johndt Mostly Lurking 11 posts Joined Oct 2008 More info | Nov 27, 2012 15:36 | #1 Hi all, I have a Canon 580EX and an external rechargeable battery unit. The unit works very well, but I'm after more battery longevity. I'm thinking of an external Sealed Lead Acid battery, but I need to have the pin outs in order to connect. Can anyone help?
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dedsen Goldmember  2,580 posts Likes: 34 Joined Aug 2006 More info | Nov 27, 2012 21:52 | #2 If you are talking about plugging into the external power terminal of the 580ex that is a high voltage input. You cannot plug a normal DC battery into that connector. You would have to make some kind of dummy battery pack to connect the battery to and insert that into the battery compartment.
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Whortleberry Goldmember  1,719 posts Likes: 53 Joined Dec 2011 Location: Yorkshire, England More info | Nov 28, 2012 06:48 | #3 johndt: The external power port on the side of the 580EX (and others) is, as Dale says, a high voltage inlet. It's designed for circa 300vDC with an internal cut-off at 340vDC. Canon (and everyone else) are very shy about publishing pin-outs - I've been looking for several years and not found a definitive circuit. Should you want to go that route, you're better off using a commercial unit (Canon CP-E4, Yongnuo SF18 or my personal favourite the Pixel TD-381). Benefits are:
If you make your own external power pack using an SLA battery, the only practicable way to connect is by dummy battery configuration into the existing battery compartment. This would also involve butchering the battery compartment lid to give access for the cable from SLA pack to battery compartment. Yes, use of an external SLA would give you (depending on cell chosen) greater life from one power source but you would not get the faster recycling which you do with the higher voltage 'official' power port on the side. Effectively, you'd have the additional weight of a power pack but with only part of the benefits. I actually have a 'System 9' pack for my Metz 45s which works on exactly this principle - four 2v Cyclone SLAs running out to a dummy which slots into the battery compartment at the base of the Metz handle in place of the normal battery pack. Very good but also very heavy - in fact I stopped using it for weddings as I could get the equivalent capacity from two spare battery modules which took up less room (fit into a suit jacket pocket easily) and weighed quite appreciably less. SLA packs are quite markedly heavier than the bijou external packs to which we've become accustomed. Personally, I'd go the external high voltage power pack route and carry spare sets of cells for both it and the 580EX - in fact that it precisely what I have done. Phil ǁ Kershaw Soho Reflex: 4¼" Ross Xpres, 6½" Aldis, Super XX/ABC Pyro in 24 DDS, HP3/Meritol Metol in RFH, Johnson 'Scales' brand flash powder. Kodak Duo Six-20/Verichrome Pan. Other odd bits over the decades, simply to get the job done - not merely to polish and brag about cos I'm too mean to buy the polish!
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