Batteries for 580EX II

Kryptix

Kryptix

Messages
1,730
Edit My Images
Yes
I've just ordered another 580EX II so I'm going to need another 8 batteries (I like to have a spare set).

These were the 7DayShop 2,500mAh batteries with a free charger, there has been a few threads about them.

But what would you suggest other than these? I want those to be the spares, and ideally have two decent sets for main use.

I also need batteries that'll charge with the chargers I already have. Is it normal for them to require 21-25 hours to charge fully? That's what the manual said before I chucked it away. If I get new batteries will they also need 21-25 hours or is that restriction in the charger itself?
 
Oh and can you please link me to the said batteries on 7DayShop? That's where I'll be ordering from.
 
Are they well expensive? I'm in no major rush for them to charge but 21-25 hours is a bit extreme.
 
The chargers were about £15 each iirc - I bought a pair of "Extreme" ones from Ebay first - but one of them melted whilst charging :lol:

The Uniross ones I have are fan-cooled so, touch wood, no issues as of yet
 
Sorry I know you're looking for batts only, but if you want a quick charger,
I use this 15minute charger with energizer 2700mah batts.

Some chargers say 15 minute charging time but with lower capacity batts like 1800mah.
The energizer charges 2700mah for 15 minutes.
 
eneloops or 'infiniums' off 7dayshop are a good buy, especially if your batteries don't take daily use :D

as for chargers... probably worth having one decent charger that can recondition batteries, as for the rest.... eh, 2-4 hour chargers will save you knackering your batteries, but have the obvious downside of taking longer.
 
At the moment I have two sets of these.

What do you think of these? Will they still take 21-25 hours to charge with my original chargers? I can't decide if it's a 'slow' battery or a 'slow' charger?
 
it's a case of slow charger. get the eneloops / infiniums (same thing, different label), but a fast charger off amazon or something.
 
Can anyone link me to a charger you are talking about on 7DayShop? I can only find chargers that'll take 1-3 hours?
 
I thought super quick chargers killed your batteries. 20 hours plus does seem rather extreme though. I leave mine on for a couple of hours in some cheapo Sony charger that doesn't have a readout. Seem to last fine. That's with Sony 2100 batteries.

I did pick up some Duracell 2650s, and they were terrible, didn't matter how i charged them, discharged them, whatever, recycle time on the flash was about 2 weeks and they lasted 10 minutes while shooting. Maybe I got duff ones.
 
Get the Eneloops from 7dayshop.... £8.49 with the charger, or £6.99 without - what's the point in not getting the charger? I think it's 15 hours for a full charge, but you can always buy a better/quicker charger if you want... I just bought four sets of them... wouldn't use anything else.
 
They're what I have, and only 2000 mAh...
 
I wouldn't buy any rechargeables except Eneloops or Infiniums. I have used at least four different brands of regular rechargeables, including good brands like Duracell, Energizer, Uniross, Ansmann, and they are all hopeless - self discharged and stone dead after a few days. The fact that I use a rapid charger might not have helped, but when you're trying to keep four flash guns going there is no other choice.

I use disposables now. Pack of 18 Duracell Plus for £5.99 at B&Q, and I'm sure you can get cheaper. Job's a good un.
 
Kryptix said:
They're what I have, and only 2000 mAh...
Click to expand...

Don't convince yourself that because they're 'only' 2000 mAh that they aren't as good as your 2500/2800 mAh items... they're actually far better, and will last as long if not longer in real world use... there's some threads kicking around the forum about this, and I'm sure one of the does a comparison. You might be in for a pleasant surprise if you can find the thread....
 
Another vote for eneloops. And as Dekhog (above) says *only* 2000 mAh can be far better. I've lost track of the 2700 and 2800 mAh batteries that are in reality nowhere near the claimed capacity. Couple this with the eneloops ability to hold a charge for ages and it's a no brainer.
 
Right, I've ordered another two sets of the 2,000 mAh Eneloops then.

Now, what charger do you suggest? I can't deal with 21-25 hour charges. Can someone please link me to a charger that'll do the job nicely?
 
I don't see what's wrong with this - 1-3 hours sounds good enough to me. You don't want to get some 15 minute thing and blow your eneloops into orbit... it's either that or you buy a £40-£80 job, but I can't really see the point myself unless you're rolling in cash...
 
Kryptix said:
Yes, I have two sets of those but they take 21-25 hours to charge (according to the little bit of paper which came with them).

Anyone else want to recommend a charger? Ideally someone who has charged Eneloop batteries with it...

Can any re-chargable battery handle any charger?
Click to expand...

I use a BC-900 (see the other thread) with the eneloops. You can set the charger to charge them VERY quickly or reduce the power and charge them over night
 
Kryptix said:
Yes, I have two sets of those but they take 21-25 hours to charge (according to the little bit of paper which came with them).

Anyone else want to recommend a charger? Ideally someone who has charged Eneloop batteries with it...

Can any re-chargable battery handle any charger?
Click to expand...


Yes, I think so.

I use one of these, Ansmann Digi-Speed 4 Ultra http://www.warehouseexpress.com/product/default.aspx?sku=1002910 It certainly charges them fast. Turbo cooling? They still get too hot to touch :eek:

If anyone can confirm that this charger is repsonsible for rendering my regular Ni-MH rechargeables useless (won't hold charge) after no more than half a dozen re-charges, I would really like to know. If so, will it do the same to Eneloops?
 
What is this need to charge them fast all about? I get 400+ flashes from a single set of eneloops! Just buy 3 sets with chargers for £8.49 and when a set is flat re-charge them. If it takes 21 hours so be it you still have 2 sets. They will last 1000+ charges when charged slowly so you get VASTLY more life out of them and therefore you save money. If you need extra batteries buy 3 sets with the chargers and another set or two without chargers. Spending the extra on a fast charger that is simply going to ruin your expensive batteries much quicker is a false economy in my opinion just spend it on more batteries !

On the slowest setting (discharger/recharge until best amount) the BC-900 takes 3 days to charge a set of eneloops :)
 
My Ansmann high speed charger makes no reference to it wrecking batteries, nor does it have a slow charge switch, though I hear what you say. It does say you should use "fast rechargeable cells" but my Ansmann "fast recharegeable, no memeory effect" 2500mAh batts are as dead as the other brands.

My question is, is the problem I have with rapid self-discharge the fault of the batteries, or the charger. I bought the rapid charger because I have four flash guns. Do I have to rethink my charging regime, or just get Eneloops?

Thanks.
 
It's not so much about needing to charge them fast, but 21-25 hours is a LONG time. It's not overnight... If I put them on at 6pm they won't be ready until 6pm the next say, so that's a full night and day wasted. I wouldn't mind 12 hours, but ideally a 5-hour charge would be good. I'm certainly not after a 15 minute charger.
 
Have you read the other thread where I reviewed the BC900 and eneloop batteries. With 5 flashes I would suggest that the eneloops are actually more practical. Get 7 sets of batteries plug 3 chargers with batteries. It will cost you about £75 but you will have two sets of batteries for each charger and you will have 3 chargers so you can re-charge 3 sets at the same time, yes they take 21 hours but if you get 400+ flashes (It might be 600+) from each set does it matter? Or get 5 chargers because you are only paying £1.50 for the charger anyway..... Sod it just get 10 chargers with 10 sets of batteries :) It will still only cost you £85 and you can charge them all up at the same time.

The point I am making is that you are never going to flatten 6 sets in a day! If you flatten 3 then you leave them charging whilst you use the other 7! then next day having flattened another 3-4 you still have 6-7 sets etc etc etc... No risk to the batteries.
 
cowasaki said:
Have you read the other thread where I reviewed the BC900 and eneloop batteries. With 5 flashes I would suggest that the eneloops are actually more practical. Get 7 sets of batteries plug 3 chargers with batteries. It will cost you about £75 but you will have two sets of batteries for each charger and you will have 3 chargers so you can re-charge 3 sets at the same time, yes they take 21 hours but if you get 400+ flashes (It might be 600+) from each set does it matter? Or get 5 chargers because you are only paying £1.50 for the charger anyway..... Sod it just get 10 chargers with 10 sets of batteries :) It will still only cost you £85 and you can charge them all up at the same time.

The point I am making is that you are never going to flatten 6 sets in a day! If you flatten 3 then you leave them charging whilst you use the other 7! then next day having flattened another 3-4 you still have 6-7 sets etc etc etc... No risk to the batteries.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that :) Yes, I have read the other thread - I posted on it - and a very useful bit of research it was too.

But you have not asnwered my question about my self-discharging batteries - is it the batteries (ie regular NiMH) or my fast charger?

I hear what you say about just buying extra batteries and chargers and that does make sense, but I really don't want a line of three or four chargers sitting on my desk, especially as I already have one (expensive) high speed charger I bought for the job!

Thanks again :)
 
Normal rechargeable batteries discharge themselves over time. I am not sure about how much but they do loose power hence the introduction of eneloops. Eneloops do too but at a vastly lower speed.
 
Cowasaki, can these eneloops be used with quick chargers? Can't find anything on the net to confirm it...
 
cowasaki said:
This is a link to the 3 hour Eneloop travel charger it is £25 with 4 batteries so effectively £17 in price.
Click to expand...

Link is missing, and 3 hours is not very quick at all :thinking:

So the question still remains, as posted above, "Cowasaki, can these eneloops be used with quick chargers? Can't find anything on the net to confirm it..."

Don't mean to put on you bud, but this is the critical point for me and you seem to have the kind of knowledge that would have the answer :)
 
HoppyUK said:
Link is missing, and 3 hours is not very quick at all :thinking:

So the question still remains, as posted above, "Cowasaki, can these eneloops be used with quick chargers? Can't find anything on the net to confirm it..."

Don't mean to put on you bud, but this is the critical point for me and you seem to have the kind of knowledge that would have the answer :)
Click to expand...


I just ordered two sets anyway, I will use them with my Energiser 15 minute charger. Fingers crossed no eplosion:geek:
 
I have added the link but 3 hours is as fast as I would charge any decent rechargeable battery so if you need them faster I would say no. Why do you need them faster, just buy a couple of extra sets.
 
strobemonkey said:
I just ordered two sets anyway, I will use them with my Energiser 15 minute charger. Fingers crossed no eplosion:geek:
Click to expand...

I doubt they would explode but you seriously risk reducing their life expectancy dramatically. Get a desk fan and blow it over them whilst they are doing their business !
 
Thanks Cowasaki.

But now the Eneloops are not looking so shiny :( To compete with my high speed charger, I have to buy four 3-hour chargers and sets of batteries, that's £100, I have to have a line of four chargers cluttering my desk, I have to throw away my expensive high speed charger, and even then they will take longer to recharge.

Meanwhile, I can buy over 300 disposable AA batts for that money, for instant power any time. Unless eneloops can take rapid charging, they are not going to work for me, but I accept that my needs are a bit different. Tell you what, I'll buy two sets of Eneloops and charge one set in my rapid charger and another set in my super-slow Uniross for a while, see how they get on. All in the interests of science :D
 
HoppyUK said:
Thanks Cowasaki.

But now the Eneloops are not looking so shiny :( To compete with my high speed charger, I have to buy four 3-hour chargers and sets of batteries, that's £100, I have to have a line of four chargers cluttering my desk, I have to throw away my expensive high speed charger, and even then they will take longer to recharge.

Meanwhile, I can buy over 300 disposable AA batts for that money, for instant power any time. Unless eneloops can take rapid charging, they are not going to work for me, but I accept that my needs are a bit different. Tell you what, I'll buy two sets of Eneloops and charge one set in my rapid charger and another set in my super-slow Uniross for a while, see how they get on. All in the interests of science :D
Click to expand...

How much battery power do you need every day? What the hell are you doing with them? I'm intrigued, honestly... :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top