External Flash batttery pack

[tecboy]

During the outdoor fashion show, I discovered there was lagging recharging time on my flash. Does the external battery pack help? I'm looking into Yongnuo brand.

 

[Overread]

Typically for a speedite flash the external battery packs take over the role of charging the flash for a shot, whilst the internal batteries in the flash do the menu driving and controls of the flash. As such the battery packs can generally charge faster and also maintain a higher capacity for longer.

Myself I use a Pixel battery pack with my 580EX2. It holds 8AA batteries in two 4 battery groups; the two groups work together to provide a faster charge to the flash; or you can only put 4 batteries in and just use one group to recharge. It works well and significantly reduces recharging time, especially when firing at higher power settings.

You have to be careful though that you don't fire too many shots all at once - the flash has to cool down otherwise it will overhead.

Note that not all flash units have an external battery attachment point and there are different types and ways to connect; so make sure you get one that is compatible with your flash.

 

[manaheim]

I have a Quantaray. They are a HUGE help in both recharge time and overall number of flashes... not to mention not having to swap batteries all the time... not to mention avoiding the cost of batteries.

The one thing you need to watch out for is overheating your flash.

 

[Derrel]

For events where you need fast flash recycling, or for use to power an umbrella + speedlight, the Quantum Battery 1 works well. This one I bought in the mid-1980's. It still easily shoots 350+ flash pictures over the course of a typical party or other all-flash gig and loses only 1 of the three power remianing LED's after shooting 350 flash shots...even on its ORIGINAL 1980's lead acid cell!!!

[ D3X_3334_Quantum Battery 1.jpg photo - Derrel photos at pbase.com ]

In all fairness though, this is usually used with the Vivitar 285HV or Nikon SB speedlight in an "Auto-Thyristor mode", so if the flash to subject range is short, not that much flash power is required. On LONG-range shots, like say banquet rooms with 40-foot throws to the podium, the flash is going to be firing pretty much at or near full discharge at smaller f/stops like say f/8. One of the best ways to shoot faster flash is to 1) elevate the ISO level used and 2) open the aperture to f/4 or thereabouts if possible.

If you need to shoot a LOT of flash shots and shoot them FAST, and you have a Quantum battery like the 1, or the Turbo, you'd darned well better be shooting at a wider f/stop and a higher-than-base ISO setting if you absolutely must avoid overheating the flash.