battery expectancy on flashes, 430ex, 580ex etc?

[e r y k]

hello POTN,

im slowly stowing away funds to purchase a 430ex, then im going to burn my computer so i cant come back on this site :P its making me more broke than i really am!

anyways, how many shots are expected from a fresh set of batteries on a 430ex? i cannot seem to find these statistics anywhere!

thanks

[Ultimate CC]

regular batteries they drain pretty fast but with the 2650 rechargeables they last quite a while...

[e r y k]

i have a lot of 2700 mAh batteries but they are not rechargable, and to be honest i would rather throw batteries away after they are full rather than worry about charging them.

when u say a while... how long? 100 shots?

[Ultimate CC]

its hard to say exactly cause i never let the batteries go all the way down, once the recharge speed drops slightly (atleast 100 shots or more) I tend to switch in a new set and charge the olds ones...it depends too on what settings on the flash and camera and if your doing bursts or letting it do a full charge before each shot as they drain the batteries differently...

[Titus213]

The type of shooting you do will greatly impact battery life. I have had very good results with 2500 ~ 2700 NiMhs. Based on the number of copper tops I've discarded you will want to get some rechargeables if you plan on using the flash to any extent.

[e r y k]

ill pick up some rechargables if i come to really need it, until then a 24 pack of 2700mAh alkalines for 8 bucks doesnt sound too bad does it :)

[Ultimate CC]

they will go very quickly trust me ;)

[DavidW]

You really are better with NiMH AA batteries in a flash. The lower internal resistance compared to alkaline leads to faster recycling with NiMH, and it doesn't take long to get through a set of batteries in a flash.



David

[TDCat]

I have to agree with DavidW. I have recently bought the 430EX and a set of 2700mAh batteries to go with it. Alkaline batteries are not really suitable for the requirements of flash (high current, short period). Fast recharge time is key with a flash.

I tested the charge time on the 430EX with alkaline and the NiMH. The NiMH take about 3 seconds (remember, that's only if you use full power on EVERY flash...normally you can fire shots again and again immediately) whereas the alkaline took about 5-6 seconds. Quite a difference.

As far as the number of shots is concerned, this is actually listed in the manual (which I don't have to hand) but it varies between 200 and 1000 (again depending on zoom levels etc) if my memory serves me correct so it's a good useable amount.

[Jim M]

I can only chime in with what everyone else has said. NiMH is definitely the way to go. You won't believe how much faster they recharge a flash. I use my 580EX outside at a drag strip pushing the power as much as I can. I have no idea how many pops to expect from a set of batteries, but it's quite a few. I always charge up a spare set to swap out, but I rarely use them.

Before I switched to NiMH batteries (actually before I bought the 580EX), I used a home made lead-acid gel cell external battery pack. It worked faster than alkalines, but since I discovered NiMH, the external packs have stayed in the equipment cabinet.

[funkybuddha]

What about the Energizer Lithium batteries? AA size.

[TDCat]

OK, but they are really just better in life expectancy (and weight, of course). They can deal with high current but I don't think any better than NiMH. You really are better with rechargeable for both money, convenience and the environment.

2700mAh is pretty impressive for a AA cell. They work great.

[mrbeagle]

anyone got a link to amazon for some good rechargeable batteries and a charger? I went through about 30 batteries this weekend between my 580 and 430, yikes

[martinsmith]

I've just ordered a couple of sets off of eBay to go into my new 580 ii. There's plenty on there so shop around.

[LIVE4SPD]

The Lithium AA's from Energizer are nice. They last a long time, and are nice and light. They recycle ALMOST as fast as NiMh but not quite. They don't go dead while sitting around though which is nice.

[nutsnbolts]

I bought an eneloop and charger. I have use it so far with 500 shots and haven't recharged yet, although I feel it will be time for a recharge soon.