batteries?

[gagey]

i have a sb600 flash for nikon d80 and i have rechargable kodak..... i know they are not the best and they dont last very long in my flash..... i can shoot 150 shots and by the end its refreshing slower...... does anyone have any reccomendations on some good batteries that dont die as fast? or better rechargeable brand? i like the rechargable since i can just charge them and reuse...... instead of always having to buy batteries .....because even when i used regular energizers they only last like 2 days of shooting i think and then started refreshing really slow.

 

[Derrel]

Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries are considered to be pretty good batteries for use in electronic flash units. After 150 flash shots, I would expect that the refresh rate on the flash would slow down somewhat, you know?

I have used Ansmann brand 2700 mill-ampere hour nickel metal hydrides with good luck....they seem to be pretty good batteries in my experience. If your Kodak batteries are old, or if one cell is weak, it's probably time to replace the battery set as a whole, and get something with a higher milli-ampere hour rating, like 2500 to 2700 or so.

 

[Overread]

Definitly use rechargables - it will save you a fortune in battery costs - however you also have to get and use a good recharger with your batteries. The quick (often sold with batteries) chargers are often low grade and cna end up damaging the long life of the batteries recharged in them. Maha (or powerrex as it appears to be in the UK) make a good range of battery rechargers and I encourage you to purchase a good recharging unit - the cost will save you in not having to get emergancy regular batteries when the rechargable die way too early on a shoot.

The enloops that Derral mentions are indeed highly popular for their abilty to keep charge when stored (Even in the flash unit). I have them and I had a set stored in the flash for afew months and they still delivered a good number of shots without giving up - regular rechargables would have been albut dead.
However they do tend to have less capacity than regular rechargables (though I think some newer hybrid brands are moving out higher capacity enloops and similar function batteries) so if you are using and recharing quickly (eg always able to charge the day before a shoot) then I would use regular higher capacity batteries for that backedup with a 4set of enloops for when you do need something suddenly without forewarning.

 

[mrpink]

http://www.cheapbatterypacks.com

where I get all my batteries.




p!nK

 

[table1349]

]Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries are considered to be pretty good batteries for use in electronic flash units.[/B] After 150 flash shots, I would expect that the refresh rate on the flash would slow down somewhat, you know?

I have used Ansmann brand 2700 mill-ampere hour nickel metal hydrides with good luck....they seem to be pretty good batteries in my experience. If your Kodak batteries are old, or if one cell is weak, it's probably time to replace the battery set as a whole, and get something with a higher milli-ampere hour rating, like 2500 to 2700 or so.

:thumbup: +1 Sanyo Eneloop I have ten sets for my five stobes.

I also keep two sets of standard nickel metal hydrides that are 2700 or 2800 mill-amps for the two 580's.

The Eneloop's don't have as many shots per charge, but they hold their charge for months on end if you don't use them on a daily basis The others provide me more shots, but I have to plan the day ahead and charge them. I prefer a slow charge over a fast or 1 hour charge. The battery life will be extended if you only use a slow charge.

 

[Vinny]

I have the Eneloops and they are great for long lasting as far as months but are a little weak in terms of raw power. I have purchased Powerex and they come in higher mAh than the Eneloops. Higher mAh = more run time; the Eneloops I have are about 2100 mAh and the Powerex can go to 2700 mAh.

Personally I would have a combo of both ... the Eneloops will perform great and you can keep them around and they will stay charged. The Powerex will outperform the Eneloops but will not hold their charge for any period of time (I think most Nimh batteries loose 1% charge per day - Eneloops do not).

3 things though - first THE CHARGER MATTERS ... don't use a 15 minute charger and expect the batteries to last - the heat that is generated will kill the battery. I have the Powerex Battery charger but Lacross also make a good charger. Second - batteries will gain capacity as they are charged/discharged so you need to give any new battery a bunch of cycles (about 5) before they reach 100% capacity. If you stop using them, the cycle starts all over. Third - having batteries that sit around for months, eventually discharging to near zero will kill the battery.

I use the Eneloops in my house for xbox controllers, Mp3 players, cordless mouse and anything that I want powered for a while. I use Powerex for those items that I want to have a great amount of use such as digital point and shoot. I do not have a external flash yet so I can't comment on the battery life. What I can say is with the Powerex my P&S cameras took a heck of a lot of photos even using the flash ... could barely get 50 photos with alkaline.

 

[gagey]

thanks for the advice im gonna go check some of those out

 

[Big Mike]

Check this site out as well.
Rechargeable Batteries Battery Chargers Rechargeable Lithium Digital Camera Batteries Maha Ansmann Energizer Sanyo ZTS

 

[Goontz]

Another good word here for the Eneloops. As has been said, they're not quite as powerful as the Powerex (for example), but they store very well and do still last quite a while.

 

[Big Mike]

I don't use Eneloops, I just use regular Energizer NiMH rechargeable.

Sure, the Eneloops are great because they don't lose (much) power over time, like the regular ones do...but I charge my batteries up before use anyway...I probably would with Eneloops anyway.

 

[ghache]

Costco have the Sanyo Eneloop for really cheap and they lasttt for ever! they are a must