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1. Re: Rechargeable Batteries to use in Nikon SB-800 Flash Unit...
(Donald_Reese) Jan 12, 2008 3:27 PM (in response to Dirk Williams)My experience with nickel metal hydride rechargables is good in the sb800, but if i need real good frame numbers on a set,i go with lithiums. they cost a good bit more,but carrying 16 of them in my bag is much lighter than 16 regular batteries and have tons more life. -
2. Re: Rechargeable Batteries to use in Nikon SB-800 Flash Unit...
Fred Nirque Jan 12, 2008 5:48 PM (in response to Dirk Williams)N-Mh batteries @ 2500ma/h minimum, use the 5th battery compartment, and the SB-800 will go for ages. In an average indoor/outdoor shoot such as a wedding I've never run out of battery power and that can be in the vicinity of 600-800 shots. Recycling rate is a bit down, but unless you're into machine-gun rates of shooting it isn't too much of a problem.
Saves heaps of $$ in the long run.
Rechargeables are 1.2v due to the chemistry I guess - they don't generate as much oomph per volume as the alkaline non-rechargeables do. -
3. Re: Rechargeable Batteries to use in Nikon SB-800 Flash Unit...
Dirk Williams Jan 12, 2008 6:16 PM (in response to Dirk Williams)Thanks, Donald and Fred. Good to know...I think I'm going in that direction to use N-Mh batteries. I'm tired of buying alkaline's and throwing them away. Yeah I've been using the 5th battery compartment. That was a good option Nikon gave us :-) -
4. Re: Rechargeable Batteries to use in Nikon SB-800 Flash Unit...
greenjumpyone Jan 12, 2008 7:48 PM (in response to Dirk Williams)I use the Ray-O-Vac 15 minute rechargeable batteries in my SB600 flash. I seem to get good life on them.
Living in FL, I've tried to think in terms of hurricane preparedness and have a bunch of the ROV AA batteries. My unit came with a standard wall charger, but also a car charger. I now have only AA flashlights in the house. My little handheld TV with weather band/am/fm also uses the AAs. :) -
5. Re: Rechargeable Batteries to use in Nikon SB-800 Flash Unit...
Nick Decker Jan 13, 2008 10:49 AM (in response to Dirk Williams)I've been using NiMH rechargeables in Nikon flashes for years with no problems, other than they do discharge quite a bit on their own, over time.
I recently switched to the new hybrid NiMH rechargeables, which, if I'm remembering correctly, only lose about 5% of their charge over a year's time. The ones I got were Powerex Imedions from Thomas Distributing, but there are several other brands available. -
6. Re: Rechargeable Batteries to use in Nikon SB-800 Flash Unit...
Dirk Williams Jan 13, 2008 5:48 PM (in response to Dirk Williams)Nick,
On the new hybrid NiMH rechargeables, do you need to use a different charger for those?
Hopper,
I remember all that from when I lived in Florida :-) -
7. Re: Rechargeable Batteries to use in Nikon SB-800 Flash Unit...
Nick Decker Jan 14, 2008 5:27 AM (in response to Dirk Williams)Dirk, nope, same charger I've been using on the regular NiMH batteries. -
8. Re: Rechargeable Batteries to use in Nikon SB-800 Flash Unit...
Allen Wicks Jan 14, 2008 9:38 PM (in response to Dirk Williams)I have 5 SB-800 flash units used with a D2x. Buy NiMH and (important!) use the 5th battery compartment like Fred said for faster recycling as well as longer life before recharging. I have been using MiMH for many years and the capacity keeps improving, so get the highest capacity currently available (at least 2900 mAh). I buy online minimum 20 batteries at a time and buy 2 of the chargers that comes with the batteries at the same time; usually there are package deals. I do find that some chargers will make some batteries too hot to touch; not good, which is why I buy new chargers when I buy new batteries.
Nikon's wireless flash with multiple SB-800s can be used to really extend battery life and shorten recycle times once you learn how.
Lithiums are expensive and transport on planes has recently been seriously limited by our friends at TSA. Non-rechargeables are incredibly expensive per flash and environmentally irrational. The latest NiMH can be recharged hundreds of times and are really ideal.
The general rule of thumb I believe is that NiCad and NiMH lose ~10% of their charge per week when not being used, but as batteries age they seem to lose charge more quickly. Always top off the charge before a shoot, and it is useful to have a battery power meter so you do not use a low-charged battery mixed with a batch of fully charged ones; your whole flash rig will suddenly die unexpectedly. -
9. Re: Rechargeable Batteries to use in Nikon SB-800 Flash Unit...
(bonniej) Jan 25, 2008 3:35 PM (in response to Dirk Williams)I also use recharables in my SB800s. I have 4 of them. I use the 15 minute rechargables from Radio Shack. I can shoot an entire wrestling match (7am - 6pm) laying the SB800 around the mats (shooting at 1/2 power) and only need to swap out batteries once (normally around the mid afternoon break).

