580exII, nimh batteries and better beamer Qs

i just got a couple of energizer rechargeable batteries (image below) that came with a smart charger. has anyone got any opinion on using these batteries with their 580exII? Do they cycle fast and how many shots do you squeeze out of them? Also, is the Better Beamer good to have?

i still believe not to unnecessarily use flash (absolutely not for nursing birds) but there are many times especially for filling backlit shots or under a tree canopy when weather and lighting conditions are poor.

thanks.

I use the powerex 2700mah NimH batteries with my 580exII and BB and they work great. I typically get 500-800 shots depending on the power the flash is set to.

Check the mah rating of your batteries...you want at least 2000mah rating.

I always get the Eneloop batteries (Amazon) or what they sell as "pre charged" NiMH as they hold their charge for months. The old style batteries which they still sell everywhere lose their charge rather quickly.

Eneloops are (or were) made in Japan.

I have used the Energizer batteries in my 580EX II with good results. They cycle fast and last a good while. If cycling speed is important get a Canon CP-E4 external battery pack for the flash, you will love it.

Doug

Remember that flash illumination falls off at the square of the distance, so if you plan to try to use flash with any lens much longer than 200 or 300mm I'd highly recommend the Better Beamer. Every bird and wildlife photographer I know owns one.

new_newbie said:

i just got a couple of energizer rechargeable batteries (image below) that came with a smart charger. has anyone got any opinion on using these batteries with their 580exII? Do they cycle fast and how many shots do you squeeze out of them? Also, is the Better Beamer good to have?

i still believe not to unnecessarily use flash (absolutely not for nursing birds) but there are many times especially for filling backlit shots or under a tree canopy when weather and lighting conditions are poor.

thanks.

Click to expand...

The batteries will be excellent in your flash. The issue with most of the cheap chargers is that they do not fully charge your batteries in a reasonable time, so you get a 80% charge after 3 or 4 hours.

A better beamer works wonders for illuminating birds and softening shadows.

Here is one without the flash:



With the Better Beamer and 580 EXII

there is any exposure adjustment needed? will the flash meter at its max 105mm lighting spread (automatic motorized zoom) and ignore the focussed lighting the BB will render (more light at a narrower angle) thus requiring some sort of adjustment or is this not an issue given the extra distance that the flash did not factor into?

thanks

new_newbie said:

there is any exposure adjustment needed? will the flash meter at its max 105mm lighting spread (automatic motorized zoom) and ignore the focussed lighting the BB will render (more light at a narrower angle) thus requiring some sort of adjustment or is this not an issue given the extra distance that the flash did not factor into?

Click to expand...

When using your Better Beamer set you flash on manual zoom and select 50mm and make sure to put the flash in highspeed sync mode.

Dial in -1 to -1.5 stops of flash compensation making sure you are in Av or Tv mode. Take a few shots and adjust your compensation if need be.

I'd also suggest a flash bracket to get the BB away from the lens axis to avoid having the flash reflect back in the subjects eye.

on hybrids. Others lose 10-15% of initial charge in one week. Hybrids 15% in a year.
Don't have to worry that batteries are not charged before the shoot.

There is more, if not sure about regular Nimhs charge you have to top them up and that counts as charge cycle.
--
Eugene

The only time a smaller sensor with the same pixel count is superior to a larger sensor (aka higher pixel density) is when you are focal-length limited.

Quote by Lee Jay

samWebster123 said:

I'd also suggest a flash bracket to get the BB away from the lens axis to avoid having the flash reflect back in the subjects eye.

Click to expand...

The red-eye problem is even hard to solve. Because BB's are used along with telephotos, meaning the subject is usually farther away, a bracket needs to be very tall to make much difference. Fortunately, red-eye only happens when the ambient light is low.

If you do use BB in daylight, be careful on how the sun is hitting it. It can collect light in the reverse direction as well, and you will find that the sun light is powerful enough to melt flash head and camera gear.

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samWebster123 said:

When using your Better Beamer set you flash on manual zoom and select 50mm and make sure to put the flash in highspeed sync mode.

Dial in -1 to -1.5 stops of flash compensation making sure you are in Av or Tv mode. Take a few shots and adjust your compensation if need be.

I'd also suggest a flash bracket to get the BB away from the lens axis to avoid having the flash reflect back in the subjects eye.

Click to expand...

I use essentially the same settings as Sam listed, I think his recommendations are spot on. I also use a flash bracket.

Ray made a very good point - the Fresnel lens in the flash extender works in both directions - point it to the sun and you'll end up with burn spots on your flash. Although in SG we don't have that many sunny days

I use an external battery pack for faster flash recycling. The Canon unit (8 cells) works well, but it's rather expensive. Locally, Eastgear had a special on a 6-cell unit a few months ago for about SGD 29.

It looks to be as good as the Canon, the battery compartment & access is actually better. Although it's 6 cells compared to 8 for the Canon, the recycle time seems to be pretty good for casual shooting.

The flash still uses the normal 4 batteries to power its electronics & control, the external battery pack is used to charge the flash circuit. High-speed sync uses a lot of flash power as the flash fires many pulses, instead of one short pulse.

I suggest that you see what your experiences are and if you need more power. Don't weigh yourself with excess gear, see what you need.

FWIW, I use a flash maybe 50% of the time for birding - nice to eliminate shadows, etc. At the distances the birds are frequently at, it rarely adds more than a little flash. Just enough, and It also doesn't scare the birds.

Eastgear is also a good source for batteries (I suggest low self discharge like Eneloop or Imedion), and the smart chargers from MAHA.

http://www.eastgear.com/

Good shooting.

Cheers,
Doug
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http://www.pbase.com/dougj/birds_birds_birds
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very useful information! i am also reading some useful stuff at Arthur Morris's site birdsart.com. errr..if i may ask again..i am used to spot metering and compensating to show details against backlit situations, thus blowing out the skies always. should i now use evaluative instead for ambient metering on one hand and flash fill to lift the shadows/underwings on the other?

I have exactly the same batteries as you. I bought 4x sets, mounted the chargers in a plastic toolbox with front cover top half sawed off to provide airflow from 3x computer fans mounted in rear of box surrounding the chargers.The reason was I read from UNIROSS years ago you must cool the batteries to get a higher charge in it.

I also use the Better Beamer FLASH FX6 on 580EX with 1DMKIV & 1.4/400mm 5.6 lens.

At night I use the 400mm only to let more light in from flash at F5.6/7.1 rather that F8/F11 with 1.4 extender.

I also just started experementing with night photograpy using a bright 900+ lumins flashlight mounted beneath the lens on its tripod color. This flashlight purpose is to make the camera focus in pitch darkness and then the flash provides the exposure light. Heavy but great fun at night.



--
Canon Knowledge Bank:A sure read !
http://www.cps.canon-europe.com/kb/index.jsp
The Canon 1DMK IIIn Japan site
http://web.canon.jp/Imaging/eos1dm3/html/sitemap.html
http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/index.do
Strive for perfection ? Look here..!!
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thanks motto, in that case i will direct a fan while its charging the set of 4s. cooling cannot be bad but i just wonder that since its a smart charger, it should load the necessary charge, perhaps slower because of heat resistance. ?

thanks Sam! much appreciated!

to BB was installing Velcro on inside each bracket and on the flash. Mine BB came originally with wide rubber band so it was difficult to install. Now no need for rubber band or Velcro strap. Also, I use 50-105mm setting on the flash not just 50mm recommended and H mode. 105mm I use for small birds like hummers.

I even used BB at convention with 400mm lens in the dark auditorium to get more light on the person. It might not be the best picture but at least I got the shot.





--
Eugene

The only time a smaller sensor with the same pixel count is superior to a larger sensor (aka higher pixel density) is when you are focal-length limited.

Quote by Lee Jay

Dougs_Photo said:

I have used the Energizer batteries in my 580EX II with good results. They cycle fast and last a good while. If cycling speed is important get a Canon CP-E4 external battery pack for the flash, you will love it.

Doug

Click to expand...

If you don't use the cp-e4 you are wasteing you time.

Shot at 6:49pm EST on 4/18/11 in a forest in NYC with a 580exII, cp-e3, better beamer.



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Moto Guzzi said:

I also just started experementing with night photograpy using a bright 900+ lumins flashlight

Click to expand...

Hello Moto,

Could you tell me who makes that flashlight? And where you got it?

How's it work (as a flashlight)? Cost?

Many thanks,

R2

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*
Good judgment comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgment.

http://www.pbase.com/jekyll_and_hyde/galleries

This was what I could get:led-lenser-x21=Output 1068 Lumens
http://www.torchdirect.co.uk/500-lumen-torches/led-lenser-x21.html

This is what I want:SR90 Intimidator=2200 Lumens
http://www.olightworld.com/product_show.asp?id=174

Uniross:
http://www.uniross.com/eu/popup_image.php?pID=140&image=1

Something to look for:You want a button to activate the light momentararly for a quick release after photo.The various modes will confuse you in action and waste your time.The X21 has this.I modified the button with a washer on top of it, taped, to prevent the button from going in fully and access a mode/full on.With a blib its always on full power, I like this in this X21.Although it takes 4x D-cells, Uniross made D-Bracket cell to take an AA battery. This lamp functions well then with 4x AA-Batteries recharged.I guarantee you its different and fun.

--
Canon Knowledge Bank:A sure read !
http://www.cps.canon-europe.com/kb/index.jsp
The Canon 1DMK IIIn Japan site
http://web.canon.jp/Imaging/eos1dm3/html/sitemap.html
http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/index.do
Strive for perfection ? Look here..!!
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/bugatti.htm