What do people think about using this latest announced battery charger and rechargeable batteries from Apple? From what I read on their site the batteries are supposed to be good for 10 years. Does it look like a viable source for AA flash batteries? Anyone have one of these yet?
photomarvin wrote:
I'm still trying to figure out why this was posted in the Lighting & Studio forum
Most people who use off camera flash use rechargeable AA battery. I hope most people on this site is not stupid enough to buy the rip off Apple battery and charger.
I bet you Apple will still sell a ton of these at the Apple store.
It's made by Apple. Just look at those rounded corners and the amazing pure white color..Gasp! You can tell right away it's hella better, it's a piece of art. And you know Apple is such an engineering company, they will get the algorithm absolutely right so that your batteries won't be overcharged, using the cheap 3rd party chinese chargers will probably burn down your house one day. $29 is a very decent price.
saelee wrote:
Most people who use off camera flash use rechargeable AA battery. I hope most people on this site is not stupid enough to buy the rip off Apple battery and charger.
I bet you Apple will still sell a ton of these at the Apple store.
6 batteries and a charger for $29 -- what makes that a ripoff? It doesn't sound like a bad deal to me for someone who doesn't want to do the research to find out about eneloops versus other batteries and the various chargers available. I do agree with half of what you said -- they'll sell a lot of them
Back to the original question -- there's no reason these batteries are any better for flashes than any other batteries available and the fact that you can only charge 2 at a time makes the charger less valuable.
Ok, so 30 bucks isn't a bad price for a charger and 6 batteries. But charging only 2 at a time is really inconvenient since large flash units use 4 batteries. I also don't see how these are any better than other hybrid batteries such as Eneloops.
tomrock wrote:
They're not made for flashes -- they're made for wireless mice, keyboards and that new trackpad thingy that apple came out with this week.
AA nimh batteries are not "made" for any device. They are likely just low discharge batteries.
Not all NiMH batteries are created equal. There are different compositions of metal hydride for different purposes. Rechargeable batteries' chemical makeup can be optimized for constant draw at lower current (e.g. wireless mice, keyboards, trackpads, etc.) or high discharge (e.g. speedlights). Charging only two batteries at a time and having low-discharge batteries, it doesn't look at all worthwhile for flash users.
While expensive for a charger, the Apple device looks like it can be interchanged between the folding blades or a power cord, like their laptop power setup, but it could be just the way the case is made. It's small...could be handy for traveling Macbook/MBP/iPad users who are addicted to wireless keyboards, mice, or the new wireless trackpad.
tomrock wrote:
6 batteries and a charger for $29 -- what makes that a ripoff? It doesn't sound like a bad deal to me for someone who doesn't want to do the research to find out about eneloops versus other batteries and the various chargers available. I do agree with half of what you said -- they'll sell a lot of them
Back to the original question -- there's no reason these batteries are any better for flashes than any other batteries available and the fact that you can only charge 2 at a time makes the charger less valuable.
I did not see that you get 6 batteries, I thought you only get two and the charger. It is not that bad of a deal for an apple product.
