Fastest Recycling Batteries?

Leaf Fan · 09-20-2009, 02:37 PM

I've done a search on here for a discussion on batteries for strobes, and haven't really found anything that would answer my question.

I was at a wedding yesterday, and the photographer was shooting with strobes most of the time (I was watching him more than the bride and groom - but maybe not as much as the bridesmaids....) anyway, he had a strobe that was firing (multiple strobes actually) with maybe a 1-1.5 second recycle time, or even less. I couldn't believe how fast his flashes were recycling.

I got a brief chance to chat with him and he told me he got the batteries (rechargeable AA's ) from Germany but didn't tell me which brand/make.

Anybody know what are the fastest recycling rechargeable batteries for strobes?

I've been using Imedion 2100mAh NiMH 1.2V AA's by Powerex, and while they last a long time and are fresh even if I haven't touched them for a month, they take a while to recycle my strobe.

ryan s · 09-20-2009, 06:00 PM

Sorry I can't help, but just wondering if he was using the flash at reduced power?

With Eneloops, my Nikon SB-24 at 1/4 to 1/16 power can pretty much flash as fast as I can push the "test" button...especially at 1/16 power.

innershell · 09-20-2009, 11:32 PM

Yeah, I use regular Energizer rechargeables (5+ yrs old batteries) and can pretty much fire away as quickly as I can hit the shutter button. I barely ever need to shoot more than 1/4 power.

Ratmagiclady · 09-21-2009, 09:02 AM

Originally posted by ryan s

Sorry I can't help, but just wondering if he was using the flash at reduced power?

With Eneloops, my Nikon SB-24 at 1/4 to 1/16 power can pretty much flash as fast as I can push the "test" button...especially at 1/16 power.

I'd suspect that's it. If you're not trying to light up the whole space, (Say, if you prefer a slower shutter speed and a squirt of fill) you really don't have to worry so much about battery power and recycle time.

(Can't help either with what's the best modern rechargies, still haven't tried them. I come from the age of Quantum packs and AA rechargies being really inadequate for flash use , and these days I use a minimum of flash when I use it at all, so I get the occasional bunch of regular ones and bump them down to other things when they start slowing down. )

davidvcd · 09-21-2009, 10:34 AM

while i can't compare with a strobe, on a flash i've timed the recharge on my flash (360) with sony (eneloops), duracell precharged (eneloops) both at 2000mAh and they beat all the rest of my rechearble batteries (lenmar, ultralast, lacrosse, philips, regular duracell).
Not by much, but enough that you can feel it.

But it might be because the sony and duracell were my most recent AAs.

mattdm · 09-21-2009, 04:07 PM

Remember, the more raw power the flash has, the less often it has to use that full power, and therefore the faster recharge in practical use. (Of course, if you do use full power, more powerful flashes tend to be slower.)

Both Metz and Pentax offer external battery packs which bring the refresh time down significantly — Metz claims 2.5 seconds for the 58 AF-1 with the Power Pack P76 (down from 5), whereas Pentax says the TR Power Pack III brings the AF540FGZ from 6 seconds to 4.5.

philbaum · 09-23-2009, 11:55 AM

I'm not sure how relevant this is to cameras, but i went to a Battery Presentation for Marine Applications, by a guy who is in the industry.

Except for their initial cost, lithium batteries have best characteristics for high charging and discharging rates and long life. Lead batteries have less than half their rated capacity if used under rapid discharge rates, they can also be short lived if not kept on a charger because sulfates continue to grow on the plates until recharged.

he was no fan of nickel metal hydride because they can fail without warning and on a cruising boat, thats not good.

Both the government and the car industry are currently pouring a lot of funds into battery developments and there are at least 4 new technologies that are either in production now or are in testing (this from a guy that has a large cruising boat). The point is: continue to be on the lookout for newer and better batteries, the competition is heating up between countires to be first on the market with better batteries.

adamkean · 09-25-2009, 10:27 PM

i have tried 4 or 5 different types (energizer e2, eneloops, etc) and don't see a big difference

GerryL · 10-05-2009, 07:59 PM

It also depends on the flash itself whether it has a fast recycling time or not.
I have experienced this before with so-so flashes when I was shooting Nikon SLR's then..when i used the SB speedlights, those things where fast, moreso if you don't output full power.
You can hit those with your motordrive and it will fire to sync with it.
Come to think of it, I remember those flashes to have a switch for a setting for motordrive wherein it doesn't fire full power and is fast enough to cycle in sync with the motordrive speed.

simico · 10-06-2009, 12:45 AM

Originally posted by GerryL

I have experienced this before with so-so flashes when I was shooting Nikon SLR's then..when i used the SB speedlights, those things where fast,

SB-800 isn't really that fast without using a 5th battery (and even in that case it's nothing to write home about). At least I haven't noticed any extraordinary recycling speed with it

Fl_Gulfer · 10-13-2009, 01:07 PM

Batteries in a Portable World. A handbook on rechargeable batteries for non-engineers

mazdamazda · 10-21-2009, 10:37 PM

IMO... there won't be that much of a difference really (for you to notice it) between the branded ones.

From the feedback of a friend, the use of an external power pack makes a big, big, big difference.

For Canikon, there are generic power packs (costing around $50 only)... but I don't think there is one for Pentax. What I don't like about the Pentax TR3 Power Pack is that it doesn't use AA batteries.

09-20-2009, 02:37 PM	#1
Leaf Fan Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Canada eh! Photos: Gallery Posts: 673	Fastest Recycling Batteries? I've done a search on here for a discussion on batteries for strobes, and haven't really found anything that would answer my question. I was at a wedding yesterday, and the photographer was shooting with strobes most of the time (I was watching him more than the bride and groom - but maybe not as much as the bridesmaids....) anyway, he had a strobe that was firing (multiple strobes actually) with maybe a 1-1.5 second recycle time, or even less. I couldn't believe how fast his flashes were recycling. I got a brief chance to chat with him and he told me he got the batteries (rechargeable AA's ) from Germany but didn't tell me which brand/make. Anybody know what are the fastest recycling rechargeable batteries for strobes? I've been using Imedion 2100mAh NiMH 1.2V AA's by Powerex, and while they last a long time and are fresh even if I haven't touched them for a month, they take a while to recycle my strobe.

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09-20-2009, 06:00 PM	#2
ryan s Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,383	Sorry I can't help, but just wondering if he was using the flash at reduced power? With Eneloops, my Nikon SB-24 at 1/4 to 1/16 power can pretty much flash as fast as I can push the "test" button...especially at 1/16 power.

09-20-2009, 11:32 PM	#3
innershell Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada Posts: 408	Yeah, I use regular Energizer rechargeables (5+ yrs old batteries) and can pretty much fire away as quickly as I can hit the shutter button. I barely ever need to shoot more than 1/4 power.

09-21-2009, 09:02 AM	#4
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	Originally posted by ryan s Sorry I can't help, but just wondering if he was using the flash at reduced power? With Eneloops, my Nikon SB-24 at 1/4 to 1/16 power can pretty much flash as fast as I can push the "test" button...especially at 1/16 power. I'd suspect that's it. If you're not trying to light up the whole space, (Say, if you prefer a slower shutter speed and a squirt of fill) you really don't have to worry so much about battery power and recycle time. (Can't help either with what's the best modern rechargies, still haven't tried them. I come from the age of Quantum packs and AA rechargies being really inadequate for flash use , and these days I use a minimum of flash when I use it at all, so I get the occasional bunch of regular ones and bump them down to other things when they start slowing down. )

09-21-2009, 10:34 AM	#5
davidvcd Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: NorthernVA , USA / Grenoble, FRANCE Posts: 148	while i can't compare with a strobe, on a flash i've timed the recharge on my flash (360) with sony (eneloops), duracell precharged (eneloops) both at 2000mAh and they beat all the rest of my rechearble batteries (lenmar, ultralast, lacrosse, philips, regular duracell). Not by much, but enough that you can feel it. But it might be because the sony and duracell were my most recent AAs.

09-21-2009, 04:07 PM	#6
mattdm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,948	Remember, the more raw power the flash has, the less often it has to use that full power, and therefore the faster recharge in practical use. (Of course, if you do use full power, more powerful flashes tend to be slower.) Both Metz and Pentax offer external battery packs which bring the refresh time down significantly — Metz claims 2.5 seconds for the 58 AF-1 with the Power Pack P76 (down from 5), whereas Pentax says the TR Power Pack III brings the AF540FGZ from 6 seconds to 4.5.

09-23-2009, 11:55 AM	#7
philbaum Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Port Townsend, Washington State, USA Posts: 3,659	I'm not sure how relevant this is to cameras, but i went to a Battery Presentation for Marine Applications, by a guy who is in the industry. Except for their initial cost, lithium batteries have best characteristics for high charging and discharging rates and long life. Lead batteries have less than half their rated capacity if used under rapid discharge rates, they can also be short lived if not kept on a charger because sulfates continue to grow on the plates until recharged. he was no fan of nickel metal hydride because they can fail without warning and on a cruising boat, thats not good. Both the government and the car industry are currently pouring a lot of funds into battery developments and there are at least 4 new technologies that are either in production now or are in testing (this from a guy that has a large cruising boat). The point is: continue to be on the lookout for newer and better batteries, the competition is heating up between countires to be first on the market with better batteries.

09-25-2009, 10:27 PM	#8
adamkean Marketplace Reseller Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 223	i have tried 4 or 5 different types (energizer e2, eneloops, etc) and don't see a big difference

10-05-2009, 07:59 PM	#9
GerryL Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: CA Posts: 2,731	It also depends on the flash itself whether it has a fast recycling time or not. I have experienced this before with so-so flashes when I was shooting Nikon SLR's then..when i used the SB speedlights, those things where fast, moreso if you don't output full power. You can hit those with your motordrive and it will fire to sync with it. Come to think of it, I remember those flashes to have a switch for a setting for motordrive wherein it doesn't fire full power and is fast enough to cycle in sync with the motordrive speed.

10-06-2009, 12:45 AM	#10
simico Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Budapest Posts: 821	Originally posted by GerryL I have experienced this before with so-so flashes when I was shooting Nikon SLR's then..when i used the SB speedlights, those things where fast, SB-800 isn't really that fast without using a 5th battery (and even in that case it's nothing to write home about). At least I haven't noticed any extraordinary recycling speed with it

10-13-2009, 01:07 PM	#11
Fl_Gulfer Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Florida Gulfer Photos: Albums Posts: 3,054	Batteries in a Portable World. A handbook on rechargeable batteries for non-engineers

10-21-2009, 10:37 PM	#12
mazdamazda Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Philippines Posts: 63	IMO... there won't be that much of a difference really (for you to notice it) between the branded ones. From the feedback of a friend, the use of an external power pack makes a big, big, big difference. For Canikon, there are generic power packs (costing around $50 only)... but I don't think there is one for Pentax. What I don't like about the Pentax TR3 Power Pack is that it doesn't use AA batteries.