How to tell when Eneloops are running dry in 600EXs?

[BL]

So I use 4 600EXs for all my lighting needs, powered by Sanyo eneloops. In the past using 580s and 430s, I've used a full power flash dump and counted in seconds for the ready beep to determine roughly how juiced a set of batteries were - 2.5s meant fine, 3.5s-4s served as a reminder to change out a set for a fresh.

What I've been finding with the 600EXs is that even when the batteries are near death, the ready beep still engages after 2.5s-3s after a 1/1 test, only to discover it stops firing and dies just a few pops later mid session.

I doubled checked to ensure every test on each flash is not set to 1/32 but to 1/1 full power. It's frustrating when you think everything is charged and a speedlite fails, and perhaps I've been foolishly relying on those ready beeps to gauge battery status.

Anyone else experiencing this?

 

[privatebydesign]

I am using the same as you and I just go on the first missfire, though I find the ST-E3 kills its two AA's before the 600's kill their four.

The only reason I have had a missfire from the 600's (apart from with the Youngnuo YN-E3-RT) has been down to battery level, a change of battery has sorted it out.

 

[Jim Saunders]

I'd hazard a guess that a battery gauge is a feature Canon saves for the next generation of flashes. I can't see why they couldn't relay the battery status to the master, maybe even just the lowest one in the group. But then if my aunt something something something.

Jim

 

[BL]

I am using the same as you and I just go on the first missfire, though I find the ST-E3 kills its two AA's before the 600's kill their four.

The only reason I have had a missfire from the 600's (apart from with the Youngnuo YN-E3-RT) has been down to battery level, a change of battery has sorted it out.

I'm the complete opposite. My ST-E3 lasts longer than my speedlites.

You could be pushing your 600s harder than I am, as I tend to gang lights together for groups A and/or B.

 

[notapro]

I am with Jim Saunders in thinking it would be useful if a low-battery status (especially that of whatever flash unit in a group would be going first) were relayed to the master display.

To decide when to do a battery change, I go by the second misfire. With a first misfire, I find myself being (hopelessly) optimistic, attributing the misfire to something (anything) other than low batteries. If I'm in error, the second misfire comes soon enough.