Best rechargable batteries for a flash gun?

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Pgreen3108

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Pete
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Just a quickie really!

What are the best rechargable batteries (and charger!) to use in a flash gun? (nissin brand).

I would be looking to buy 8 and have 4 in the flah and 4 in the charger.

Any help apprecitaed :)

Cheers,

Pete
 
I'm using Fujicell 2700mAh and a 15-minute Uniross charger (actually takes 25 minutes for the 2700s), no problems so far....
 
Sanyo Eneloops are a very popular choice and come highly reccommended by me, not the highest capacity available but they take longer to discharge than any other battery on the market that I know of, and are nice and cheap to boot (from 7dayshop).

To get the most out of your batteries you'll need to invest in a decent charger - 15-minute chargers are all well and good but your batteries won't last long!
 
I bought up loads of Energizer 2000's from Wooly's before they went belly up and I like them plenty. Never flattened them yet, even after heavy use.
 
Unless you use flash a lot, I'd agree with Eneloops and a decent charger. A few other manufacturers make comparable latest-generation NiMH batteries too, though I only have experience with the Eneloops.

Ultra-fast chargers are fine for emergencies, but they'll kill the batteries eventually if overused. It's worth giving batteries some TLC once in a while (I use an Ansmann Energy 4 charger). If you're going to keep a spare set anyway then this sort of charger alone may be enough.
 
As everyone else has said, eneloops are where it's at. 7day shop do 4 eneloop AAs for £6.20 shipped, or with a slow charger (probably about 10 hours, but that means it won't trash the batteries unlike a 15min charger) for £8.50 :)
 
It depends how often you use your flash. If it's often, then high capacity AA NiMH are the best bet. If on the other hand (like me) it's a bit intermittent, the eneloops get my vote every time. Only 2000 mAh but you can leave them for quite a while and they really won't have lost much charge.
 
I use Uniross 2700mahs batteries, I can easily get 500 shots out of a single charge in the 580EX before they start to lose power! Even then, can usually get another 100-150, but recycling takes a little longer etc..
 
Check out the price of eneloops at Argos! If they ever come back into stock at less than £4 a pack !!!
 
+1 for the Eneloops here.

500+ shots from my SB900 with these babies...
 
Anedoctal evidence that I've seen on th'internet suggests that recycling is quicker with the hybrid type batteries. That and the fact that they hold their charge far longer than normal rechargables means that I've got 16 Eneloops on order.
 
With rechargeable batteries the thing to look out for is the mAh figure - you can pick up cheap rechargeables but they'll be 500mAh or 1000mAh and will run out in no time - aim to get at least 2000mAh, preferablly more. I've got a set of 4500mAh batteries which last forever and flash recycle time is quick too.

The higher capacity battery the longer they take to charge so I leave mine overnight.... a 500mAh might take 45mins but a 4500mAh is more like 8hrs!

Fast chargers will damage batteries if used repeatedly although if it's an emergency then you can probably get away with using one every so often.
 
Is there any hard proof that quick charge super fast chargers are no good for batteries? I though nowadays they all had sensors that cut off the power when fully charged? Is there any point in charging overnight?
 
incapete said:
I've got a set of 4500mAh batteries which last forever and flash recycle time is quick too.
Click to expand...

Could i ask the make of these and where you purchased them from please, as the highest MAH i've seen is 2700, thanks (y)
 
admirable said:
Is there any hard proof that quick charge super fast chargers are no good for batteries?
Click to expand...

It's not true. So long as you have dV/dt and thermal sensing (+safety timer) it is actually a more reliable and safe way of charging as it does not rely on knowing the state of charge at the start of the charge cycle. There is therefore no risk of overcharging. Slow chargers (0.1C) require the cells to be taken back to a known charge state (i.e. completely discharging the cells beforehand) otherwise there is a risk of venting at towards the end of the charge cycle.
 
I agree that a decent dV/dt charger, however fast it is, is better than one that relies only on a timer. However, not all such chargers are of the ultra-fast type. My Energy 4 is a dV/dt type and I'd rate it as moderately fast (takes a few hours to charge from empty). The batteries still get pretty warm, but not hot enough that I'd have any problems pulling one out while on charge.

That's the big problem I see with ultra-fast chargers - they generate a lot of heat both in the charger and in the batteries, sensor or not. I will admit I have no evidence whatsoever to prove that it damages the cells, but heat is a very well-known component killer in general, so it makes sense that it isn't going to be a good thing.
 
TG. said:
Could i ask the make of these and where you purchased them from please, as the highest MAH i've seen is 2700, thanks (y)
Click to expand...

They were from a shop selling components for remote controlled cars but doing a quick search just now I couldn't find anything above 2900/3000mAh so maybe I just got lucky. I know that you can get SubC size and D size right up to about 6000mAh but you'd need to build some kind of external battery pack for them.
Wouldn't actually be too hard to do something like that...
 
The fast chargers should charge at a rate of 1C as this gives the optimal charge profile, so 2100mAh cells should take less than 90 minutes to charge.

Heat is an issue, but is a by product of charging and is perfectly acceptable with a rapid charger so long as the cells are not being overcharged and will not damage the cells. Using a 0.1C charger is more at risk of damaging the cells despite the cells remaining cool.

The 15 minute chargers and other ultra rapid chargers are for certain cells only that are marketed for use in such chargers!
 
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