Nikon SB Speedlights, What batteries to use??

[polyglot]

Eneloops are where it's at. Solves the problem of NiMH going flat between recharging and use, which is where most of the charge goes for me.

[Colden]

Search the strobist community (http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/) for NiZn if you want 2 second recharges. I am planning to switch my farm of SB-26s to NiZn soon. Standard disclaimers apply if you fry your strobes.

[jnanian]

don't speedlights take cr 123's ?
the problem i have had with nimh batteries
for flash or winders is they seem to not give off
the same energy as regular batteries.
often times video games say NOT to use these batteries
for the same reasons.

if you need cr 123's i have a ton of them, guaranteed 10year shelf life
( they are a year old ). i stopped using my speedlight soon after i
got the batteries ... murphy's law i suppose.

- john

[rthomas]

don't speedlights take cr 123's ?

Most of Nikon's speedlights take AA batteries, but there are several that use the CR123. The SB-30 and SB-R200 each take one, and the SB-50DX takes two (which is why I ditched it for an SB-600).

[jnanian]

thanks richard ...

there is a place called surefire.com that sells cr123s for almost nothing ( about $1 each ).
that is where i used to always get mine. otherwise at the usual retail outlets
they cost something like 7$ each.

it is amazing what the markup is on those things ...

john

[BetterSense]

I use batterystation.com. It's just a bit more than $1 each. I use them in flashlights, and used to go through a lot of them at my job.

[Colden]

There are several tests on Youtube showing side-by-side NiMh and NiZn recharge times.

NiZn cells are relatively new, but they have three very important advantages: they are much safer for us and for the environment, they don't blow up if punctured or "overcharged," and they provide significantly quicker recharge times in strobes. They may have downsides, too, like slightly too high for AA voltage (1.6 or higher depending on how freshly charged). Another downside is that you will need to buy a new NiZn charger, ones made for NiMh (even the "smart" ones) will not work.

They remain somewhat obscure despite a loyal following among the "strobist" group. The interesting thing is that other devices made for AA cells may not benefit from extra voltage, but portable flash units most definitely do. In all seriousness, the recharge times with four x NiZn approach 1.5 seconds on the new SB-900. Definitely look for videos on Youtube.