Hi,

I've just purchased a Speedlite 580EXII and I'm noticing something weird with the recycle time. I'm using 2500mHa 1.2V Ni-MH Sony batteries and at full power it takes 2.2 sec. to recycle. I read it was about 6 seconds and perhaps I'm doing something wrong.

I set the flash on manual, full power 1:1 and I'm counting from the shutter release until the pilot lamp turns to red something between 2 and 2.5 seconds.

Edgard

denoise wrote:
Hi,

I've just purchased a Speedlite 580EXII and I'm noticing something weird with the recycle time. I'm using 2500mHa 1.2V Ni-MH Sony batteries and at full power it takes 2.2 sec. to recycle. I read it was about 6 seconds and perhaps I'm doing something wrong.

I set the flash on manual, full power 1:1 and I'm counting from the shutter release until the pilot lamp turns to red something between 2 and 2.5 seconds.

Edgard

Isn't this a good thing?

From The-Digital-Picture.com

"While on the battery topic ... The Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash is rated for approximately 100 to 700 shots from new AA-size alkaline batteries which deliver a fast recycling time of approximately 0.1 to 6 seconds. For quick flash (firing a not-completely-charged flash), recycle times range from .1-2.5 seconds - again from new AA-size alkaline batteries. Canon's manual states "Using size-AA batteries other than the alkaline type may cause improper battery contact due to the irregular shape of the battery contacts." A couple of bullets later, it states "Size-AA Ni-MH or lithium batteries can also be used."

Don't use alkalines - NiMH batteries will save you lots of money and will work better. NiMH batteries have much less internal resistance than alkaline batteries resulting in significantly shorter re-cycle times (up to 50% faster). NiMH batteries also give more consistent (full) power until they are discharged while alkalines will recycle the flash more and more slowly as they expend their life."

m00g wrote:

Isn't this a good thing?

Indeed, a very good thing!

but then, why do people waste their money on external power? 2 seconds!, awesome for a speedlite.

Edgard

external is faster and will last longer, so you don't need to change batteries as often.

Give it a full pop about 20 times and you'll see that it goes from 2 to like 4 seconds.

High Voltage cuts that recycle in time, and lasts several hundred shots at full power. My Turbo SC lets me blast off like a dozen frames at lower power without breaking a sweat.

Max

Hot shoe flashes use a thyristor switch to cut off power to the flash, retaining the unused power in the capacitors. So if you are shooting at a distance which only uses half the total power stored in the capacitors the recycle time will be about 1/2 the specified max.

If using ETTL flash you never really know how much power the flash actually used. What I'll do when using ETTL is also set the manual power at 1/2. Then if I want to get some idea how much power ETTL is using I switch to M at 1/2 and take a shot for comparison.

Chuck

cgardner wrote:
Hot shoe flashes use a thyristor switch to cut off power to the flash, retaining the unused power in the capacitors. So if you are shooting at a distance which only uses half the total power stored in the capacitors the recycle time will be about 1/2 the specified max.

If using ETTL flash you never really know how much power the flash actually used. What I'll do when using ETTL is also set the manual power at 1/2. Then if I want to get some idea how much power ETTL is using I switch to M at 1/2 and take a shot for comparison.

Chuck

I set the flash on manual, full power 1:1 and I'm counting from the shutter release until the pilot lamp turns to red something between 2 and 2.5 seconds.

NiMH are far faster than the rated times which are given for Alkalines. If you bounce or shoot outdoors with Hi-Sync or diffusion (such as a brolly) then you will rapidly start to learn the need for a battery pack, the CP-E3/4 will cut the recycle time down to under a second from full pop, essential for stuff like wedding work.

Beni wrote:
NiMH are far faster than the rated times which are given for Alkalines. If you bounce or shoot outdoors with Hi-Sync or diffusion (such as a brolly) then you will rapidly start to learn the need for a battery pack, the CP-E3/4 will cut the recycle time down to under a second from full pop, essential for stuff like wedding work.

+1

denoise wrote:

Indeed, a very good thing!

but then, why do people waste their money on external power? 2 seconds!, awesome for a speedlite.

Edgard

Edgard, you must be having a joke? You can bang away all day with the battery packs. FYI: The CPE4 is marginally better than the CPE3 in recycle time but the tray is far better.

Have you used the packs Edgard?

The battery packs are the 2nd best thing(s) I've purchased for my speedlites.

Cheers Gaz

Edgard,

There is no free lunch. The 2500maH batteries that reduce the recycle time will also heat very quickly contributing to the 580EX's high temperature cutoff. Most of the 2500's also self-discharge faster than lower maH batteries. If you have time to fully recharge your batteries before a shoot, the self-discharge rate doesn't matter. If you use a CP-E3/E4 and set the flash's custom function to use only the CP-E3/E4 to cycle the flash, you can get a couple of extra pops before the flash overheats.

Life is a compromise.

Richard K.