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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
brett maxwell wrote:
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.
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....Show more →
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.
