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Cactus has just announced the RQ250: a ‘palm-sized’ bare-bulb flash head that will feature wireless control and three times the power of a typical GN60m hotshoe unit. The battery-powered RQ250 is designed to offer 250Ws of power to photographers who want to work on-location/in-the-field without carrying around bulky lighting equipment or sacrificing power by shooting with speedlights.
In fact, the RQ250 is so powerful for its form-factor that the company couldn’t find a bulb that suited what it wanted to achieve … so it designed one itself.
The head comes with a reflector dish fitted with frosted glass that Cactus claims produces hotspot-free illumination when combined with the TubeOne flash bulb. With the reflector removed, the flash tube extends into softboxes and umbrellas to produce even distribution of light.
The head will have its own mount, but will also accept Bowens-S mount modifiers via an adapter. Cactus will also offer a snoot kit that includes colored gels that attaches to the reflector, and an umbrella holder that will also mount the head onto a light stand.
The RQ250 has a built-in fan to ensure the head keeps firing even in hot conditions, and an on-axis LED provides a modeling light and can operate as an AF-assist lamp as well. The head will be able to perform high speed sync for use with short shutter speeds, and wireless TTL control will be possible with Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Sigma, and Sony cameras.
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The unit is powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery that Cactus says will be good for over 400 full-power bursts per charge. Designed to be portable, the RQ250 will measure 194x80x80mm.
Price has yet to be released, but Cactus promises to deliver the RQ250 sometime this summer. For more information, visit the Cactus website.
Press Release
Cactus RQ250 Wireless Monolight
Cactus announces the RQ250, a palm-sized, bare-bulb wireless monolight that supports wireless TTL/HSS and gives you the best possible light in a compact body.
Photographers always want a high output portable flash with consistent light quality for location shooting. Cactus set out to create one of its own carrying the motto – if we do it, we will have to do it right. It has to be compact in size, outputs high quality of light, and versatile.
Today Cactus announces the RQ250 Wireless Monolight, a lithium-ion battery-powered wireless monolight with 250 Ws of power, which will be available THIS SUMMER.
Cactus TubeOneTM
“We could not find any off-the-shelf flash tube that meets our requirements for power output and uniform distribution of light in a built-in light modifier, so we designed one from the ground up for the RQ250,” said Henry Chan, head of Research and Development at Cactus.
What makes the RQ250 unique is its special flash head design. When paired with the optical optimized reflector, the TubeOneTM flash tube is able to deliver power with maximum efficiency. Hot spots are kept to a minimum, producing a pleasing and very usable, consistent light straight out of the included reflector.
Engineered for location shooting
When engineering the RQ250, Cactus always had location shooting in mind. Versatility is the key.
The detachable built-in reflector produces the best light possible with minimum hot spots even without an external light modifier. With the frosted glass lens, the RQ250 produces a beautiful and evenly spread of light. Remove the reflector and you will have a bare-bulb flash that excels in even light distribution when paired with soft boxes and studio umbrellas.
Despite its compact size, the RQ250 is fan-cooled which means it can be pushed without being stressed even on a hot, sunny day.
The perfect balance between size and power
Designed from the ground up, Cactus completed various design iterations and many rounds of testing to create the perfect balance between size and power.
Housed in its palm-sized body, the RQ250 is lithium-ion battery-powered, 250 Ws, and can fire 400 full-power flashes on a single charge. The extremely compact design comes with an on-axis LED modelling light, which also functions as an AF- assist.
Builds on cross-brand platform
Like Cactus’s triggering system, RQ250 also builds on a cross-brand platform that works with Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Sigma, and Sony cameras.
Wireless TTL and HSS are all supported.
Product highlights
- 250 Ws produces more than 3 times the power of a typical GN60 portable flash
- Special designed reflector with frosted lens produces a powerful yet consistent and beautiful spread of light
- Bare-bulb ensures the best possible distribution of light in large modifiers
- Uni-body design with detachable reflector means compact and easy storage
Lithium-ion battery powered
400 full-power flashes on a single battery charge - Modelling light and AF-assist powered by on-axis LED modules
- Fan-cooled protects flash in harsh shooting environments
- Wireless TTL, HSS and manual power control supported on Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Sigma and Sony camera systems*
- Built-in wireless receiver works seamlessly with Cactus V6 II and V6 IIs for Sony
Price and Availability
Cactus RQ250 is currently scheduled to be available in SUMMER 2018 and price is to be advised.
* Wireless TTL support for Canon and Nikon will be available Q2 2018. Information is subject to change without notice.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)