rechargable batteries/ chargers for flashes - recommendations?

[eddie_chan9]

Hi guys. I’m after some good Ni-mh batteries in AA sizes to use in my flashes, which I’ve found myself needing more

and more lately.

 

So far I’ve only been looking at the 2700 mAh ni-mh AA sized ones from GP, but they offer loads of different

chargers… some ‘lightweight’ ones that take “1.5hrs” to charge while a more expensive, big fat one takes 5 hours to

charge, which I don’t understand. They don’t seem to mention any technical details on the packaging. Which charger

should I go for, to help ensure long life of batteries? I mainly start charging batteries as soon as I come home from

snapping pics, but I tend to leave them on the charger for a few days until I remember to change and charge other

ones, so the quick charge 1.5hrs ones don’t suit me..

 

what I’m really aiming for, is a charger that helps give the batteries the longest life, I’d prefer one with a trickle charge

detector (ie. the charger checks the current of the batteries and stop the charging when it indicates the batteries

being fully charged), so I could have peace of mind just leaving my batteries on charge the whole time. However,

when I browse thru the limited choices in a supermarket (don’t know where else to even find them!), I cant’ tell which

one have better detection of charging…

 

so, any comments? Any ideas are welcome, I’m open to all suggestions. Many thanks.

[howard_m]

forget the 2700's. there are a number of reasons to not just get the highest capacity cells (which really aren't that great).

 

look for Eneloop (by Sanyo) or other 'low discharge' types.

 

check thomas-distributing.com for the maha or lacrosse chargers.

[Matt Laur]

I've been quite happy with the 2500mah Sanyos (using them in Nikon speedlights). But no question, the real magic is in the charger. You don't want to rapid charge unless you absolutely have to, and you do want a charger that thinks about each battery individually. I'm sold on the <a href="http://www.laurphoto.com/prdr/lacrosse_bc700" target="_blank"><b>LaCrosse BC700</b></a> at this point. Very reasonable price for a unit that can do slow trickle or rapid charging on demand, and which has the brains to dump/cycle/maintain batteries individually - and help you spot the failing ones. Good charging habits are the main variable in battery life and performance (other than avoiding the real cheap batteries).

[robert_huggins]

Ditto howard's comment about the Maha chargers -- the cheapo ones are OK too and smaller to pack but they will eat up your NiMH batteries a lot faster because they do not charge "smart."

[Ed_Ingold]

MAHA (and certain other) chargers treat each battery individually. Otherwise the first battery to reach full charge shuts the charger down to trickle level. I use an 8-station MAHA charger which has a 1 hour setting, a slow charge (2 hour) setting and a refresh cycle (charge-discharge-charge). Unequal charge levels make flash units work slowly and makes the batteries appear to run down quickly.

[thanh_le3]

I second the Eneloop recommendation. You can get a set at costco for a good price.

[Ed_Ingold]

NiMH batteries have a high self-discharge rate. They can lose 15% of their charge in a week, even if not used. There is a new type of NiMH battery with low self-discharge rates. Eneloop is one brand, and there are others. They can be charged in any NiMH charger. If you don't shoot much or can't be bothered charging your batteries the night before a job, these are an option. Their capacity is less (at this time) than standard types.

 

You should not leave NiMH batteries in a charger indefinitely. Most chargers will go into a trickle mode, but that is still hard on the batteries over an extended time, say over 72 hours.