What batteries for the fastest recycling of flash?

tim wrote in post #11940053
Wilt I think they mean the batteries get hot in the flash. That's because they're firing the flash a lot, nothing to do with the charger.

The solutions are:
- Use a battery pack, and set the batteries in the flash to just run the electronics. I set them to use the internal batteries too.
- Increase your ISO, so less power is required.

Oh, wrong interpretation by me. Nonetheless, we need to warn the OP about frying flashes due to thermal abuse of too many consecutive flashes contrary to the printed warnings of the flash manufacturer in the owner manual. I like to repeat the fact that one person on POTN admitted to frying THREE Canon 580EX's before he woke up and read the manual. Canon has seen so many fried flashes, that they designed the 580EXII to force the photographer to slow down when it needed to!

PowerGenix NiZn give crazy fast recycle times. I wouldn't push them too hard, though, for fear of blowing things up. But even for casual use, they give better recycle times than, say, Eneloops (which are my mainstay batteries).

edge100 wrote in post #11943440
PowerGenix NiZn give crazy fast recycle times. I wouldn't push them too hard, though, for fear of blowing things up. But even for casual use, they give better recycle times than, say, Eneloops (which are my mainstay batteries).

It's not the flash head that typically burns out, it's the electronics. Not much you can do spare them. Eneloop in the flash with NiZn in the battery pack could be interesting... but it could also blow everything up. Caveat Emptor.

I've found that I prefer to use the canon external battery pack for the sole reason that you can change the cartridge which holds the AA batteries very quickly. I carry two cartridges with me when I head to a event at night. I actually hang the pack on my Black Rapid Double strap just above where it connects in the middle. I've also got a charger that holds ~12 AA batteries so charging isn't ever a problem, but it does take overnight becuase its not a quick charger.

Folks, I've already deleted a couple of off-topic posts. If you can answer the OP's question relating to batteries or add something relavent to the discussion, please post it. Otherwise, please move along.

Thanks.

ZXDrew wrote in post #11947730
I've found that I prefer to use the canon external battery pack for the sole reason that you can change the cartridge which holds the AA batteries very quickly. I carry two cartridges with me when I head to a event at night. I actually hang the pack on my Black Rapid Double strap just above where it connects in the middle. I've also got a charger that holds ~12 AA batteries so charging isn't ever a problem, but it does take overnight becuase its not a quick charger.

I've never gotten close to running a CP-E4 out of batteries. I shoot high ISO even with flash though.

tim wrote in post #11946564
It's not the flash head that typically burns out, it's the electronics. Not much you can do spare them. Eneloop in the flash with NiZn in the battery pack could be interesting... but it could also blow everything up. Caveat Emptor.

I'd love to see what kind of recycle times you'd get with a Pixel pack filled with NiZn. Just for a few shots, anyway. I'm not brave enough to do it, though.

tim wrote in post #11952692
I've never gotten close to running a CP-E4 out of batteries. I shoot high ISO even with flash though.

I shoot mainly running events. To get the shutter speed I need, it usually eats up batteries. I've also had to go through multiple trays at a night time trail run. I only flashed the runners crossing the finish line, but there were also 900+ runners. I don't replace the batteries when they're completely dead, just when they start to not recycle fast enough.

Are you shooting ISO100 or something? Shoot ISO800, it uses 1/8 the battery power and modern cameras at ISO800 are just awesome.

You could also consider having the internal flash batteries power only the flash electronics, and the CP-E4 power just the flash tube. I just wonder if it's the internal batteries running down, not the pack ones.

Then again you could just be taking lots of photos

Lots of photos. During that race I actually had to switch out speedlights due the heat. It was in the middle of a good ole' warm texas summer. I've since switched to Alien Bee B800's with FlexTT5s using hyper sync powered by a Honda generator.

I've swapped out speedlites in summer too. I'm also considering a mini lithium battery pack for my AB800s for next summer.

A couple of the guys I work with down here use the mini lithium packs when they shoot. By what they've said they work better than the normal vagabonds. They just carry a few spares when they go out. I still prefer my generator but if I ever shot inside I would've gotten the mini vagabond.

klr.b wrote in post #11952824
I'd love to see what kind of recycle times you'd get with a Pixel pack filled with NiZn. Just for a few shots, anyway. I'm not brave enough to do it, though.

I did that, no big deal and no spectacular improvement either, see http://lightdescriptio​n.blogspot.com …-td-381-battery-pack.html


and here for my experience with NiZn: http://lightdescriptio​n.blogspot.com/search/​label/NiZn

(I'm not a pro and not a heavy flash user either; however, I'm currently using the NiZn routinely in my 580EX. The fast recycle is often quite useful.)

GordonSBuck wrote in post #11958054
I did that, no big deal and no spectacular improvement either, see http://lightdescriptio​n.blogspot.com …-td-381-battery-pack.html


and here for my experience with NiZn: http://lightdescriptio​n.blogspot.com/search/​label/NiZn

(I'm not a pro and not a heavy flash user either; however, I'm currently using the NiZn routinely in my 580EX. The fast recycle is often quite useful.)

Quoting your blog:

lightdescription.blogs​pot.com/2010/09/pixel-td-381-battery-pack.html wrote:
=http://lightdescripti​on.blogspot.com/2010/0​9/pixel-td-381-battery-pack.html]
So, how well does it work? I installed eight freshly charged NiMh AA cells and tested the TD-381 in the same manner as I did the NiZn batteries. That is, I fired off five shots as quickly as the 580EX would indicate it was charged. In previous tests, the 580EX with NiMh batteries could get off five shots in 15.7 seconds or 8.1 seconds using NiZn batteriers. With the TD-381, I could get of five shots in 5.9 seconds. Naturally, I couldn't resist putting the NiZn batteries into the TD-381. Using NiZn batteries in the TD-381, the time required for five flashes was reduced to only 5.5 seconds!

So in 5.9 second test, is that NiMh in both the flash and Pixel pack? Also, in the 5.5 second test, is that NiZn in both the flash and Pixel pack? Or was there a mix and match? Did you have C.Fn-12 set to "0" (flash uses both flash batteries and external pack to recycle)?

Pap101 wrote in post #11921110
good day I need help I am a photogrpher for the world media meaning I shoot for publishers and television news etc, for around the globe outlets and countries. My line of work has only seconds at a time to get the perfect shot. I shoot 8 to 10 fps for 2sec up to max burst that camera will allow give it a few to cycle and again at full speed. I'll give you an example iraqi is about to launch an RPG into housing complex were us marine are the us marine calls in the saw/heavy machine gunner to sweep RPG guy, us marine comes to a window and shoots of about 60 rounds in a minute hitting the RPG guy. All this happen in less than 3 minutes I need to capture the full story shoot as fast as technology allows me on order to document the whole thing and in that find later the perfect image. This is a 16 hour a day, job and a 7 day a week. My question is what batteries would be best for the fastest recycle time for the flash I shoot canon and so I own the 580 exII. I carry 4 cameras on me 2 with long lens which out of the 2, 1 has a flash mounted on it. The other 2 are short lenses which 1 of them carries a flash also. I use lumedyne battery packs HV's.

My other question is when I am back home I would like to start using rechargable batteries for my remote controls my new born toys etc. So 1st Q. Is for my work what type of rechargable batteries are best and 2nd Q. What type of rechargable batteries are best for my home thanks in advance.

I shoot fast-moving performers in the streets.. Ok , it's not as hairy as an RPG coming towards you, but i still need the fast recycling times..

NO rechargeable battery will give you less than 4 seconds for the next shot with your flash...

The fastest one i have seen was Powergenix, which was about 3.5/4 seconds.. See below test:

http://www.youtube.com …_PzVA9VXw&featu​re=related

With that kind of power, your batteries won't last that long anyway, they will stop charging after a while..

As far as i know, other reputable AA rechargeables last longer, but they don't give fast recycling times.. Such as Eneloops (very reliable) but they take about 6/7 secs to recycle, i believe..

I use a Lumedyne Micro Cycler, don't know about Quantum, but that gives me about 1.3 secs between pops..

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …attery-Packs/N/4288586339

Even then you have to be careful, after 10 pops, the flash will probably blow up..

Better than getting hit with an RPG i guess..