Battery Power Drainage

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Image1
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p.1 #1 · Battery Power Drainage

I have been shooting flash shots with events for quite awhile with the same battery, and usually I get into at least 150 shots before it dies, but recently at an event my battery quit at around 70 shots! The only thing different was, I used a softbox adapter on the speedlight shooting all TTL, also this event ended up being a lot longer than usual but even with that, I shut down whenever possible. Is it at all likely the softbox caused this sudden drainage?

Jan 05, 2013 at 02:17 PM

novicesnapper
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p.1 #2 · Battery Power Drainage

No. More likely culprits are live view on continually or no camera time out set in menu, or battery getting weak. Since no camera model was mentioned, no way of telling you which settings in the menu to check. Put a grip on the camera, where you can use dual batteries if possible.

My T1i gets around 3K images on a set of generics. Mixing live view with viewfinder.

Jan 05, 2013 at 03:12 PM

BrianO
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p.1 #3 · Battery Power Drainage

Image1 wrote: ...Is it at all likely the softbox caused this sudden drainage?

I must disagree 100% with Novice Snapper; yes, a softbox will absolutely increase a Speedlite's battery usage!

Most such modifiers will absorb one or more stops' worth of light, and so it takes more power from the flash to get the same exposure level as would be achieved without the modifier.

(If you mean the camera's battery, no, that wouldn't be affected unless using the built-in flash with a modifier.)

Jan 05, 2013 at 04:06 PM

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p.1 #4 · Battery Power Drainage

Very little live view used, and sleep mode is on! ...Batteries start to weaken you say? does that start suddenly? this one is about 6 years old.

Jan 05, 2013 at 04:10 PM

novicesnapper
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p.1 #5 · Battery Power Drainage

I would say you have gotten you're money's worth from the camera battery lol. I would be tickled if all of mine lasted six years. As far as a softbox knocking back a speedlites battery life, yes, due to having to pump the power up to compensate for the softbox drop. My softboxes hit me hard, a 1.5-2 full stop hit from bare flash. But I would say it's time for at least a new battery. I know they say with the newer batteries it doesn't matter, but I always condition mine, drain to empty, recharge to full, at three times initially.

Jan 05, 2013 at 10:51 PM

Image1
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p.1 #6 · Battery Power Drainage

Thanks for your help Guys!

Jan 06, 2013 at 06:45 PM

Michael White
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p.1 #7 · Battery Power Drainage

I would suspect that the soft box which add probably 2stops to each flash, the extra distance added additional stops of light per the rule, and shooting in Ettl also added to the usage.

Say that you previously shot at 22 ft and use the flash at half power in manual mode to get the 170 pops.

Now your shooting at 30~ft which adds a stop of light that plus the 2 stops for the soft box adds 3 stops to you flash which means if the math is right you flash is at full power or close to it and don't for get the per flashes for the Ettl. I hop this make since and I'm not to far off the scale to make it simple using the rule for stops of light which has vacated my brain and I'm not going to research the name. It goes for a lens something like 2.8,4,5.6,8,11,16?,22,etc. you can you those same numbers as feet and for each incremental jump adds a stop of light which is just a jump to the next setting on the scale if thing change in multiple options if your using your Speedlights by itself ita full power call that one stop to properly light you subject and you increase the distance from 2.8 ft th 4 ft then you would need the same amount of light from a second sorce but you go to 5.6 ft then you'll need 3 more equal sources of light. I hope this helps explain what I'm try to convae

Jan 11, 2013 at 06:34 AM

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