External Flash Battery Packs

Hi guys,

my Quantum Turbo 2x2 is getting old and does not last as long as it used to and I am in the market for a new external battery pack and was wondering what's the way to go these days.

I think I have pretty much narrowed it down to 

Quantum Turbo 3
Quantum Turbo SC
or Canon CP-E4

My question would be, do the SC and CP-E4 recycle noticeably slower than the Turbo 3? 
Any difference between CP-E4 and Turbo SC in recycle times?
The weight of the last two is a lot more appealing than the big Quantum bricks...
Will the CP-E4 last a lot shorter than the SC?

I would love to cut the weight of my Turbo 2x2 in half by using a SC or CP-E4, but only if the recycle times are not affected...

Thanks for your answers

Look at Adorama's Flashpoint Blast batteries, Lithium powered, Quantum cable compatible, $250, I have given up up on Quantum batteries and have used a Blast for the last two years without a problem.

wow thanks for that Lee! They look really interesting and only cost $149 atm...

0.5kg and recycle as fast as a Turbo 3 at half the weight.

And you can get a Twin Power Adapter to reduce recycle times by another 40%

Sounds like the stuff dreams are made of

Have you folks tried the rechargeable Sanyo Eneloop batteries?  I love them and I do not spend any money on throw aways.  To get completely outfitted with all you need it is way less money than you are now paying and you do not have those external packs.  But, I could very well be missing something.  :)

http://photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00baBI

http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-Eneloop-Pre ... B000IV2WAW

I use the higher powered purple Eneloops inside the flash, but they are only any good when fully charged and take a lot longer to recycle the flash than the external packs.

I am looking for a solution that allows me to shoot at 5-8 fps and not have too many unflashed images. (at maybe 1/4th of the power)

I'll definitely give the Flashpoint blast a go, with that two in one adapter it seems to be the fastest solution I have seen so far.

Interesting…thanks

Blck-shouldered Kite wrote:Have you folks tried the rechargeable Sanyo Eneloop batteries?  I love them and I do not spend any money on throw aways.  To get completely outfitted with all you need it is way less money than you are now paying and you do not have those external packs.  But, I could very well be missing something.  :)

http://photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00baBI

http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-Eneloop-Pre ... B000IV2WAW

Faster recycle times requires faster discharge batteries like the NiCads or higher voltage as when using the Canon and Nikon battery packs that hold 8-10 AA batteries. Big difference between 12 to 15 volts going into the capacitors of the flash and only 6 volts with 4 AA batteries in the flash.

I use Quantum battery packs and the smaller ones that I use with my Nikon speedlights have a belt clip so the weight is not important. When I have a camera and lens mounted on a tripod I use a cable tie on the tripod and then clip the Quantum battery pack to the cable tie.

The drawback to Lithium-ion batteries is their ability to go into a thermal runaway status and burst into flames or explode. That is why they are not allowed in checked luggage. It is one thing when a tiny battery in a cell phone catches fire but something else again when it is a large battery pack.

The more AA batteries that are used the more important it is to be sure that all of them are working properly and the only way to test them is with a pulse load battery tester like the ones from ZTS. One bad battery in a 8 battery pack is going to cause the other 7 to draw down much faster.

I'd suggest the Canon style battery pack, but save your money and get the Pixel version.  It's the same as Canon's but cheaper.  You can get three for the same price as one Canon unit.  I and many others have been using these for years with no problems.

http://www.amazon.com/Pixel-TD-381-batt ... B0049JO71G

Hi,

I ended up getting the Flashpoint Blast Pack and I can't believe how good it is. Seems like non flashed images in a burst are a thing of the past!
Build quality is not great, but it delievers and that's what really matters. At $169 it's the best piece of equipment I've bought in a while!
Offering that double adapter to cut recycle times by a further 40% is really a game changer for the sort of photography I do.