p.2 #1 · Anyone use high voltage AA rechargeables?
EB-1 wrote:
Flash units are specifically designed for the 1.2V NiMH cells. The higher voltage cells typically have limited current capability (higher impedance) and lower Wh capacity. They are most suited to devices that are voltage dependent, not current dependent.
My Olympus FL-300Rs, the only units which tilt 90 Degrees downwards, give only a few flashes with freshly-charged Eneloope AAAs, but give a large number with 1.5V disposables.
p.2 #2 · Anyone use high voltage AA rechargeables?
I was using Eneloop cells in my speedlites, but about a year ago I began switching to Tenergy. The Eneloop cells offer 1,800 ma of storage capacity and the Tenergy offer 2,800 ma capacity, so quite a bit more. With 4 freshly charged cells in a Godox TT600 and 8 more cells in a battery extender, I'm getting about 2 seconds between ready lights on the Speedlite. Although I don't shoot again that soon because of fear of overheating the speedlite, it is charged and ready to go again in about 2 seconds and it continues to be at this quick recharge and ready speed for about 40 shots at full power, before beginning to show longer and longer delays before it's ready for the next shot. Even then, I can continue the shoot, but maybe at a little slower pace. I haven't tried working a shoot long enough to need a battery change yet. Most of what I've been doing since COVID has been in my studio and I rarely use my speedlites there.
p.2 #6 · Anyone use high voltage AA rechargeables?
I bought 16 Eneloops many years ago (probably 8 years, not sure) and they still hold charge well. I just bought another 8-pack of Eneloops because I have too many devices that need them.
There are multiple reviews containing complaints about the battery being oversized. At least some of the extra capacity is probably related to that. It's only 12% greater than the Eneloop Pro, if that is even to be believed.
p.2 #9 · Anyone use high voltage AA rechargeables?
saaketham wrote:
I bought 16 Eneloops many years ago (probably 8 years, not sure) and they still hold charge well. I just bought another 8-pack of Eneloops because I have too many devices that need them.
Yup. I have around 120 AA and 30 AAA Eneloops. Half of them were made by Sanyo and are around 14-21 years old. Panasonic bought Eneloop sometime around 2014 and they did not lower quality as is so often the case. Thru the years I have tried other brands which either had more power or were cheaper. PowerEx, Amazon Basics, EBL & Tenergy come to mind. They all start out being great, which explains all the positive reviews. Trouble is they don't stand the test of time and I only have a few Amazon Basics left and none of the others. Eneloops are the REAL Energizer bunny, they just keep going. They are so good that thru the years I switched out all my radios and flashlights (you wouldn't believe how many flashlights I have), etc that ran on C or D size batteries to AA devices.
There are many more NiMH battery companies out now that I haven't tried, and they may well be good, but Eneloop are a known quantity and I see no reason to stray. I don't mind paying more for a quality product as long as it lasts.
As an aside, if there are any other battery junkies out there, I have included a link to my favorite storage device/system, the Storacell Caddy..
I repeat, Eneloops rule.
p.2 #10 · Anyone use high voltage AA rechargeables?
I have about the same number of Eneloops as Brad (100+), with a similar mix of Sanyo and Panasonic OEMs. The only issue I have noticed, is that they have a slightly greater diameter than 'the normal' AA battery. I have only noticed this with a workshop bench light that has a round (cylindrical) three-battery holder, that just barely fits inside the handle (steel tube). It fits tightly with not-Eneloops in it, but it does not fit with Eneloops. I'm pretty sure that I used to put Eneloops in it, which suggests they have swelled slightly. OTOH, there are no issues with my four 600EX-RT flash, nor with anything else that I use them in.
p.2 #11 · Anyone use high voltage AA rechargeables?
Eneloop has batteries "Made in Japan" and "Made in China". The Chinese are cheaper but I use solely the Japanese batteries. The white AA Eneloops we know have a charge of 1.900mAh.
The black Eneloop Pro cells also have a higher charge and this is rated at 2.500mAh but can't be charged as much as the white cells. White cells are the all purpose batteries, the black batteries are designed for flashes among other quick big current output devices.
p.2 #12 · Anyone use high voltage AA rechargeables?
Vinnie_VdB wrote:
Eneloop has batteries "Made in Japan" and "Made in China". The Chinese are cheaper but I use solely the Japanese batteries. The white AA Eneloops we know have a charge of 1.900mAh.
The black Eneloop Pro cells also have a higher charge and this is rated at 2.500mAh but can't be charged as much as the white cells. White cells are the all purpose batteries, the black batteries are designed for flashes among other quick big current output devices.
I was not aware of the Chinese Eneloops. As all of mine were made in Japan, I can only assume the others were sold in markets other than the US. The charge capacity of the batteries is written on the battery and will vary, depending on which Generation they are. Eneloops still rule!
p.2 #13 · Anyone use high voltage AA rechargeables?
Eneloops are the best option.
Any NiMh cell is fairly close to those LiOn cells regarding one aspect: the inability to be able to determine state of charge. NiMh cells have a very flat discharge curve: a short initial higher voltage, followed by a long, close enough to flat dicharge curve that electronics can't provide an accurate state of charge, followed by a fast drop off at the end. The cells inside those LiOn AAs will go from 4.2V to around 3.6V during discharge but the circuit to drop that to 1.5V hides the actual cell voltage so no state of charge can be determined.
The LiOn AA cells add 1 extra electronic circuit per cell that needs to be working for them to supply power which is an obvious decrease in reliability.
NiMh cells can be used in any device. LiOn AA cells can only be used in devices that have low current requirements.
Eneloops have been proven to tolerate very high temperatures (as in stored inside a car parked in full sun in the desert) and very cold temeratures (eg stored in a car parked in the snow).
p.2 #15 · Anyone use high voltage AA rechargeables?
Any change in opinions on 1.5V rechargeable li-ion AA and AAA batteries since this was last discussed? I'm still using disposable alkalines in remotes that specifically call for 1.5V or perpetually show "low battery" warnings with 1.2V NiMH Eneloops.
This youtuber seems to think they're basically all varying degrees of trash except one specific version of EBL.
p.2 #16 · Anyone use high voltage AA rechargeables?
If your products still work with Ni-MH regardless of low battery I would not worry about it. What kind of remotes are they?
But you need to calculate the time and effort of using some goofy new system compared to just alkalines.
Do you have link to the batteries?
p.2 #17 · Anyone use high voltage AA rechargeables?
EB-1 wrote:
If your products still work with Ni-MH regardless of low battery I would not worry about it. What kind of remotes are they?
But you need to calculate the time and effort of using some goofy new system compared to just alkalines.
Do you have link to the batteries?
EBH
Every Godox trigger I have ever used shows a permanent empty battery icon with Eneloops. The user manuals specify 1.5V batteries so it is not entirely surprising the 1.2V Eneloops are problematic. Triggers work fine until the Eneloops really do run out. Alkalines show an actual progression in the battery status from full down to empty so you can replace them before the trigger suddenly goes kaput. My thermostat behaves the same way with Eneloops so I use alkalines there too.
The cost of alkalines is 1/10th that of rechargeables. This is an environmental rather than economic concern for me. I prefer a reusable option if one exists.
