Are you using battery packs for your speedlites? During the reception.

I have not used battery packs but thinking about adding them to my off camera speedlites-----anyone using them? recommendations --thoughts? they cycle quicker but more junk to carry and that people can get snaged on is what I have thought. *dunno*

no I don't use them. ISo800 really doesn't use that much flash power.

We use them on our wireless flash due to ETTL needs strong batteries to make it work.

So we always have one on our wireless unit. We very rarely have it on our main flash during the reception.

I recently got the Canon battery pack and I love it. So much faster recycles and I don't have to worry about running out of batteries.

Yep. I do. I've got the Canon CP-E3, it's lightning quick and can attach to your camera, belt, or just put it in your pocket. Looking to get a second one for off-camera flash recycling.

Used mine for the first time last weekend--love the shortened recycle times even with ETTL at higher ISOs.

I use my CP-E3 during the day for my on-camera flash, then put it on the off-camera flash during the reception. I don't use off camera for the whole reception, but when it's my main light it has the battery pack. I'll probably get another one some time.

Battery packs work great for all forms of flash use. I found a site online of a guy out of Florida that makes his own battery packs. His tuxedo battery is slim and light weight and very affordable( cant beat $112). Check out his site.

http://www.aljacobs.co​m/packtuxedo.htm

Al Jacobs has a good reputation, he posts a lot on FM forums.

NVcameraman wrote in post #4103914
Battery packs work great for all forms of flash use. I found a site online of a guy out of Florida that makes his own battery packs. His tuxedo battery is slim and light weight and very affordable( cant beat $112). Check out his site.

http://www.aljacobs.co​m/packtuxedo.htm

I use Al's pack for off camera light, and it's great.

Be careful about using brands other than Canon is all I have to say. I smoked my 580EX during a reception using a Quantum Turbo 2X2 battery with it. Canon's battery pack has a safety feature to keep it from overheating the flash, the Quantum battery didn't. A $120 lesson learned.

imchillindave wrote in post #4109995
Be careful about using brands other than Canon is all I have to say. I smoked my 580EX during a reception using a Quantum Turbo 2X2 battery with it. Canon's battery pack has a safety feature to keep it from overheating the flash, the Quantum battery didn't. A $120 lesson learned.

Good point!

Also be careful using anything over the flash head when using your flash a lot. (ie: FongDong, Omni-Bounce) The plastic makes it MUCH hotter when using the flash a lot and will melt the plastic of the flash. Teaching our workshops we have had this happen to all of our 580ex's at one time or another. They still work they just had a little different light output after that