Quantum Turbo SC?

[Cinka]

Thinking about upgrading to a battery pack for my 580EX II. I'm at the point now where I'm tired of switching out batteries - even though I have some pretty decent rechargeables. It's still becoming a hassle.

Is the Quantum Turbo worth the price? Can anyone shed some light? Is there a comparable battery pack for a better price?

Thanks!!

 

[CxThree]

I own the quantum. Actually, 2 of them. They are rock solid batteries and well worth the price.

However, I bought both of mine via craigslist and Ebay. You can find them used for much cheaper.

 

[Derrel]

I have a Quantum Battery 1, which is over 20 years old and still working quite well. It is relatively small and moderately light. I also have a Quantum Turbo which I bought the same year, but which died 15 years ago...the Turbo always delivered faster recycle times than the Battery 1. For events where there were 350 to 400 flashes to be shot, the Battery 1 came to be my preferred choice over the Turbo. The Battery 1 is designed as a belt-clip sized battery, and it works well that way, whereas the Turbo is much taller (about double in height) and the Turbo is designed more as a shoulder-strap carry battery, or for use on a light stand.

For many events, I found the Turbo was simply overkill and a PITA to pack.

 

[CxThree]

To be fair, I have the Quantum Turbo and a Quantum 2x2. I love the 2x2 as it gives me easy power for when I need 2 speedlights in a softbox or large umbrella.

 

[Cinka]

What's the difference between the Turbo and the Turbo SC?

 

[Derrel]

First off the Quantum Turbo is the old-school,large, heavy battery pack that weighs 39 ounces--without cables or strap. That makes it just one ounce under two and a half pounds in weight.

The Quantum Turbo SC is the slim, compact model, which weighs 15 ounces, which is obviously under one pound in weight.

The Quantum Battery 1+ is 26 ounces, and can power two flashes.

The Adorama web site has a nice feature that allows you to check the brands you want to compare, and it will pull up custom-generated pages allowing you to compare the various batteries available sorted by various criteria.

 

[Big Mike]

I've used the Turbo SC (I think) models, but only on a light stand mounted flash...never on my belt etc.
I can certainly see the advantage of longer life and quicker recycles, but I'm not so sure that I'd be OK with having a cord tethered to my camera. Seems like it might be more hassle than changing batteries once every couple of hours.

 

[Derrel]

SNIP>
I can certainly see the advantage of longer life and quicker recycles, but I'm not so sure that I'd be OK with having a cord tethered to my camera. Seems like it might be more hassle than changing batteries once every couple of hours.

Yes, the main problem with the Quantum batteries is the pigtail cord between the flash and the Quantum battery--it "tethers" you to the battery. Every time you want to put down the camera, you must unplug the cord from the battery, or remove the battery from your belt clip, or in the case of the mondo Turbo, you need to take the shoulder strap off. The original Turbo was SO heavy and large it's simply un-wearable as a belt-clip battery. For photojournalism uses, the Turbo was an excellent battery system back in the 1980's, which was before the advent of today's kick-butt, ultra-performance batteries and super-efficient flash units and high-ISO digital cameras. When shooting hundreds of flash shots on a film like VPS 160 downrated to ASA 100, the needed flash output was double or quadruple what is needed with a modern d-slr that can shoot great flash shots at ISO 200 or 400, not to mention ISO 800, so back in the day, Quantum battery solutions were wonderful innovations.

But today's more powerful batteries and things like Nikon's SB 800 with the fifth battery door added have greatly reduced the need for an external battery pack for all but the most rapid-fire situations. The fifth battery provides an incredible boost to recycle times,and is why I like the SB 800 so,so much compared with earlier generation flashes that just used 4x 1.5 volt AA's. Now that we can shoot great pictures at ISO 200, 250,or 320 or even 400 ISO and not 100, recycle times are much quicker simply because so,so much less actual flash output is needed!!

What DOES intrigue me, and might be of interest to the OP are the Turbo battery + SP Studio Systems portable AC/DC monolights like this one SPC1600ACDC SP Studio Systems Excalibur Series Lancerlight SPC-1600 AC/DC Monolight Strobe.
I know she does bands and location fashion/portraiture, and the SP Studio Systems got a really great recommendation from a mobile photog I used to know in the early 2000's. He swore by the SP AC/DC monolights for location work.

 

[Cinka]

I just read on Amazon that you have to put batteries in the Turbo SC. What? Doesn't that defeat the purpose? Do you have to put batteries in any of the others?

 

[Big Mike]

I don't think so. It has it's own 'battery cells', you don' physically put AA batteries into it.

 

[photograham]

Quantum Turbo SC is a great choice

 

[Cinka]

Thanks everyone for your input. I think I'm gonna go with the Turbo SC. More good reviews than bad and I like that it's easy to travel with.

 

[MJM]

I use a Canon 580 EXii and have a Turbo SC battery. I understand you need 4 AA fully charged batteries in the flash head to work. I read also you should use alakaline and not ni-mh.

Anyone have any info in this?

 

[Derrel]

I use a Canon 580 EXii and have a Turbo SC battery. I understand you need 4 AA fully charged batteries in the flash head to work. I read also you should use alakaline and not ni-mh.

Anyone have any info in this?

The requirement that the flash have its normal load of AA batteries is a pretty standard way of making a smaller,lighter, external battery pack that plugs into the flash at an outlet,and not directly into the battery compartment.

Some external battery packs, like the QUantum Battery 1, use a "dummy battery plug" that is large,and shaped exactly like four, 1.5-volt AA batteries, and THAT is what you insert into the flash's battery compartment. With the Quantum Battery 1, the dummy plug required you to saw a slit in the flash's battery compartment door so that the cord could exit the battery chamber, which was always an ugly hack. Other external batteries that plug into an **outlet** on the flash body require that the AA batteries also be in the flash; this is an acceptable and common requirement, and is what I personally grew up with. It is not really a design flaw or fault, but just the way most engineers have approached things since the 1980's.

 

[Big Mike]

I don't recall what the proper procedure is, but I do know that you have to be sure about the type of batteries you have in the unit while using the Quantum.
I think the possible problem may be that if you use rechargables, the power will want to charge the batteries in the flash unit.
I was shooting with a photographers who was new to using her quantum turbo with a 580EX...the flash stopped working and when I when to check it out, the batteries where extremely hot, too hot to hold. The flash had to be sent in for repair as well.