Needing Eneloop battery info
Another suggestion, is to not put all your faith in rechargeable batteries. You need electricity to charge batteries. That's why I always keep Alkaline batteries on hand. For emergencies, such as a power failure.
I use Eneloops exclusively and have for years now (I bought my first set when Sanyo introduced them @ 1500mAh). I have never paid the premium for the "pro" ones. Side-by-side with other shooters using the same equipment but alkaline batteries, I change batteries less often. Eneloops hold a charge for years -- I have confirmed that myself since they are now my stash batteries, too. I try to pay attention to what sets get used when to keep them rotating, but that's no different than watching the expiration dates on alkalines...
For the record, the very first set I bought is still going strong, and without any kind of fancy test gadgets to quantify with, seem to be performing as well as when I bought them.
No comparison. Go with the Eneloops. Much better than the Duracells. They are all that I use now.
Russ
Nikonian72 wrote:
As a field macro-photographer, I am more interested in quick recharge time of my speedlight, than number of flashes per charge. I will probably buy eight (8) batteries so I will carry a fully charged second set.
I have eight of the white ones. With macro and shooting at reduced power there is no need to go with the blacks. I've used a fully charged set with automated focus stacking without an issue.
Single shots hand-held in the great outdoors has never been an issue for me. Never needed more than two fully-charged sets. I also carry a meter to check the charge beforehand. I got one of these at Radio Shack and not that expensive...
Also according to the FAQs, they do not suffer from "memory effect" so IMO there's no reason to discharge them.
If you have a Costco near you they sell them with a charger too and 8 batteries.
This is exactly what I did. The black batteries from Amazon are the same and cheaper.
Costco has Eneloops on sale. But they are not always in stock.
soli
Loc: London, UK.
Try the Medalion or Maha Powerex batteries. They are far better than the Eneloops. Their discharge rate is very small and a fully charged battery will not let you down.
Costco stores carry Eneloops. One set has just the batteries, the other includes a charger. I got mine there a while back, but forget the price. The AA were blue, and the AAA were green.
I've never used the black, "Pro" batteries. (I didn't know they were available). But I have used the white ones for years. They power all my flashlights, refrigerator fans, (which run constantly in our RV when we travel), smoke detectors and my camera flash. I've never had one fail. I suggest looking at Amazon as they have always had the best prices on these items.
I just ordered from B&H, a 4-pack of white Eneloops and a 4-pack of white with charger, for a total of $34, which includes postage NY to CA.
Thanks to all for sharing your experiences, especially my fellow MPs.
Didn't realize that the old Sanyos I had are the same as the newer Panasonic Eneloops. Seems that the Panasonics work better, hold charges longer and generally last longer. The old Sanyo charger was Ni-Cd capable but didn't turn off when batteries had reached full charge. Everything that others on here have said about the Panasonics is true from my perspective. I have two sets of older rechargeable "Energizers" that I use in my Canon flash and they're still working fine. I tend to use my Eneloop AAAs in various LED flashlights (also Costco purchases over time) and I am surprised that the Ni-Mh batteries, at 1.25 v seem to push out a bright beam no less dim than alkalines at 1.54 v. And, of course, they hold their voltage level constant until the very end which is nice. I used to hate to toss alkalines that still had some life in them but were giving me less and less light from my devices.
soli wrote:
Try the Medalion or Maha Powerex batteries. They are far better than the Eneloops. Their discharge rate is very small and a fully charged battery will not let you down.
"Far better"? Depends..... According to the battery review tests that I read they self-discharge at a much higher rate than eneloops. Multiple ratings don't list either of the Medalion or Maha Powerex in their top tens.
Haydon wrote:
I have several sets of both but use the black ones primarily for flash work since they are 2,550 mAh vs 2000 mAh. The pros also refresh quicker.
I use the Pros and they say on them they are 2450, not 2550. Maybe there are newer ones?
I don't use rechargeables I use energizer to me they are a pain in the but,i can buy 36 for for 12.95 at home depot, recharge won't hold I charge like alkaline.
After reading through this thread and checking out some of the links I saw some chargers that switch to a maintenance or trickle charge after fully charging the batteries. Would it be safe to keep batteries on trickle for extended periods? I have a Sony Smart Charger with a discharge function but the instructions say to remove batteries as soon as possible after the charger turns off. Thanks.
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