What is the best camera flash with rechargeable battery (not AA) for Nikon DSLR?

I am looking for a camera flash for my future Nikon DSLR mirrorless.
I have found that all Nikon flashes come with AA batteries.
Do you know what are, if any, camera flash comparable to those by Nikon but with batteries that can be rechargeable (not the AA type)?
Thank you.

You don't like AA?

How much do you want to spend? How much power?
Nikon seems to have started working with Profoto and Nissin for third party flashes.

Profot A10 isn't exactly cheap. To say the least

Godox would be much more budget friendly

The Godox V1 gets my vote. It is also sold by Adorama as the Flashpoint Zoom LI-ON R2N.

Use rechargeable AA batteries like the Powerex ones. That is what everyone else uses with camera speedlights. It is only the studio level flash like the Quantum Qflash where rechargeable battery packs are useful.

The advantage of the rechargeabel AA batteries is that you can start the day with fully charged batteries instead of putting new alkaline AA batteries in the flash each day.

The only issues are with flash that use only two AA batteries and so provide half the voltage level to the flash capacitors. Stick with flash units that take 4 AA batteries.

cybersnap wrote:

I am looking for a camera flash for my future Nikon DSLR mirrorless.
I have found that all Nikon flashes come with AA batteries.
Do you know what are, if any, camera flash comparable to those by Nikon but with batteries that can be rechargeable (not the AA type)?

Godox would be the typical recommendation since they started the whole li-ion battery pack flash craze.

Also, are you sure AAs aren't going to be sufficient? While the li-ion pack can last 2x-3x as long as a set of AAs, unless you're an all-day wedding shooter or someone who has portrait sessions booked back to back 5 days a week, you may not actually require them. And they do warrant a bit more care,more constant use (I.e., they can die if you don't use them for long periods of time), and are harder to get your hands on than AAs (which you can find at any big box store).

If you're talking speedlight (hotshoe flash), Godox makes six models of Li-ion powered speedlight. All their models named with "V" use a lithium ion battery pack; the "TT" models are AA-powered (and are less expensive and [aside from the TT350] have an external battery pack port). Which one is the best fit for you depends on how you plan to use it and your budget:

• V350-N ($160). Mini-speedlight but does TTL/HSS. Less swivel (270º) and power than the full-sized models, only 16 channels and roughly 1/3 the radio range as a transmitter. Also no recycle beep and no sync port. But very small and light and great to balance on small mirrorless bodies for on-camera use. [$85 TT350 counterpart]
• V850 II ($140). Single-pin manual speedlight, but radio transceiver built in allows for remote power/group control and HSS. Cannot be firmware updated. [$65 TT600 counterpart]
• V850 III ($160). Refreshed update to add ID codes and to make its UI more uniform with the V1. But still manual single-pin and still not firmware updateable.
• V860 II-N ($180). Full-sized TTL/HSS speedlight with traditional fresnel head. [$110 TT685-N counterpart]. The only model in this list that can also do Nikon's "smart" optical CLS/AWL communication.
• V860 III-N ($230). Full-sized TTL/HSS speedlight that's basically a V1 with a fresnel head. [TT685 II-N sorta/kinda counterpart]
• V1-N ($260). Top of the line round-headed flash with addition UI updates, including a slight backwards head tilt, TCM switch, LED lamp, and slidelock on the foot instead of a screwlock. UI overhaul and some new functions (SCAN) added.

Also, the VB26/VB26A packs that are used in the Mk III and V1 models is only 2x the capacity of a set of 4xAA; the VB18's (in the older II models) capacity is 2.8x.

Other options would include Profoto's A10 ($1000 or thereabouts pricetag), and the Jinbei HD2-Pro/Westcott FJ80.

Keep in mind, none of these flashes (aside from the Profoto) are going to be quite as good at TTL consistency/accuracy, overheat protection, AF-assist or fit'n'finish (not to mention forwards/backwards compatibility) or customer/warranty service and factory repair as an OEM Nikon speedlight. Lower pricetags gotta come from somewhere.

And, that, as per usual with any 3rd-party reverse-engineered gear, if you're contemplating getting a very new camera body mode there may be some compatibility issues that require firmware dates that may not yet exist, since Godox can only reverse-engineer against what exists at the time they created the flash.

I have some older Eneloops are they're great. Lately they've been hard to come by. I bought my set in part to get the nice four battery charger to use when I travel.

The question usually comes down to use case. Most amateurs could just buy a big box of Amazon Nihms and swap them during the day. It's not like the difference will be that great.

A quick search found these: “Amazon Basics 8-Pack AA Batteries, High-Capacity 2,400 mAh Rechargeable Battery, Pre-Charged, Recharge up to 400x, Green, High Capacity (2400 mAh)”

NickZ2016 wrote:

I have some older Eneloops are they're great. Lately they've been hard to come by. I bought my set in part to get the nice four battery charger to use when I travel.

The question usually comes down to use case. Most amateurs could just buy a big box of Amazon Nihms and swap them during the day. It's not like the difference will be that great.

I wrote in this forum to know if rechargeable AA batteries are suitable for occasional use like mine (a whole morning once in a while) or you have to buy them every time.
If so, I think I'm better off with the supplied battery from one of those camera flashes I mentioned earlier.
So the experience of users who have used the latter option is essential.

cybersnap wrote:

I am looking for a camera flash for my future Nikon DSLR mirrorless.
I have found that all Nikon flashes come with AA batteries.
Do you know what are, if any, camera flash comparable to those by Nikon but with batteries that can be rechargeable (not the AA type)?
Thank you.

You can get the Godox 685N with a PB960 power pack. That's a lithium pack and will provide about 2,000 full power flashes on a single charge.

cybersnap wrote:

NickZ2016 wrote:

I have some older Eneloops are they're great. Lately they've been hard to come by. I bought my set in part to get the nice four battery charger to use when I travel.

The question usually comes down to use case. Most amateurs could just buy a big box of Amazon Nihms and swap them during the day. It's not like the difference will be that great.

I wrote in this forum to know if rechargeable AA batteries are suitable for occasional use like mine (a whole morning once in a while) or you have to buy them every time.

The whole point of NIHMs is you recharge them. You invest in the batteries and charger. Better ones have more power and claim higher number or charge cycles. But none are use one and toss.

Macro guy wrote:

cybersnap wrote:

I am looking for a camera flash for my future Nikon DSLR mirrorless.
I have found that all Nikon flashes come with AA batteries.
Do you know what are, if any, camera flash comparable to those by Nikon but with batteries that can be rechargeable (not the AA type)?
Thank you.

You can get the Godox 685N with a PB960 power pack. That's a lithium pack and will provide about 2,000 full power flashes on a single charge.

Mi sai dire se per un uso saltuario per esempio una o due mattinate al mese funziona bene o corro il rischio che non ricarichi più e bisogna comprare un'altra batteria? Ty.

Comprati dei NIHM. Amazon rivendica 1000 cicli di ricarica.

NickZ2016 wrote:

Comprati dei NIHM. Amazon rivendica 1000 cicli di ricarica.

Il punto è l'uso saltuario, diciamo una mattinata o due ogni mese. Poi ricaricherebbero o devo comprare un nuovo set di NHM?

Ecco perchè mi chiedo se le batterie in dotazione al Godox siano migliori per il mio uso.