Rechargeable AA Batteries for Flash

Click Clicky

What are the best rechargeable batteries and charger for flashes? I'm looking for something that will charge fast, have good capacity and a charger that has a charge level indicator. Cost not a huge issue. Looking for AAs, not a dedicated battery pack.

Any recommendations?

CabanSail

I just use good quality NiMH batteries in mine. Never had a problem with them but then I don't use a lot of flash.

Click Clicky

Yeah I'm doing that at the moment, but with 3 events a week I'm spending an absolute fortune on batteries.

Stephen

I have Sanyo Eneloops for mine. They hold their charge for ages even when left in storage. Other brands do the same tech now as well but I don't know what they call it. Streets ahead of typical NiMH batteries that discharge by themselves in a few days.

CabanSail

The NiMH are rechargable. My 2400maH ones take about 3 hours to charge & seem to last a long time in the flash. They do self discharge when stored & need to be topped up.

quilmore

I have an uniross sprint 15-min like this one:
http://images.marketplaceadvisor.channeladvisor.com/hi/79/78917/b0057.jpg
15 minutes to fully charge uniross batteries, 1 hour to charge any of my 2400 nimh

batteries last the usual and fast charge hasn't created them any issue in the last year and a half

I'd buy the same one again if I had to

Paulw

Stephen wrote: »

I have Sanyo Eneloops for mine.

Any advice on where to buy these? How much (roughly) for a set of 4?

There seem to be some different modesl (R03, R04, R06). Any advice on which of these?

quilmore

Paulw wrote: »

Any advice on where to buy these? How much (roughly) for a set of 4?

There seem to be some different modesl (R03, R04, R06). Any advice on which of these?

R06=AA
R03=AAA

coylemj

Lenmar 2700s are the biz. Just remember that when you buy rechargables that you need to keep each set together, whether that's a pair in a compact camera or a set of 4 in a flash, use them together and charge them together.

eas

It pays to do a bit of research into how ni-mh batteries work and how to get the best results from them.

Basically, the faster you charge them, the faster they'll discharge and the shorter their lifespan.

If you're shooting a good few events, I'd go for a "smart" charger type thing

I use one of these

http://www.batterylogic.co.uk/technoline/technoline-i-charger.asp

it allows you to choose the current (from 200-1700mah) to recharge the batteries at. Obviously, the lower current takes longer, but is better for the battery. It will report the charge of batteries individually. It will go into "trickle charge" mode once batteries reach their capacity.

powerex are meant to be quite good as well

http://www.mahaenergy.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=423

quilmore

eas wrote: »

It pays to do a bit of research into how ni-mh batteries work and how to get the best results from them.

Basically, the faster you charge them, the faster they'll discharge and the shorter their lifespan.

I have sets of ni-mh batteries, some were bought in aldi/lidl at 4.49 or 4.99 a pack of 4, others are uniross, and all are still going strong as the first day

charge memory was an issue before nimh but it hasn't been for me so far
some sets have charged over 100 times

what I do is rotate them with my kid's toys, they get flat-ish (0.9-1.1 volts) every 2 or 3 charges minimum

Pinarello

Stephen wrote: »

I have Sanyo Eneloops for mine. They hold their charge for ages even when left in storage. Other brands do the same tech now as well but I don't know what they call it. Streets ahead of typical NiMH batteries that discharge by themselves in a few days.

+1 for the Sanyo Eneloops.Great set of rechargeable batteries.:)

Alun

Paulw wrote: »

Any advice on where to buy these? How much (roughly) for a set of 4?

There seem to be some different modesl (R03, R04, R06). Any advice on which of these?

I got mine from battercity.ie (actually a Danish company). I've bought loads of them and now use them all over the house in remotes and other low power usage situations where the traditional NiMH batteries self-discharge rate meant we were constantly recharging them.

Click Clicky

Cheers for the advice, all. I've a wedding tomorrow so I didn't have much time to shop around. I picked up an Energiser 1hr charger with 4 x 2400nmh, plus a set of 4 Duracell Supreme 2650nmh batteries in Argos this evening. Under €60 for the lot, so we'll see how they go.

Paulw

Just ordered 12 Sanyo Eneloops with two chargers. A nice price of €49. Should have them Tue.

Also, just ordered the Canon CP-E4 batter pack. Spend, spend, spend.

padocon

I am using Tronic I got them in Lidil or Aldi. They are great hold charge for long enuff! And good price too!

When I used ordanary bats they used to cost me a fortuune and when they had used of half their life they were useless as the flash used to take longer to charge! I had lots of 1/2 used bats that were lieing arround to be used in a remote.

mrmac

Have to agree with the Aldi rechargeable batteries.
AA/HR6, 2,300mAh, NiMH, €4.49 per set of four.

I have used these, plus the ones from Lidl, for the last two years, without any problems.

peckerhead

Speaking of which...

Nforce

Or,alternatively....

peckerhead

Pretty tasty offer, considering those batteries by themselves usually cost £1 more...! :pac:

mrmac

peckerhead wrote: »

Speaking of which...

Uk & NI only

Mycroft H

mrmac wrote: »

Have to agree with the Aldi rechargeable batteries.
AA/HR6, 2,300mAh, NiMH, €4.49 per set of four.

I have used these, plus the ones from Lidl, for the last two years, without any problems.

+1 had them in the fuji s6500, that used to eat batterys for breakfast

peckerhead

mrmac wrote: »

Uk & NI only

Eh, no. Not sure how I ended up with the NI link, but here they are in good ol' "Southern Ireland" too: http://www.lidl.ie/ie/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20090611.p.TronicRechargeableBatteries
Note these are only 2500mAh (as opposed to the 2700mAh Uniross ones that Nforce linked to).
But if you don't need a charger, at four for €3.49 they're hard to beat.
And my S9600 only takes marginally longer to munch through a pack of 2700mAh...

mrmac

Interesting to see they're €3.49 in Republic, and £3.49 in NI.

padocon

peckerhead wrote: »

Eh, no. Not sure how I ended up with the NI link, but here they are in good ol' "Southern Ireland" too: http://www.lidl.ie/ie/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20090611.p.TronicRechargeableBatteries
Note these are only 2500mAh (as opposed to the 2700mAh Uniross ones that Nforce linked to).
But if you don't need a charger, at four for €3.49 they're hard to beat.
And my S9600 only takes marginally longer to munch through a pack of 2700mAh...

Yup! http://www.lidl.ie/ie/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20090611.p.TronicRechargeableBatteries