I've mostly got Powerex 2700s, but also some Eneloops. Need to get more Eneloops...I've been a little disappointed with how fast the Powerex cells self discharge. I pretty much have to pull them off the charger and run if I want anything close to full capacity. Maybe mine are getting old, or I got a bad lot or something...everyone else seems to love them. When they are fully charged, I am happy with them...just wish they'd stay that way a little longer.
Thank you guys for helping me narrow it down, I will pick up 2x packs of eneloops to have as triple redundancy down the line. I never want to feel the constraint of, "hold back the shots to make sure you have battery power"
Jim Heine wrote:
Energizers are freaking horrible. They can't hold a charge at all.
Well then apparently mine are the exception to your rule. I have been using them for years and they still hold a charge for me. I use a SB28dx flash and I can get upwards of 150 to 200 flashes per charge.
None of the above - the newest NiMH Lithium hybrids are absolutely awesome. I just tossed all my NiMH batteries and replaced every single one - about 60 AA's and 12 AAA's. The Lithium hybrids will literally hold a charge for months. tests show that after 6 months they retain 80% + of their charge. And they are very dependable in the time they last. Fry's Electronics had a RayoVac pack of 4 for about 6 bucks. I got mine off Amazon for about $3 a 4 pack. The peace of mind is huge not worrying about the last time a set was in the charger.
Eneloops. Though, thinking about getting more Powerex's to have the extra capacity for a shoot. The only caveat is I have to spend money on a C801D and I don't want to, heh. So I'll probably just buy more eneloops.
BubbaJon wrote:
None of the above - the newest NiMH Lithium hybrids are absolutely awesome. I just tossed all my NiMH batteries and replaced every single one - about 60 AA's and 12 AAA's. The Lithium hybrids will literally hold a charge for months. tests show that after 6 months they retain 80% + of their charge. And they are very dependable in the time they last. Fry's Electronics had a RayoVac pack of 4 for about 6 bucks. I got mine off Amazon for about $3 a 4 pack. The peace of mind is huge not worrying about the last time a set was in the charger....Show more →
The Rayovac 4.0's? Amazon has em for about $8-10 per 4 pack. And the reviews seem to indicate they are just rebadge hybrids and don't actually use lithium. Or are you talking about another set?
randomlinh wrote:
The Rayovac 4.0's? Amazon has em for about $8-10 per 4 pack. And the reviews seem to indicate they are just rebadge hybrids and don't actually use lithium. Or are you talking about another set?
Price must have gone up from popularity - glad I got mine when they were cheap. Yes these are the batteries I have. I'm at a loss why rebadged would be an issue - they are hybrids as I stated. Hybrids *do* use lithium on the electrodes to hold the charge better - WAY better. If they actually used lithium predominantly as the "active ingredient" they would be lithium ion or another lithium technology - hybrid in this case means it is a composite technology.
All I can tell you is I'm extremely happy with mine. I've tested the crap out them with my Maha Charger/Analyzer and they run pretty close to a true 2000 maH capacity at 1.4 volts. You don't get 1.4 volts with a normal NiMH battery. The extra is awesome for those devices that are sensitive to voltage and shut down when they think the charge is low. I keep 2 cases ready for loading up my speedlights and other battery powered gear such as my Pocketwizard FlexTT5's in addition to the batteries they contain. I have full confidence that I will have viable power within any reasonable dry spell where they aren't used. That is not the case with NiMH batteries - they will not have a significant charge remaining after only 2 weeks. I have a set of these RayoVacs that I tested after 2 MONTHS and they had plenty of juice. But hey - feel free to use whatever floats your boat. I'm just reporting to the OP what I actually use that works. YMMV
I was a total disbeliever in rechargables until I bought these. I have three full sets, and I have never gone through all of them on a full wedding day.
BubbaJon wrote:
Price must have gone up from popularity - glad I got mine when they were cheap. Yes these are the batteries I have. I'm at a loss why rebadged would be an issue - they are hybrids as I stated. Hybrids *do* use lithium on the electrodes to hold the charge better - WAY better. If they actually used lithium predominantly as the "active ingredient" they would be lithium ion or another lithium technology - hybrid in this case means it is a composite technology.
All I can tell you is I'm extremely happy with mine. I've tested the crap out them with my Maha Charger/Analyzer and they run pretty close to a true 2000 maH capacity at 1.4 volts. You don't get 1.4 volts with a normal NiMH battery. The extra is awesome for those devices that are sensitive to voltage and shut down when they think the charge is low. I keep 2 cases ready for loading up my speedlights and other battery powered gear such as my Pocketwizard FlexTT5's in addition to the batteries they contain. I have full confidence that I will have viable power within any reasonable dry spell where they aren't used. That is not the case with NiMH batteries - they will not have a significant charge remaining after only 2 weeks. I have a set of these RayoVacs that I tested after 2 MONTHS and they had plenty of juice. But hey - feel free to use whatever floats your boat. I'm just reporting to the OP what I actually use that works. YMMV...Show more →
I was unaware lithium was used on the electrodes. The rebadge issue is more of a gripe with how they are selling it. As stated in one of the reviews, the packing nearly feels like it's aimed at the lithium battery buyers. I was just trying to see if they did something different than eneloops.
randomlinh wrote:
The rebadge issue is more of a gripe with how they are selling it. As stated in one of the reviews, the packing nearly feels like it's aimed at the lithium battery buyers. I was just trying to see if they did something different than eneloops.
Gotcha - I seem to remember that too somebody made a lot of noise because he thought it was deceptive packaging. Al I can say is I wasn't "fooled", didn't feel like anyone was trying to fool me, and I'm very happy with the batteries themselves. I remember being annoyed at first that they did noty actually have their capacity listed anywhere. The folks that had already evaluated them rated them at 2000-2100 maH. that has been born out by my conditioning and testing.
joelconner> I was a total disbeliever in rechargables until I bought these.
My first foray into rechargeables was 8 x AA no names (1500Mah) with a cheap charger. I would get about 30-60 pops out of a flash when previously I was getting 150~ using Duracell alkalines. The no names were stored securely in a box where I would not be tempted to use them (although I should try them in a good charger just to see what would happen).
After hearing all the rants about 'better' rechargeables a year or two after my first foray, I bought some Energizer 2500's and then some Powerex 2700's and haven't bought any alkalines or no names since then. Very happily using the name brand batteries and Maha charger.
Best,
Andy
