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If all the Nikon bodies use Nikon batteries, and not AA, AAA etc. why then doesn't the SB800 (SB600 is probably the same)?
Why do you need to use AA when Nikon could make a battery pack similar to the ones used in RC Cars? With a recharge station and the option to buy more battery packs online?
That way they could probably make the quick recycle unit standard.

Am I just dribbling garbage or does this make sense?

LAurie,

it's a good question, and one that's been sort of raised before. Given the life of a D70 battery, why not make the SB800 compatible with that battery?

The only thing I could think is that flash is a very different discharge to a camera - the camera draws a 'trickle' charge most of the time (2 or 3mah) and the shutter snap / focussing etc is not a huge demand, whereas a flash is no draw then intense periods of high drain.

From what little I know about batteries, different types of batteries are better at different things - this may be why a standard ENELxx battery would not be good, but they could make an ENSBXX battery I guess...

Justin wrote:The only thing I could think is that flash is a very different discharge to a camera - the camera draws a 'trickle' charge most of the time (2 or 3mah) and the shutter snap / focussing etc is not a huge demand, whereas a flash is no draw then intense periods of high drain.

From what little I know about batteries, different types of batteries are better at different things - this may be why a standard ENELxx battery would not be good, but they could make an ENSBXX battery I guess...

maybe over a period of time (for the purpose of this post say 1 year) of use everyday.
the ENELxx battery (in the camera body) would still be at about 95% capacity where as the AA's are at 50% capacity because of how they are used?

Laurie
Flashguns suck a lot of power and the real solution is to buy a quantum battery pack or something similar if you do a lot of flash work. These are much larger than the battery that fits into the D70.

Actually My F4 and F801s run on AA's. The motor winder on my FA runs on AA's (and also powers the camera).
These cameras needed the AA batteries for the motor drives. - heavy battery drain for short period of time. Flashes are the same - short duration heavy drain. The actual metering and computer power of the cameras required very little current flow. The FA without the Motor drive will operate on a pair of tiny SR66's for years.

Digital SLR's probably have more computer power than the first rocket ships. These processors require a very constant steady current supply which the ENL batteries supply. AA's by their design and also by manufacturer are made for high current flows for short duration.
The ENL's should work fine to a set point and then go unusable in a short time. The on board flashes on the D70 etc are a quite low GN number. Any higher GN number then they would probably affect the performance of the ENL.

There is a Nikon battery pack for externally powering the SB's i.e. if you like to spend heaps of dollars.

Its a bit like car batteries - they are designed for very high current flow in starting cars but no good in U.P.S's. U.P.S. batteries are no good for long time use starting cars.

There are several reasons why you'd not want a specialised battery ever.
Firstly, they're ALWAYS more expensive than comparable batteries.
They won't always be manufactured and batteries age and wear out. I can't see AA's going out of fashion in a hurry.

You can get generic AA's in any supermarket, service station or corner store at almost any time 365 days a year.

I can buy a battery for my D200 from precisely one shop in town. And that's if I don't order it in in three other shops.