The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Banding noise with Cactus V4s?

T

thearne3

Guest
Hi,

Just got a set of Cactus V4s from Santa. Using on my E-P1. Very happy with all aspects - until I got the photos on the monitor! :confused:

The noise illustrated below is across the entire top of each picture. Haven't experimented, but most pics are 1/30th at ISO 400. Google search shows one long thread on Flickr re modded V2s affecting CMOS sensors, esp. the 5D.

Do I have a defective set or are others having this experience?

Thanks for any insights.

Tom

 

Jonas

Active member
Reading the fine print at Gadget Infinity says there might be some banding problems with the 5D (original that is, not the MkII) and the Panasonic G1. The E-P1 is not mentioned.

Oddly enough, I have a G1 and I recently bought a Cactus v4 transmitter/receiver set. I haven't played a lot with it, just checked that everything works. This far everything has been fine. Did your combo act strangely from start? Is it at all shutter times? Do you see the problem wherever the image is taken (ruling out other interference phenomenas)? Is the red-eye function turned on or off?

Have you contacted the vendor for advice? Maybe the last question is the interesting one. If you get the problem all the time I guess there isn't anything else to do but have the units replaced, or just returned.
 
T

thearne3

Guest
Hmmm. I found some info over at Dpreview. Solutions:

1. Move transmitter at least 2' away from camera.
2. Use shutter speeds less than 1/15.
3. Replace unit with same.
4. Replace system.
5. Add ferrite bead to filter interference.

#1 and #2 definitely work (based on very brief testing), but limit the usefulness of the device. I'll go with #3 as a start.

I'd still like to hear about anyone else's experience - especially #3, which I will try after the holiday.

Best,
Tom
 
T

thearne3

Guest
Hi Jonas,

Missed your reply as I was writing...now bedtime for me. Anyway, thanks for your reply. The testing I've done is noted above. Will continue tomorrow. Have had the units only today. Using a Nikon SB-26 strobe. As far as I can tell, the Cactus completely ignores all flash settings on the E-P1 - including Flash Off. Took a few shots below 1/15th to confirm no banding. Have not tested the high end. The flash itself syncs up to 1/320th with no 'shadow'.

All for now.... :sleep006:
 
T

thearne3

Guest
Oddly enough, I have a G1 and I recently bought a Cactus v4 transmitter/receiver set. I haven't played a lot with it, just checked that everything works. This far everything has been fine. Did your combo act strangely from start? Is it at all shutter times? Do you see the problem wherever the image is taken (ruling out other interference phenomenas)? Is the red-eye function turned on or off?
Jonas,

Just wondering if you had had a chance to look our your pictures using the Cactus? I'm especially interested at shutter speeds over 1/15th and high resolution (LargeSuperFine or RAW). As you note, GadgetInfinity has had reports of interference for only two camera models, the G1 and the Canon 5D. If you are not seeing a problem, then either there's variation in the V4 transmitters or the G1's.

For what it's worth, I emailed GadgetInfinity and they wrote back that they've had no reports of E-P1 issues in particular - so far.

Needless the say, I'm hoping that it's just the V4 transmitter I've got. It seems more likely that a 'noisy' component is in the transmitter, than that shielding in the G1/5D/E-P1 varies. I'm going to exchange and see what happens.

Best,
Tom
 

Jonas

Active member
Jonas,

Just wondering if you had had a chance to look our your pictures using the Cactus? (...)
Hi Tom,

It has been Christmas and I haven't had the time to look into this as much as I would like to do. But a few things are clear:

The Cactus v4 introduces an interference pattern when used with the G1. The pattern is similar to the one you showed in your first post. It covers about a third of the image (the top third), it is there at all shutter times (I tested using shutter times from 1/4 to 1/160), it is there regardless of firing the flash with the first or the second curtain, it is there if you switch to another channel and a second transmitter behaved exactly the same.

I haven't tried to move the transmitter from the camera as I haven't been able to locate my hotshoe to hotshoe cord which should be here somewhere.

This was a pity and it probably means I'll have to try something else instead while waiting for the G2 (if any). But I'll experiment a little more looking for possible workarounds.

I don't know if this has any bearing to the problems with the E-P1. I was at least warned...

kind regards,

/Jonas
 
Top