battery charge - where?

[Kathleen]

I have the 430EX ll flash, I can't seem to find where it shows the charge of my battery on the display? I've read the manual, but I am still at a loss. Please help?

 

[Big Mike]

I don't think it shows the charge level of the battery.
You can usually tell when they are getting low, buy the time it takes to recycle the flash between shots.

 

[Kathleen]

That's mean of Canon, you'd think for the price they would add that one little thing!

 

[Big Mike]

I'm sure there is a practical reason.

For example, a 70% used alkaline battery will perform differently than a 70% used NiMH battery...especially in a flash.

Alkaline batteries are great when they are fresh, but the flash gets slower and slower to recycle as they run out of power. NiMH batteries tend to keep the flash recycled faster, until they are almost worn out...maybe 80-90%.

I used to use Alkalines in my flashes...but I would change them out when the flash would slow down. Then I would take those batteries and put them in house hold type devices and they would work for a long time. They just can't keep up with the huge power draw that a flash needs.
Now I use NiMH (rechargeable) and they are pretty good.

Not to mention that it's environmentally friendly to use rechargeables.

 

[Kathleen]

Thanks Mike. If it wasn't there I was sure there was a reason. I was just making fun of Canon. Not nice since I love them so. I also agree with the rechargeable theory for the same reason.

 

[Overread18 6]

yep I moved to recharables and did notice that they started to lose charge before the disposables did- but at the cost of getting new batteries constantly (especially as I do a lot of macro work) I went for a set of 8 rechargables - cost more short term - but a great saving long term - 4 in and 4 spares

 

[Big Mike]

yep I moved to recharables and did notice that they started to lose charge before the disposables did

That's not what I've found...
I think that the disposables would show signs of loosing their charge, long before the rechargeables. The alkaline ones would slowly get worse and worse...while the NiMH would work consistently until they became slower all of a sudden.

 

[Overread18 6]

hmm strange maybe energizer are not hte best rechargables - or I am doing more flash and not relising

 

[Big Mike]

I use energizers and I find them to be pretty good.

There are some quirky things that can be going on with rechargeable batteries. Firstly, the standard NiMH batteries will loose power all the time, as they sit. So you have to have them freshly charged when you use them. Secondly, some of them have nowhere near the rated capacity...sometimes less than half.

More advanced chargers can test the batteries and give you what their actual capacity is. Most of these chargers can also run a 'refresh' cycle to hopefully 'wake up' the batteries. An even more advanced charger has a 'break-in' cycle that actually forces a charge into the batteries and restores them to near their actual capacity. This can even give life to old batteries that have been used and neglected for a long time.

 

[Overread18 6]

hmm I have a very basic charger - might be a better one could help a little more - though in time - I still get enough life out of them for what I need them for