- Joined
- Dec 16, 2003
- Messages
- 33,896
- Reaction score
- 1,853
- Location
- Edmonton
- Website
- www.mikehodson.ca
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos NOT OK to edit
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature currently requires accessing the site using the built-in Safari browser.
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.
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.
sm4him said: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.
What type of batteries were you using before?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.
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!
sm4him said: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.