Nobody Mentioned that Flashes EAT batteries

[Big Mike]

Largest selection of AAA, AA, C, D, 9V nimh Rechargeable Replacement Batteries, Chargers, Sanyo, Eneloop, Maha, Imedion, Powerex

 

[cgipson1]

PM'd ya!

 

[SCraig]

I use the Powerex charger and Eneloop batteries as well. That is a great charger however it is somewhat expensive. I can get at least a couple of hundred shots of varying power levels from both my SB-600 and SB-700 speedlights before I worry about recharging the batteries. The Eneloop AA's are only 1900 mAh however part of that is made up if you don't use a flash all that frequently since they have a lower self-discharge rate and don't appear to discharge as much just sitting in my camera bag.

 

[bratkinson]

My 550EX ate Energizers like popping Doritos. About 20 flashes and it was noticably slower to recharge. I just picked up a new 580EX II and fed it Eneloops...Everybody here raves about Eneloops so I tried them. What a difference! I shot well over 100 flashes on a single charge with little noticable recharge lag. I can't give 100% of the credit to the Eneloops, though. I'm sure the 580EX II and my 60D "play together" better than the 550EX and 60D used to. Just my "don't care about the details...show me the results" opinion.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

If the flash doesn't go to sleep, and is constantly topping off the capacitors, that will also kill your battery life because the batteries are constantly being pulled from.

If there is one thing i never, ever recommend to people, it's using off brand flashes. If you shoot Nikon or Canon, NONE of them are ever better than the manufacturer brand.

 

[Destin]

If the flash doesn't go to sleep, and is constantly topping off the capacitors, that will also kill your battery life because the batteries are constantly being pulled from.

If there is one thing i never, ever recommend to people, it's using off brand flashes. If you shoot Nikon or Canon, NONE of them are ever better than the manufacturer brand.

But if you shoot with alot of off camera flash, third party, manual only flashes for OCF use is a good way to save money. I have an sb-600 for on camera work, and 4 yongnuo yn-460 II's in my bag for off camera stuff. No need to pay for all that extra TTL Bull-doo-doo when running an off camera setup, and there is ALOT to be said for being able to get 5 yongnuos for the price of 1 Nikon.

 

[Edsport]

I bought some 3800 mAh batteries on ebay. They were less than a buck each with free shipping so i bought a few extras. Haven't really put them to the test yet though...

 

[Buckster]

Already stated, but I agree: Go with rechargeables. I like the Eneloops myself, and use the Eneloop long chargers with them.

I also use the external battery packs with my flashes, and they work GREAT for extending the life of a session AND for super-speedy recycle times. I have Canon brand CP-E4 units, but I'll bet the Pixel brand are just as good, and they're only about a third the price of the name brand.

I also use both the Canon 580EXII (2 of them) and the Yongnuo YN565EX (2 of them), and find the Yongnuos are VERY much like the Canons, other than when it comes to High Speed Sync, which Yongnuo seems not to have built into their flashes (yet). It's rare that I've ever used that feature of my Canons anyway, so for the price, the Yongnuos are an excellent bargain.

 

[sm4him]

Thanks everyone! I went out yesterday and got some Energizer 2300 mAh NiMH batteries for the short term. I have a very basic 8-hour charger, but will probably buy a nicer one and some more batteries in the next few weeks.

Used the NiMH batteries for a short time last night; I can already tell they'll make a huge difference. Even having used the flash full-power for many of the shots (on purpose--testing how long the flash would last as much as experimenting with how to use it), it's still going strong this morning.

 

[sm4him]

If the flash doesn't go to sleep, and is constantly topping off the capacitors, that will also kill your battery life because the batteries are constantly being pulled from.

If there is one thing i never, ever recommend to people, it's using off brand flashes. If you shoot Nikon or Canon, NONE of them are ever better than the manufacturer brand.

I certainly can't argue that the Nikon SBs are probably "better" than the Yongnuo 560. But, I CAN say with certainty that I'm glad some of the others I've been taking advice from on this forum did recommend the Yonguo, because I would still be shooting *without* flash if I had to wait until I could afford a Nikon one. Eventually, I'll get a Nikon SB700 or something. But right now, I am thrilled with being able to LEARN off-camera flash with my cheap Yongnuo.

 

[Mach0]

I certainly can't argue that the Nikon SBs are probably "better" than the Yongnuo 560. But, I CAN say with certainty that I'm glad some of the others I've been taking advice from on this forum did recommend the Yonguo, because I would still be shooting *without* flash if I had to wait until I could afford a Nikon one. Eventually, I'll get a Nikon SB700 or something. But right now, I am thrilled with being able to LEARN off-camera flash with my cheap Yongnuo.

Just an FYI, you can get a used sb24 or if you are lucky a sb28 for the same price as a yn560. I have never used a yn560 but love my sb's. I like using KEH. Sometimes their inventory isnt fully updated and you can find some of their stuff on amazon. Just search and check the deals under Used or new, etc.

 

[Big Mike]

My 550EX ate Energizers like popping Doritos. About 20 flashes and it was noticably slower to recharge. I just picked up a new 580EX II and fed it Eneloops...Everybody here raves about Eneloops so I tried them. What a difference! I shot well over 100 flashes on a single charge with little noticable recharge lag. I can't give 100% of the credit to the Eneloops, though. I'm sure the 580EX II and my 60D "play together" better than the 550EX and 60D used to. Just my "don't care about the details...show me the results" opinion.

What type of batteries were you using before?
Eneloops are great, but I don't think they are going to be any better/faster than any other NiMH batteries.
But yes, the 580EX II is designed to have a 20% faster recharge than the previous version.

 

[zx7dave]

One word "Eneloops"

Finally got an off-camera flash, a Yongnuo 560. I've had almost no time to practice doing anything with it, but one thing I've discovered quickly is that the thing takes the batteries I put in, chews them up like candy and spits them out.
So every time I finally have a few minutes to go outside and practice shooting some birds, it turns out, the flash doesn't work. Dead batteries.

I've been using regular old Duracell or Energizer batteries, because I was too uneducated about flashes to know what a bad idea that was. In another recent thread, I just saw some other possibilities, but I have to admit, I'd never even heard of some of them. Pixel battery packs? Eneloops?

So, what's your recommendation for a good battery for the flash that will give me a bit more "flash for my buck" than regular batteries? Will just regular Duracell or Energizer NiMH batteries work better? Or do I need to throw yet more money at the photography monster in my house, for some specialized batteries?

I'm not a pro, and don't even play like one on Facebook. I don't really do portrait photography (other than just a bit to learn how). I'm mostly using the flash to improve my bird and other nature photography, experiment with a little pseudo-macro or water drop stuff, things like that. So, I don't need PRO equipment, and if my flash fails it will disappoint only ME, not paying clients. But I'd still like to not have to change the batteries every single time I use the durn flash!

 

[shefjr]

Thanks everyone! I went out yesterday and got some Energizer 2300 mAh NiMH batteries for the short term. I have a very basic 8-hour charger, but will probably buy a nicer one and some more batteries in the next few weeks.

Used the NiMH batteries for a short time last night; I can already tell they'll make a huge difference. Even having used the flash full-power for many of the shots (on purpose--testing how long the flash would last as much as experimenting with how to use it), it's still going strong this morning.

Sm4him,
I have run into almost your exact same issue (bought 2- 560s which chew through batteries) and was going to ask this question on TPF but, decided to search the forum before I started the new thread. So I guess I was wondering, since its three months later, are you happy with your choice? Thanks
John

 

[usayit]

Aligator clips
D cell battery holders
Coiled wire
Shrink tube
Minor soldering
Good rechargeable D cells.

or

Use battery packs.

I've had some good luck with Energizer NiMH rechargeable and Eneloops. High Sync/FP/ (or whatever they call it) and full power will eat batteries quickly.