Is it safe to mount a high-voltage flash on a Cactus V5 attached to a Canon 550D?
Asked 7/13/2013
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I know a high-voltage flash can be used safely off-camera with a separate Cactus V5 receiver, since the flash is not directly connected to the camera. But what happens if the flash is mounted on the hot shoe of the Cactus V5 transceiver that is itself mounted on a Canon 550D? Will the Cactus V5 isolate the flash trigger voltage, or is that voltage passed through to the camera?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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The sync voltage limit on a Cactus V5 is 300V. As long as your flash doesn't go over that, you should be fine.
In addition, any dRebels that are newer than the 300D have a sync volt limit of 250V on the hotshoe, according to Chuck Westfall, the technical rep for Canon, answering a question in a 2007 tech tips article for the digitaljournalist.org:
I recently posted a question regarding the safe maximum sync voltage for an EOS 30D on http://www.openphotographyforums.com/. A reply led me to an article called Tech Tips answering a number of Canon-related FAQ. You addressed the safe sync voltage for a number of models, including the 20D, but I was wondering where I might be able to find published data on the safe sync voltages for the entire range of Canon cameras (or maybe just the 30D, as that's the body I'm using now).
It's likely you'll never see an official list of all Canon SLRs according to this specification, because Canon Inc. (our parent company in Japan) simply doesn't do things like that. I've been with Canon USA since 1982, so I'm in a pretty good position to know Canon Inc.'s habits. However, I'll be happy to provide you with my unofficial list:
Canon Digital SLRs safe for TCV up to 250 volts: EOS-1D Mark II N, EOS-1D Mark II, EOS-1Ds Mark II, EOS-1D, EOS-1Ds EOS 30D, 20D, 5D EOS Digital Rebel XTi, XT (400D/350D) EOS D6000/D2000, Kodak DCS560/DCS520 (circa 1998) EOS-DCS series (circa 1995)
Canon Digital SLRs safe for TCV up to 6 volts: EOS 10D, D60, D30 EOS Digital Rebel (300D)
Canon 35mm SLRs safe for TCV up to 250 volts: EOS-1V, EOS-1N, EOS-1, EOS 3
Canon 35mm and IX240 SLRs safe for TCV up to 6 volts: EOS 650, 620, 630, RT EOS 850, 750, 700 EOS Rebel Series EOS Elan Series EOS 10s, A2E, A2 EOS IX, IX Lite T90
Canon SLRs released earlier than the T90 did not have TTL flash circuits, and comprehensive information on safe TCV levels is not available.
The trigger circuit voltage (TCV) rating for any EOS SLR is the same on the hot shoe as it is on the PC terminal (if the camera has one), but the acceptable TCV level varies according to the camera model. Incidentally, the main reason for the difference is the way the X-sync signal is generated. With the 250V cameras, the X-sync signal is generated electronically. With the 6V cameras, the X-sync signal is generated mechanically. There are no guarantees, but going forward I anticipate that most if not all future EOS SLRs will be safe for TCV up to 250 volts.
Originally by user27440. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user27440
12y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Based on the community answer, a Cactus V5 is rated for flash sync voltages up to 300V. So if your flash is under that limit, the V5 itself should tolerate it.
For the Canon side, newer Digital Rebel bodies after the 300D—including the 550D—were cited as having a hot-shoe sync voltage limit of about 250V. That means if your flash trigger voltage is below both limits, it should be safe in this setup.
In practice, the important rule is: stay under the lowest-rated limit in the chain. Here, that would be the camera’s approximate 250V limit rather than the V5’s 300V limit.
So yes, mounting the flash on the Cactus V5 attached to the camera should be fine only if the flash trigger voltage does not exceed the camera’s safe sync voltage. If the flash is over that, don’t mount it directly in that pass-through arrangement; use a safer isolated method instead.
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