the status bar of
the LCD screen whenever any one
of the optical trigger modes has
been turned on.
3. To turn off the optical trigger,
press the Menu button and then
the Next buttons until the text
area shows <OPT SL>. Use the + or
– button to choose <OFF>. Press
Menu or Next       
Delay Timer
Every RF60 is equipped with a delay

either Master or Slave mode. The
delay timer delays the trigger
response for the time period set. If
you wish to 

a different lighting effect (e.g. to
achieve a second curtain sync), delay
timer is helpful for your creation.
11.4

38 39
1. To set the delay timer, press
Menu th e n pr e s s th e Next button
until <DELAY> is displayed and
the selection indicator  points
at the value in ms.
2. U s e t h e + or – button to set the
delay timer in milliseconds (ms)
which is equal to 1/1000 second.
You may set a delay time from 1 ms
to 999 ms, i.e., close to 1 second.
3. P r e s si n g a n d h old i n g t h e + or -
button will automatically speed
up the key effect and make faster
changes. Pressing and holding
Next will reset the delay time
to 0.
4. The delay timer indicator will
show on the main screen status
bar whenever a delay timer has
been set.
5. To turn off the delay timer,
follow step 1-3 to set the delay
time to 0. The delay timer
indicator will then disappear
from the status bar on the main
screen.
12. Personalizing the RF60
LCD Backlight
The LCD backlight of the RF60 turns
on whenever any button is pressed.
In order to conserve energy, there
is a timer setting that automatically
turns off the backlight.
1. 
duration, p r e s s Menu, and press
Next until the text area shows
<BK LGT>. Then use the + or –
buttons to choose from OFF, 5 sec,
15 sec, or ON.
2. The option <ON> will instruct the
LCD to be on constantly.
3. P r e s s Next

Menu               
Sleep Timer
To conserve energy when you forget
to switch off the RF60 after use, the
sleep timer will switch the RF60 into

12.1
12.2
12. Personalizing the RF60