Batteries for Canon EX 600 RT...

[victorwol]

Hi! Which batteries are you using for your flashes? I used to use regular Energizer NiMH with a 15 minutes charger, they give a good 500 something fires with the 580 EXII, but the problem is they need to be charged the very same day you are going to use it. They lose they charge in just a few days. On the other hand, the Eneloop hold they charge for really long time but takes like a whole night to charge.

Wonder what are you all using....

 

[Brendon]

I use the Eneloops exclusively now. I have a mix of the new and old Eneloops (white vs blue) and find them much easier to work with because they do hold their charge well. As long as they haven't been sitting around for months I don't worry about charging the night before an event.

My understanding about the 15 min chargers is that they quickly decrease the battery capacities because of the heat that is generated during the charge. If you don't need to charge dozens of batteries right before an event, the long charge isn't really a big deal.

 

[Loswr]

Sanyo eneloops in all my flashes, including the 600EX-RT. Since they hold their charge so long when not in use, I just keep a couple extra charges sets of 4 on hand, so I never have to wait for a charge to use them.

 

[Click]

+1 Sanyo Eneloops in all my flashes (600EX-RT)

 

[victorwol]

I ordered to test some Powerex that are 2700mAh. I hope they are as good as they say they are. Ordered some Eneloop too.

 

[kaihp]

I got 4 Eneloops and 4 GP 2700 mAh NiMH, and I don't trust the GPs at all. I'm ready to chuck the GP's and get more Eneloops.

Speaking of Eneloops, have anyone used Eneloops in LED based flashlights like the Mini Maglite Pro+ LED or XL200?

(apologies for the thread highjack)

 

[Michael_pfh]

I am using Sanyo eneloops in my EX 600 RT

 

[agierke]

i have heard good things about the Eneloops. looking to pick some up myself.

i was using PowerEx's but they didnt hold their charge long enough. got tired of charging up 16 to 24 batteries the night before. they also dont have a long lifespan if you use and recharge them frequently.

i switched to Maha's Imedion batteries and have been very happy with them. they perform much like the Eneloops, hold a charge for a long time and their lifespan is much longer. my powerexs are pretty much dead after about 2 or 3 years of use but my Imedions are still going strong.

 

[pwp]

I ordered to test some Powerex that are 2700mAh. I hope they are as good as they say they are. Ordered some Eneloop too.

My business is highly reliant on strong AA cell performance. Eneloops are getting plenty of positive responses, but all my real world testing sent me to PowerEx. Their cells and the top-end smart charger won the contest here.

Both are good which ever you choose, but straight from acronym land there's that wise proviso: YMMV.

-PW

 

[agierke]

+1 to Maha having a phenomenal charging system. with 3 different methods of charging and an LCD status screen, the charger itself will improve the performance and extend the life of your batteries.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Are you using one of those 15 minute energizer chargers? It likely ruined your batteries.
Get a good charger and good batteries. Neither is cheap, but you spent a lot of money on the flash so power it with something worthwhile.
A professional battery charger will charge your batteries quickly and safely.
http://www.thomasdistributing.com/AA-and-AAA-Battery-Chargers_c_963.html

http://www.thomasdistributing.com/MAHA-MH-C801D-AA--AAA-Battery-ChargerbrDELUXE-8-Cell-Professional-Battery-Charger-w-Full-LCD-Display_p_2559.html

 

[Rienzphotoz]

Hi! Which batteries are you using for your flashes? I used to use regular Energizer NiMH with a 15 minutes charger, they give a good 500 something fires with the 580 EXII, but the problem is they need to be charged the very same day you are going to use it. They lose they charge in just a few days. On the other hand, the Eneloop hold they charge for really long time but takes like a whole night to charge.

Wonder what are you all using....

Although I really liked using Sanyo enveloop for over 2 years I changed to the newer Energizer batteries since the last 14 months bcoz where I live it is easier to find Energizer (and almost impossible to find eneloop) also the energizers are rated 2450 mAh vs my envelopes at 1800 mAh ... Over the past one year Energizer batteries have improved and they now hold their charge for 6 months ... I know people say the 15 minute chargers are not good as it is better to charge at a slower pace, but I still prefer to use the 15 minute charger as I find very convenient (plus it has a car charging adapter) ... I am not overly concerned if the batteries don't last for 1500 recharges or whatever ... If they last 500 charge cycles I am more than happy. But no matter how many rechargable batteries I have in my bag I always make sure to have a dozen Duracell or Energizer Alkaline batteries as my backup, if I don't get to use them, I just use them in the TV remotes, clocks and other electronics and buy another dozen of them to keep in my camera bag for backup.

 

[prestonpalmer]

Eneloop XX they are 2500mah. awesome batteries.

 

[Rienzphotoz]

Eneloop XX they are 2500mah. awesome batteries.

That's true ... I've heard of them, although I'd like to buy them, they don't sell'em where I live and the shiping charges for ordering them from US to middle east is very expensive. I read in Joe McNally's blog that he uses some rechargable batteries called Powerex 2700mAh and he speaks very highly of them.

 

[lethalfalcon]

I've been using Imedion batteries in my 580EX II for almost a year now. They hold their charge very well since they're low-self-discharge, so they won't die quickly if you keep them in your bag. They also have a pretty good life at 2400mAh. Couple that with a PowerEx charger to make sure they aren't cooked by those fast chargers and you should have a system that lasts quite some time. You'll probably still want to keep around a spare set, but I've gone over 800 shots on just one set (almost always less than full dumps, since I don't want to roast the 580EX II), and then I just switch out to the next, get home and put those 4 on the charger. If you're doing a long shoot, take 2 extra sets.

The other thing you can do is get a speedfire to run it off AC, or something like a quantum turbo to give yourself a much bigger battery. Those tend to be pretty good solutions, although they are more pricey. The upside to them is a faster recharge time on the flash. You still need to use internal batteries to power the rest of the flash's functionality.

 

[PeterJ]

I use a 15-minute charger but also carry a pack of 4 lithium AA cells as an emergency. At about $15 for 4 with a shelf life of about 10 years and a 3000mA/Hr rating they're quite economical insurance if you're not normally using them.

 

[Rienzphotoz]

I use a 15-minute charger but also carry a pack of 4 lithium AA cells as an emergency. At about $15 for 4 with a shelf life of about 10 years and a 3000mA/Hr rating they're quite economical insurance if you're not normally using them.

Good point ... I dd not know they were 3000mAh

 

[Marsu42]

I ordered to test some Powerex that are 2700mAh. I hope they are as good as they say they are. Ordered some Eneloop too.

"Hope" is the correct word - the mAh rating is mostly marketing, good 2000 mAh batteries likely have more power than cheap 2500 mAh ones - or at least the "super batteries" will be below "standard" ones after a few charge cycles. That's because few people will measure how much power there is in their shiny new batteries and then return it to the store. So that's +1 for Eneloop, too, I also use them in my 600rt.

 

[Rienzphotoz]

I ordered to test some Powerex that are 2700mAh. I hope they are as good as they say they are. Ordered some Eneloop too.

"Hope" is the correct word - the mAh rating is mostly marketing, good 2000 mAh batteries likely have more power than cheap 2500 mAh ones - or at least the "super batteries" will be below "standard" ones after a few charge cycles. That's because few people will measure how much power there is in their shiny new batteries and then return it to the store. So that's +1 for Eneloop, too, I also use them in my 600rt.

That's true about any product, i.e. cheap stuff (even though rated at higher power) is no match to a lower rated good quality product. But not all high mAh batteries are marketing fluff, especially in the case of Powerex mAh 2700 ... someone like Joe McNally uses dozens of speedlites with Powerex 2700 mAh batteries ... I just saw a class on Kelby Traing called "Dancers in Flight with Beautiful Light" by Joe McNally where they show Joe's gear including the insane amount of his speedlites and the even more insane amount of Powerex batteries ... So I'm pretty confident that would be good. Having said that I totally agree with you about eneloop batteries, they are incredibly reliable and they never failed me once.

 

[SDsc0rch]

this brings up a question i've had for a while now

i use the eneloops for my flash (the white/blue ones - not the black XX 2500mah)

and a powerex mh-c9000 to recharge them - love it!

of its many features, it permits you to set the recharge rate

the documentation warns against giving the batteries too much juice during recharging (ie, re-charging too fast)

i always set it to 700 (out of 1000)

i'm curious... if you use a re-charger that allows you to set the recharge rate, what rate do you use??