NiZn for weddings?

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Archive 2010 · NiZn for weddings?

lindabrowne
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p.1 #1 · NiZn for weddings?

Anyone here using NiZn batteries for e-sessions and weddings? I have some on order. Power, baby!! Nothing like a sacrificial flash at the end of the night for a grand finale!

I'm not sure if I'll be using these or NiMH as my main batteries. The other sets will be along in a separate bag.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-nizn-batteries-offer-lightning-fast.html

Apr 21, 2010 at 09:11 PM

jamphan
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p.1 #2 · NiZn for weddings?

NIMH for me. Haven't really had the need for much more. Besides that I want to keep my flashes for as long as possible and not fry them.

Apr 21, 2010 at 09:14 PM

lindabrowne
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p.1 #3 · NiZn for weddings?

I needed new batteries and mistakenly ordered these instead of NiMH. I'll give them a try and watch them closely. I don't usually shoot at full power, but of course need to keep that option open.

I just put my vote down as NiZN, so take that into consideration on the poll results. I may be the lone one there.

Apr 21, 2010 at 09:20 PM

listchristee
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p.1 #4 · NiZn for weddings?

I love my NiZn's. They've been great in my Canon flashes, although I think they might have fried my boyfriend's Nikon flash.
I know they aren't the safest option but they last for a really long time and I love em!

Apr 21, 2010 at 09:25 PM

aborr
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p.1 #5 · NiZn for weddings?

I voted NiMH. I'm not enough of a risk-taker to trust anything other than the alkalines, NiMH, and Li types that Canon reccommends.

Apr 21, 2010 at 11:29 PM

RichardLavigne
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p.1 #6 · NiZn for weddings?

I've been using these Pearstone Batteries from B&H for the last year or so in our on camera flashes and they've worked great, quick, consistent charges (especially with the 8 bay charger) and plenty of power.

I just grabbed 28 more and another charger to use for our remote flashes and battery packs... now if only they'd get the AAA's in stock so that I could use them in the poppers.

Apr 22, 2010 at 12:33 AM

brett maxwell
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p.1 #7 · NiZn for weddings?

I LOVE the NiZn batteries. Their all I use now, the Eneloops have moved to backup. The recycle speed has let me ditch the external battery pack.

Apr 22, 2010 at 06:30 AM

William Wilson
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p.1 #8 · NiZn for weddings?

Eneloop good as it gets after reading the frying of speedlites I passed on the NiZn batteries.

Apr 22, 2010 at 06:53 AM

Beni
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p.1 #9 · NiZn for weddings?

I use both. The NIZN's drain very very fast during wedding shooting. Far too fast. During rapid shooting I went through a fully charged set with just 80 shots during 20 minutes of dancing (and it almost melted my flash doing it). During the last wedding I burnt through a set over two hours with just 270 shots. They were certainly not all at full power flash either.

On the other hand they give recycle almost as fast as using a battery pack but without the extra wires and faff.

I use NIZN for the getting ready and ceremony shots but switch to NIMH and battery pack for the reception, dancing etc where I need even faster recycle and have no time to change batteries every 20 minutes.

Apr 22, 2010 at 07:01 AM

TTLKurtis
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p.1 #10 · NiZn for weddings?

I shoot with NiMh Eneloop batteries. I have a bunch of AA and AAAs, and I have three (3) Maha 8-battery chargers so the day before a wedding I can quickly get everything charged and ready to go.

Apr 22, 2010 at 07:20 AM

Dirtyharry71
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p.1 #11 · NiZn for weddings?

yep Sanyo Eneloop

Apr 22, 2010 at 09:49 AM

ExtendedPuppet
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p.1 #12 · NiZn for weddings?

I was stoked for NiZn, then I read Beni's review a few weeks ago, and I lost the stokedness.

@Brett Maxwell, have you experienced any of the issues Beni had?

Apr 22, 2010 at 10:03 AM

maxwell1295
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p.1 #13 · NiZn for weddings?

NiMH for sure. Eneloops or Duracell's "Made in Japan" hybrids (they're the exact same battery). Rayovac hybrids are really good too.

Apr 22, 2010 at 12:04 PM

alexscott57
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p.1 #14 · NiZn for weddings?

Love these: This image is copyrighted by the owner

Apr 22, 2010 at 01:55 PM

brett maxwell
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p.1 #15 · NiZn for weddings?

ExtendedPuppet wrote:
I was stoked for NiZn, then I read Beni's review a few weeks ago, and I lost the stokedness.

@Brett Maxwell, have you experienced any of the issues Beni had?

No. I usually change batteries once in a wedding day, and usually I don't need to change them until well after the main reception events. I haven't kept track of actual images taken on a set, but I use a little bit of bounce flash for getting ready, about 100 shots at 1/4 power for formals, sometimes some use at 1/4 to full power for creative portraits, and bounce flash for almost every reception shot. For receptions I'm often shooting f1.4-2.8 and iso800-3200, so the flash isn't working really hard.

Apr 22, 2010 at 11:49 PM

yukisani
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p.1 #16 · NiZn for weddings?

What are NiZn batteries please?

Apr 23, 2010 at 09:21 AM

ExtendedPuppet
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p.1 #17 · NiZn for weddings?

yukisani wrote:
What are NiZn batteries please?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel-zinc_battery

New Technology, currently being beta tested by Brett, thanks Brett!

Apr 23, 2010 at 12:01 PM

ExtendedPuppet
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p.1 #18 · NiZn for weddings?

brett maxwell wrote:
ExtendedPuppet wrote:
I was stoked for NiZn, then I read Beni's review a few weeks ago, and I lost the stokedness.

@Brett Maxwell, have you experienced any of the issues Beni had?

No. I usually change batteries once in a wedding day, and usually I don't need to change them until well after the main reception events. I haven't kept track of actual images taken on a set, but I use a little bit of bounce flash for getting ready, about 100 shots at 1/4 power for formals, sometimes some use at 1/4 to full power for creative portraits, and bounce flash for almost every reception shot. For receptions I'm often shooting f1.4-2.8 and iso800-3200, so the flash isn't working really hard.

Thanks Brett

Apr 23, 2010 at 12:01 PM

brett maxwell
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p.1 #19 · NiZn for weddings?

Some testing from Engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/12/aa-rechargeable-battery-shootout-energizer-powergenix-and-sany/

They found the capacity pretty much comparable. Of course, they don't mention the fast recycle of the NiZn, which is the reason I love them.

May 13, 2010 at 06:51 AM

lisy78
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p.1 #20 · NiZn for weddings?

Beni wrote:
I use both. The NIZN's drain very very fast during wedding shooting. Far too fast. During rapid shooting I went through a fully charged set with just 80 shots during 20 minutes of dancing (and it almost melted my flash doing it). During the last wedding I burnt through a set over two hours with just 270 shots. They were certainly not all at full power flash either.

On the other hand they give recycle almost as fast as using a battery pack but without the extra wires and faff.

I use NIZN for the getting ready and ceremony shots but switch to NIMH and battery pack for the reception, dancing etc where I need even faster recycle and have no time to change batteries every 20 minutes.

Rather than "Switching" why wouldn't you simply set your flash's custom function (I'm assuming you're a Canon shooter here I guess) to only use external pack for recycling when external pack is available. Then you can have your NIMZ in your flash... use them for the getting ready/ceremony and then just attach the battery pack for the reception/dancing and let the NIMZ simply handle the flash's control settings.

By the way..

EVERYONE USING EXTERNAL BATTERY PACKS WITH CANON STROBES SHOULD SET THE CUSTOM FUNCTION THAT TELLS THE FLASH TO USE THE EXTERNAL POWER PACK FOR FLASH (AND USE INTERNAL BATTERIES FOR CONTROL SETTINGS OPERATION) RATHER THAN BOTH. THIS IS SO THAT SHOULD YOUR BATTERY PACK DIE, YOU CAN UNPLUG IT AND KEEP SHOOTING ON THE REGULAR BATTERIES THAT WILL NOW NOT BE AS LIKELY TO BE DEPLETED. YOU GIVE UP VERY LITTLE IN RECYCLE TIME AND GAIN A LOT IN PEACE OF MIND.

May 13, 2010 at 11:42 AM

Beni
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p.1 #21 · NiZn for weddings?

Cummon, that's a bit OTT isn't it NotLisy? If there is X amount of power all together then the battery packs will by definition not die so soon needing you to have to unplug them. I've never once in my life ever run through a CP-E3/4 including 2000 shots (most I ever did in my life), all with flash and most indoors at iso 400, i.e. lots of power needed for the bounce.

May 13, 2010 at 12:43 PM

Beni
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p.1 #22 · NiZn for weddings?

On a side note, no idea why I'm getting such poor performance out of my NiZN's, not making it up. I've got a feeling that although the charger is a 110-240V, in actual fact at the UK's 220V it's not optimised and is giving under performance on the charging.

May 13, 2010 at 12:44 PM

yukisani
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p.1 #23 · NiZn for weddings?

I want them now!

Beni where did you get yours? Are they avail in Europe?

May 13, 2010 at 07:02 PM

Beni
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p.1 #24 · NiZn for weddings?

Nope but I got them shipped over from the US.

May 13, 2010 at 08:19 PM

elkhornsun
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p.1 #25 · NiZn for weddings?

When I was shooting with a S2 that ran on AA batteries and needed 3-4 sets per wedding and had an ISO limit of 640 and needed to really drive the flash I got the highest Ahr rated AA's I could find.

Today with ISO 4000 and f2.8 zooms there is a lot less flash needed and I can go an entire wedding with 10 AA batteries and it really does not matter which ones I use. Many people waste available power by shooting at a smaller aperture than is needed or a much lower ISO setting.

I have files from second shooters that were using ISO 400 and f8 in dark reception halls. Their flash output needed to be at least 4x as great as mine and naturally they used a lot more batteries during the reception than I did.

Easy and simple way to get more power is to use a Quantum battery pack. Faster recycle times as well.

May 16, 2010 at 04:32 AM


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