anyone using the sb-900 external battery?

[kamari]

Anyone here use this? I'm debating the purchase but at $200 I'm not sure if I want to pull the trigger. I am, however, getting annoyed at having to deal with lagging recycle times as batteries drain and then the switching out of those batteries while I'm out at an event...and having 4 events to shoot this weekend makes me look forward to this even less.

[Rson]

Hmm, ever thought about energizer NiMh rechargables? It comes with a car and home charger and they charge in 15 minutes.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817173028

I should note that Energizer has differently rated batteries with different packs....anywhere from 2000MaH to 2450MaH. You want the 2450 Mah

[KenJulio]

Also, there are other external battery packs for the sb900, cheetahstand.com carries pixel's and quantum to name a couple.

[billbunton]

Do you mean the external battery pack? I used a couple with NiMh rechargables. Worked great. I kept an extra battery carrier handy (and loaded), when the batteries wore down enough it was just a couple seconds to swap out.

[picman]

I've got a SD-8A that I use occasionally with an SB900. Yes it works and is fully compatible and about $50 cheaper. You can weigh the merits of the SD-8A vs the SD-9 with a Google search. I already had it before getting the SB900.

A quick unscientific test with freshly recharged Eneoop batteries.
Time to recycle after full manual flash pop.

Flash only - averaged 2.8 seconds

Flash with SD-8A - averaged 1.8 second.

Cannot address how many shots you would get from a set of batteries.
I can tell you after about 20 full power pops you get an over heat warning.

I use it, but am not fond of the cable. Also keep in mind with the SD-8A when it does come time to change batteries there are 6 in the pack and the 4 in the flash, it takes a bit of time to do that.

[Phototx]

Originally Posted by kamari

Anyone here use this? I'm debating the purchase but at $200 I'm not sure if I want to pull the trigger. I am, however, getting annoyed at having to deal with lagging recycle times as batteries drain and then the switching out of those batteries while I'm out at an event...and having 4 events to shoot this weekend makes me look forward to this even less.

I have been using the Nikon High Voltage battery pack with an SB-800 for the last 6 months and could'nt be happier with the results. The pack holds 6 aa batteries and I put the 5th cell adaptor on the SB-800 for a total of 11 aa batteries. The unit is so light that I attach it to my stroboframe.

From what I understand the HV pack feeds directly into the capacitor @ 300+ volts. I do know that doing a lot of high speed sync outdoors at nearly full power every shot the recycle times are just over 1 second and I have shot close to 800 images in a day on the same batteries without the recycle times increasing.

Glen
www.phototx.net

[pbyd]

We use the Nikon SD-9 for our SB-900’s and the SD-8 for our SB-800’s. For years we carried the Quantum Turbo batteries, and they were great but these are so much lighter.. The SD-9 holds 8 alkaline AA batteries and the SD-8 holds 6, the SB-900 and SB-800’s both last the complete wedding with each of us shooting from 300 to 800 exposures each. We have never had to replace batteries during the complete wedding and reception if we start with fresh ones. The price is very well worth it. I have a friend that purchased a Chinese copy off Ebay but I have not had the chance to check them out.

Wayne
Photography by Design

[RickD]

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but did you have any of the over heat issues with the SB900 with SD-9?

[pbyd]

Originally Posted by RickD

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but did you have any of the over heat issues with the SB900 with SD-9?

no issues at all.

[kamari]

Originally Posted by Rson

Hmm, ever thought about energizer NiMh rechargables? It comes with a car and home charger and they charge in 15 minutes.

Newegg.com - Energizer CH15MNCP-4 4-pack 2200mAh AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries & Charger Kit

I should note that Energizer has differently rated batteries with different packs....anywhere from 2000MaH to 2450MaH. You want the 2450 Mah

I have 2 sets of Energizer NiMh that I rotate along with carrying an emergency pack of energizers. When one set goes, I'll try to charge them somewhere out of site but it's just becoming a hassle (and a bit of an embarrassment) to have to go through this at an event.

Originally Posted by RickD

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but did you have any of the over heat issues with the SB900 with SD-9?

yes, I've had this happen to me twice over a 3-month period. I had to learn to slow my shooting down and save bursts for those times that I really need it. A lot of folks say to just turn the feature off but I'm thinking its there for a good reason and I don't wanna literally burn through $500+. It does suck though trying to explain to a client that "I can't take any photos right this second" or having to remove the flash and use the pop-up.

[PhotoByLeal]

Originally Posted by pbyd

no issues at all.

I also have one that I use on my D7oo and works great!
I used it outside in the middle of the day from 11am to 3pm and did not have a single problem. The best thing I have bought for that flash!

[RickD]

Originally Posted by pbyd

no issues at all.

I found the combination of batteries and diffuser contributed to the overheat issues, so I bought a SB800 as a backup. I might try purchasing the SD-9 to see if this goes away. Plus I need to speed up the recycle times.

Originally Posted by kamari

yes, I've had this happen to me twice over a 3-month period. I had to learn to slow my shooting down and save bursts for those times that I really need it. A lot of folks say to just turn the feature off but I'm thinking its there for a good reason and I don't wanna literally burn through $500+. It does suck though trying to explain to a client that "I can't take any photos right this second" or having to remove the flash and use the pop-up.

I sometimes get trigger happy when I don't want to miss a particular moment.

[hhscr]

I am using this and it works fine.
FlashZebra.com: 8 AA Cell Battery Pack for Nikon SB-900 (Item #0157)

[laticiaragle]

Originally Posted by RickD

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but did you have any of the over heat issues with the SB900 with SD-9?

I have problems with mine...would love to hear what others have to say about it!