Batteries for 580EXII and 430 EX

[makario]

Hi,

I am trying to decide which battery to get for my 580EXII and 430EX, I have seen the MAHA Powerx ones and the Imedion ones as well. I am thinking of getting the C9000 charger as well. My questions are

1) whats are the diffences between the 2 types
2) Which is better for me.

Additionally which AA and AAA battery type is good for remote controls etc

Thanks for your help.
Cheers
Mak

[pjs]

BOth are made by Powerex

Imedion are low self discharge. This means they last longer while sitting around unused
Powerex are higher power, but lose their charge fairly quickly even if unused(As do most other brands)

So answer these questions:
1. Do I use the Flash every day (If yes, get the Powerex else see next question)
2. DO I always recharge the batteries within a day or so before I use the flash? (If yes, get the PowerEX)
3. There is no Q3. If you answered no to both the above questions, get the Imedions

Do a search, "Battery use in flashes" turns up fairly often here. There have been some excellent tests reported.

Remotes generally use low power, so low discharge (Imedion) is the way to go. Or stick to disposables.

[Glen]

Hi Mak,

There is a fair bit of info in this thread but you have probably already read it viewtopic.php?f=17&t=31955

There are also some tests I did on the Nikon SB800, I would imagine the results would be similar for a Canon flash
http://wolfeyes.com.au/news/?p=6
http://wolfeyes.com.au/news/?p=8
http://wolfeyes.com.au/news/?p=9
http://wolfeyes.com.au/news/?p=25

100% agree with Pam's comments above

Hope this helps

[servaasproducts]

Hey Mak

You have 2 great replies there already. mickeyjuice uses the Powerex AA's in his 550EX flashes, so he can probably give you some feedback on performance.

Cheers

Jeff

[aim54x]

I personally use a mix of Inca 2700mAh (naive buying, but similar to the Powerex 2700mAh in principle) and Sanyo Eneloop 2000mAh LSD (similar to the Imdedions) in my SB-800 and SB-600 as well as my MB-D10 battery grip. I find that the there is no large difference in the number of shots, but I keep them loaded up and sitting in my bag for extended periods of time.

Glen's tests provide a wealth of information. If you are starting from scratch (ie buying chargers and batteries) definitely have a read. I would be considering Eneloops or Imedions and a CF9000 if i was starting again. But that is because I dont use my flashes day in day out.

[Ryzz]

I went to Jaycar and got 8x AA Rechargeable Batteries and a 30min Quick Charger. The Batteries from memory are about 2800mAh. I use the constantly and recharge them when they one power the flash any longer. They last for ever and perform really well, they were pretty reasonable and the rapid charger tops them up from empty in about 40 Mins. I highly recommend paying a visit to your Local Jaycar store for some batteries!

[aim54x]

I went to Jaycar and got 8x AA Rechargeable Batteries and a 30min Quick Charger. The Batteries from memory are about 2800mAh. I use the constantly and recharge them when they one power the flash any longer. They last for ever and perform really well, they were pretty reasonable and the rapid charger tops them up from empty in about 40 Mins. I highly recommend paying a visit to your Local Jaycar store for some batteries!

You want to make sure your charger is not a 'cooker' - check your documentation and see what the cut off mechanism is, you want microprocessor controlled. But from your description it sounds alright to me.

[Ryzz]

I went to Jaycar and got 8x AA Rechargeable Batteries and a 30min Quick Charger. The Batteries from memory are about 2800mAh. I use the constantly and recharge them when they one power the flash any longer. They last for ever and perform really well, they were pretty reasonable and the rapid charger tops them up from empty in about 40 Mins. I highly recommend paying a visit to your Local Jaycar store for some batteries!

You want to make sure your charger is not a 'cooker' - check your documentation and see what the cut off mechanism is, you want microprocessor controlled. But from your description it sounds alright to me.

Yeah it cuts off soon as the batteries are charged, the only thing is it has the loudest most annoying "BEEP". It beeps as every battery finished, and then beeps 7 times when they are all done. I'm sure my neighbours 3 blocks away could hear the beep sometimes! It also has a fan in it to keep it and the batteries cool during the rapid charge.

[servaasproducts]

I went to Jaycar and got 8x AA Rechargeable Batteries and a 30min Quick Charger. The Batteries from memory are about 2800mAh. ...

No Such thing as 2800mAH AA batteries as yet

Some brands claim higher than 2700mAh, but I have yet so see a capacity test show the real capacity as that high.