Rechargeable Batteries

[spngr311]

All,

I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for which rechargeable batteries I should get for my flashes and triggers. I need AA and AAA batteries. Thanks!

-Rob

[nickjohnson]

Rob,
In the last year or so I've been using the newer type of rechargeable. These are sold ready charged or ready to use. I use Panasonic Infinium – there are several other brands with the same technology.
HTH

Regards,

Nick

[janmatis]

sanyo eneloop

[Peter Anson]

eneloops

[FrankMi]

Hi Rob, other than the typical rechargable NiCd or NiMH batteries that most folks buy there are two other aproaches that might be considered. The new NiZn betteries are 1.6 volts so they last much longer than the 1.25 volt NiCd or NiMH batteries. The other option is to consider non-rechargable batteries (1.5 volts) which are now available for as little as $4 for a 24 pack from Harbor Freight and maybe elsewhere as well. At that price you can forget the charger!

[rpcrowe]

Sanyo Eneloops... They seem to out perform mostother rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries and they really keep their charges when waiting to be used. To tell you the truth, I used to consider rechargeable batteries as big PITA's and usually shot with non-rechargeable - until I began to use Eneloops. I have not done any head to head testing of the newer and more powerful Eneloop models against the older models. I like them both.

[DTruex]

I am having really good luck with some I picked up from Radio Shack from the advise of jeeperman. So far they are powering both of my flashes with easy and reliability.

[spngr311]

Thanks guys. Tallying the recommendations, I picked up some of those Sanyo Eneloops. Thanks!

[jiro]

Thanks guys. Tallying the recommendations, I picked up some of those Sanyo Eneloops. Thanks!

Well made decision, Rob.

[Crovean]

You will love that Eneloops!

[henry17106]

I was wondering why my enercell rechargeables and the Radio Shack before them were running out so fast especially with their cost - I didn't know they drained even during non-use. Thanks for the Eneloop suggestion...I read up on them and not only does it make sense to buy them but I can use my current charger with them! I'm anxious to stock up on them...So thankful I came upon this site...

[spngr311]

Can't wait to get them!

[inkista]

Should one also point to the ubercharger?

[speedneeder]

Enewhat's?

Are there different versions of the eneloop? 4 are $8.50 at B&H right now.

[Colin Southern]

Enewhat's?

Are there different versions of the eneloop? 4 are $8.50 at B&H right now.

Interesting timing ...

Last week I bought a bunch of Sony "CycleEnergy" AA batteries - the ones that are supposed to stay charged for a year. I used them for my shoot over the weekend; I was using my 4x 580EX II rig (so each flach would have been working less than a single one), but 1 set per flash got me about 800 frames into a 1200 frame shoot (with the flashes being used for 90% of those frames).

The actual capacity is only supposed to be around 2000 to 2100 mA/h, but I was particularly attracted to the "retain 75% of their charge after 1 year". So have to say - very happy with them. I'm avoiding rapid chargers liket he plague though -- in the past I've had far far far greater long-term success with slow chargers (they don't seem to destroy the battery with heat).

Hope this helps someone!

[speedneeder]

This helps me Colin!
I appreciate your input. Looks like the Sony and the Sanyo batteries are rated at 2000 mAh. I have heard about the Eneloops before and I am interested in them for their charge keeping abilities! I hate the way my Energizers run down sitting in the drawer
I didn't see the Sony's on B&H so I haven't done a proper price comparison, though the Sony's are perhaps $0.25 more per cell.
I'm sure both are great batteries, though I would be interested to know their maximum discharge rates - aka flash recycle times.

[Colin Southern]

This helps me Colin!
I appreciate your input. Looks like the Sony and the Sanyo batteries are rated at 2000 mAh. I have heard about the Eneloops before and I am interested in them for their charge keeping abilities! I hate the way my Energizers run down sitting in the drawer
I didn't see the Sony's on B&H so I haven't done a proper price comparison, though the Sony's are perhaps $0.25 more per cell.
I'm sure both are great batteries, though I would be interested to know their maximum discharge rates - aka flash recycle times.

Hi Brian,

Apparently in the Nikon manual it says that if you use Enloops in the SB900, it recycles from a full dump in 2.3 seconds (doesn't really help us, but perhaps indicative that they can "hold their own"). I haven't done any formal testing with the 580EX IIs, but in a "real world shoot" they appeared to be just fine. Keep in mind too, that the faster one recycles them (especially from high-power dumps), the more the flash units heat up, and the hotter they get (and they can get too hot).

If you want to push recycle times, grab a Canon CP-E4 high-voltage accellerator (they take an additional 8 batteries, and can work in parallel with the internal batteries if you want).

[AlanP]

I have used Powerx rated at 2700 mah. There is a tradeoff between charge rating and charge retention. If you are going to charge the battery before shooting the larger capacity is great. If you are going to keep the batteries in the drawer until you need them go withe the Eneloops.

[Colin Southern]

I have used Powerx rated at 2700 mah. There is a tradeoff between charge rating and charge retention. If you are going to charge the battery before shooting the larger capacity is great. If you are going to keep the batteries in the drawer until you need them go withe the Eneloops.

I suspect there's also an inverse-relationship between battery capacity & battery life -- especially if used in rapid chargers. Personally, for high-capacity work - traditionally - I've used fake battery adaptors and routed the flash supply to an external lead acid battery back -- can shoot all day on them.

[Dizzy]

Since we're on the subject, I am needing to buy at least one more EN-EL3 battery, as only have the one that came stock with the camera. It seems to hold a charge quite well, but it would be foolish of me to think there isn't going to come a time where it's going to poop out on me, and most likely that will be at a most inopportune moment.

On several sites I see batteries factory labeled as NIKON, and costing in the $35-$40 US range. Then, there are several generic brands that are much less, as low as $10.

Are the off-brand batteries worth buying, or should I stick to the Nikon only?

I haven't worked with rechargeable batteries for quite a while, and in the "old days" it was advisable to let the batteries run all the way down before recharging, so they wouldn't develop a "short memory". That is just not convenient at the moment, and I've been recharging when it was down about 50%, and on days/nights I was going to be out shooting a lot of pics, I've "topped it off" a couple times when it was only down about 25%.

Any suggestions on how to get max life from the batt's?

Mike