dan_k6 Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 When you're using a battery pack, does the 5th battery have any effect onrecycle times? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph_wisniewski Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 No. When you're using a battery pack like a Quantum or a Nikon SC-8, the AA batteries only power the flash's control electronics. You might as well remove the vulnerable and awkward 5th AA battery door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
errol young Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 I have never used the 800 without it. It does work faster than my 600. Errol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
errol young Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 One more thing. Shoot fast if you like but give the 800 a time to cool down. It can get very hot and burn out. Almost happened to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Ingold Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Batteries are sold and charged (usually) in pairs. Unless you have a charger that handles each battery separately, you are SOL. The 5th battery has a minimal effect on recycling time. If you want a significant improvement, use an high-voltage battery pack, like a Quantum Turbo, which is connected to the front of the SB-800. Battery packs that simply replace the AA batteries have no effect on recycle time, and are no better than carrying an extra set of AA batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonybeach Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Depends on how hard you are pushing the flash. At full power it is about 1 second faster and shooting a sequence at less than half power it will get an extra exposure before missing an exposure. Most of the time the difference is marginal, and the real purpose of the SD-800 is that NiMH batteries have 1.2 volts and the SB-800 optimally should be running on 6 volts (other AA batteries typically have 1.5 volts). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_k6 Posted January 6, 2008 Author Share Posted January 6, 2008 I currently use a Turbo SC. I don't think I push the flash as hard as some people. I had a feeling that the batteries, when used with a battery pack, were just there to power on the flash, LCD, and the controls. That 5th battery is a pain because I only see chargers with 4 or 8 bays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonybeach Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 "I currently use a Turbo SC...I had a feeling that the batteries, when used with a battery pack, were just there to power on the flash, LCD, and the controls." >Yes, that is all the batteries in the SB-800 do with a turbo pack attached. In fact, you're not supposed to use the SD-800 with a turbo pack (page 64 of the manual). "That 5th battery is a pain because I only see chargers with 4 or 8 bays." > I have over 20 batteries, 3 chargers, two SB-800's, and an SB-600. We just charge the batteries as they discharge, and if there is one left over we generally charge it when the next batch of batteries needs recharging. I cannot imagine only having one set of batteries, everything (cameras, lenses, and especially CF cards and batteries) needs to be backed up. Also, two of my three chargers are capable of only charging one battery at time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_burville Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 i just charge 4 batteries, then replace one with the 5th battery and plug the charger (w/ 3 charged & 1 dead) back in... works fine for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ_konrad Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 We always use the 5th battery with all of our SB800's. In certain situations in which we need to rent additional SB800's - the shorter recycle time with 5 batteries becomes very obvious since the rental units don't have the 5th battery attachment. Anthony is very correct - We have multiple sets of rechargable batteries and multiple charges. Since we usually use 4 SB800's - it does work out mathematically - 5 chargers that charge 4 batteries each covers the 20 batteries that we start the day off with! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Ingold Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 If batteries are charged in pairs, the charger shuts down to trickle mode as soon as the first battery is fully charged. The lower battery is never fully charged, and can cause slow recycling or poor performance when used with others. Maha and others make sophisticated chargers that charge each battery separately. These are a must-have if you rely on rechargible AA batteries. The SB-800 manual contains a PTA statement regarding external power supplies. It also states the duty cycle permitted by the flash. The flash will not overheat if you keep the number of full-power flashes below about 10 in 10 minutes, or 40 lower power pops (< half power) in the same time frame. Most pops in a real event are less than 1/4 power, and present no undue risk when using an high-voltage battery pack. If you need a lot of power, as in formal group pictures, use a flash designed for that purpose - an AC (or DC) Q-flash, pack or monolight. With a Quantum Turbo pack, I get over 400 pops from a set of four well-conditioned AA batteries in an SB-800, since they are only needed for control and the display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_in_st._louis Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I use <A href="http://www.mahaenergy.com/store/viewitem.asp?idproduct=422">this charger</A> and find that it is easy to charge 1 to 5 or 8 batteries as required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thakurdalipsingh Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Any one making 5/6 battery charger which is compact and quick so that it matches SB 800 users? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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