Need Really Good Batteries for Flash

Alright, I've got a 430EX II Flash, and I've had it for 3-4 years and I normally just regular AA batteries like the Energizer brand.
Everything works for the first 5-10 shots, the flash goes off as quickly as I press the shutter... then after 5-10 shots the delays begin and sometimes it can take up to 45 seconds for the flash to power back up and flash again. I'll put in new fresh batteries and the flash is great for another 5-10 shots, then right back where I started.
Is it the batteries? And if so, what batteries do you guys prefer for your flashes?

Eneloops though now a days I would get a flash with lithium ion battery.

Recycle time has a lot to do with the chemistry of the battery. Rechargeable batteries such as previously mentioned eneloops can provide consistently high currents (= low internal resistance) and therefore refresh the flash faster then non-recharchable (e.g. alkaline). If you don't want to invest into rechargeables then you also can go with 'Lithium' batteries (often labelled with nominal 1.7 V or now also 1.5 V; not to be confused with lithium ion). These work much better then alkalines. These perform very poorly in high drain conditions such as rapid flashes.

About batteries: In general, the chemistry of a battery determines its output voltage!

• There have been available 'lithium AA' 1.5V batteries for decades, but these are NOT RECHARGEABLES. (For example Energizer Ultimate Lithium is the #1 Longest-Lasting AA Battery, meaning that you can have them 'on the shelf' and pick them up 10 years later and know they will still work your emergency radio.
  
• More recently that AA 'lithium' the CR123 battery form factor was launched, Non-Rechargeable Lithium battery Rated 3 Volt, capacity 1.55Ah
  
• There are also C-size 'lithium' CR2 battery form factor, , Non-Rechargeable Lithium battery Rated 3 Volt, capacity
  
• There are recently available 'lithium AA' rechargeable batteries that OUTPUT 3.7V, which is generally not suitable to replace alkaline AA batteries in your flash. (For example, Li-ion Lithium Battery Rechargeable Batteries, 2200 mAh, 3.7V)
  
• There are special lithium 'battery packs' made to fit specific flash units, where the flash unit was designed to accept lithium battery packs as rechargeable units for rapid swap out of the pack, such as for professional uses requiring minimized downtime for battery swap during a job
  
  

Those lithium battery packs (laptops, cameras, and even flashes) are just a molded case around one of a few very commonly used cylindrical lithium cells that look much like AA or AAA batteries (but different sizes).

The few new battery techs that have been in the news look very promising though!

Duracell. Period... but now I have switched to lithium ion batterys that are rechargeable and love not having to lug around extra batteries. Yeah!

I use the Amazon Basics High Capacity. Stay charged a long time when not in use and last a long time in use. https://www.amazon.com …Pre-charged/dp/B00HZV9WTM

Eneloops

Fujitsu. Japanese made in Japan not China like most others. Eneloop are made in China or Japan depending on where they are shipped. Eneloop pros are all made in Japan last I checked though.

Eneloop pros...the black ones are the best...use these constantly professionally...get faster recycle and more flashes per charge....never let me down yet and I own at least 20 of these.

I have searched around and can't find anyone who has tested these new AA USB Rechargable Lithium ion batteries in a flash unit or Yongnuo YN622 tranceiver.

Has anyone thought about it besides me?

http://www.unbatteries​.com/

https://www.amazon.com …sb+rechargeable​+li-ion+aa

msowsun wrote in post #18542485
I have searched around and can't find anyone who has tested these new AA USB Rechargable Lithium ion batteries in a flash unit or Yongnuo YN622 tranceiver.
Has anyone thought about it besides me?

Not quite sure what you are hoping to gain from them? The first two have less capacity then ordinarily NiMH (eneloops) and I doubt that the internal electronics needed to reduce the 3.6 V of the li-ion to 1.5 V can sustain high currents = fast flash recycle. NiMH can handle easily 5 or 10 A for a short time. And they are not exactly cheap. Not sure what the third thing is? Maybe somebody else can chime in there.

One application I thought of is for my Yongnuo YN-622 transceivers. They need close to 1.5V to operate and seem to run down quickly with my 1.2V NiMH batteries.

msowsun wrote in post #18542504
One application I thought of is for my Yongnuo YN-622 transceivers. They need close to 1.5V to operate and seem to run down quickly with my 1.2V NiMH batteries.

This also would mean that the transceivers only utilize a fraction of the alkalines capacity. Quite sad actually.

The YN-622s are designed for 3V(2x 1.5V) but will keep working until 2.2V. The YN-622C-TX has an LCD display with a battery charge indication and it doesn’t show full charge very long with 1.2V batteries.