Rechargeable Flash Batteries

[Blessings Captured]

I need another set of rechargeable AA Batteries for my speed light, and wondered if anyone had recommendations.
So far, I’ve been using the Rayovac ones from Walmart.
Have any of you had any experience using a more high-end brand? (I’ve seen eneloop recommended a couple places).

Is the higher price worth it for improved battery life and recycle time. Or have you not noticed much of a difference? (I can tell a difference between my Rayovac and non-rechargeable ones.)

Thanks!
Hannah

[David Frazer]

Is anyone able to see the answer I posted? It seems to have disappeared.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by David Frazer.

[David Frazer]

OK, try again…

There are basically four factors to consider.
– mAh (milliampere hours): how much you can use the battery before having to recharge it
– battery lifespan (or charge cycles): how many times you can use and recharge the battery before having to buy a new one
– price
– manufacturer reliability

Battery manufacturers will list the typical mAh rating, although some are a little more than the rating and some are less than the rating. The battery lifespan is more difficult to determine before buying. Batteries loose capacity with each recharge, and different manufacturers may have different standards as to how much a battery has to recharge to still be considered fully useable. Is the battery still good when it only has 95% of its original capacity? 90%? 50%? If you are interested in a rather technical article on the subject, you can start here.

I have personally been quite happy with my inexpensive Watson 2500mAh rechargeables, but I am not a heavy flash user. The 2300mAh Watsons that I bought in 2017 are still running; the Energiser 2300mAh batteries I bought at the same time were getting old by 2021. I suspect others would be better able to answer you on that one. They have since come out with another battery, Watson CX, which are only 2000mAh, but are rated for 2100 recharges instead of 500. Eneloop by Panasonic seems to have a similar two-tier system, with 2000mAh 2100 charges and 2550mAh 500 charges.

Manufacturer reliability is the most difficult factor, but eneloops are generally the best reviewed by photographers. Here is a quick comparisson of reviews on B&H:

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by David Frazer. Reason: adding details

[Blessings Captured]

Thank you @dfrazer for all the information! The mAh and battery lifespan make since now. I didn’t know what all numbers meant. 🙂

Thank you for sharing your experience and research!

btw I was able to see your first reply on my email.

[James Staddon]

This is really good, @dfrazer! Thank you!

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