Faster recycles time

[tscheung]

Hello,

Want to buy a battery pack for 550 and 580 speedlites, because need faster recycles times for indoor events, which

one is better 1) CP-E3, 2) Qflashes SC

Any suggestions?

[ed_k__north_carolina_]

The Canon CP-E3 is hard to beat. It's not as expensive as the other solutions and uses AA batteries. Remember, batteries don't last forever and HiMH much less expensive to replace (about $20 for eight). You can get an extra battery tray, load it with 8 batteries and you can switch it when you need it, after roughly 800 - 1000 flashes.

 

I regularly shoot High School Wrestling events and the 580/CP-E3 combo work very well for me. Recycle times are very fast and it's not very bulky. The only down side is the lack of a belt clip on the pouch (I added onr to mine from an old cell phone case).

 

Ed K.

[phule]

Ed K, of course, means NiMH :)

[elliot1]

I have used a Pulsar unit which holds 16 AA batteries or 4D batteries, giving fast recycle time and longevity.

[ed_k__north_carolina_]

I only claim 98% accuracy of typing. ;-)

[daveyboy3]

It appears as if the Cp-E3 has been replaced with the CP-E4

Does anyone know if I can use it with the original 580EX?

How it mount to the camera?

Thanks. I'm ever so interested now :)

[jchinphotography]

+1 for the CP-E3, they work great with my 580EX flashes.

[dave_hoffmann]

I suggest the <a href="http://www.aljacobs.com/THE%20BLACK%20BOX.htm">Al Jacobs Blackboxes</a>

[jimstrutz]

The CP-E4 has a new power plug that is supposed to be water resistant when used with the new flashes, but it works fine on the old flashes too. They are all interchangeable.

 

The Quantum Turbo is a little faster than the Canon packs. Full power recycles in 1.0 seconds with the big Turbos, and a little longer with the compact version. The CP-E3 does this in 1.2 seconds. That's faster than the Al Jacobs Blackbox, but the Pulsar 16 AA version claims to be faster than them all. I still have a hard time believing that one though.

 

The Al Jacobs and Pulsar are low voltage units and should be faster with a 580EX II than the older 580EX, since the new flash has a more efficient DC to DC step up converter. The Turbos and the CP-E3(4) use their own converters so there is little or no improvement when changing flash models.

[dave_holland]

I have the CP-E4 and it works fine with my 550 and 580 II. There is no reason to think it wouldn't work with the older 580 I, as the main difference is in sealing.

 

Both chargers have a coiled wire like a telephone wire attaching the battery to the flash. Both come with a belt loop that allows you to tie it to your belt. When I mount it on a tripod I use ball-bungees to hold it fast, with a second wire as a safety holding it all together.

 

The CP-E4 is fast, but the biggest change for me was the transition to NiMH batteries.

[tscheung]

Thanks all