The Best Rechargeable Batteries For Photographers

I get asked for battery advice all of the time. Photographers want rechargeable batteries for their flashes if they use them a lot. But what to get? There are so many choices, so how do you know what a good deal is?

When it comes to AA rechargeable batteries, they come in a range of 800mAh to 2800mAh. The simple way to look at this is, the higher that number is, the longer the charge they hold. Or the higher the mAh, the more flashes you get from a set of batteries. Additionally, the higher up you go, the more expensive they are.

A good compromise for cost and mAh rating is something in the line of 2500mAh batteries. You can pick those up for about $3 a pair online.

Here is what I am currently using:

I use EBL 16-Pack AA Rechargeable Batteries (ProCyco 2800mAh) with AA AAA Battery Charger. It has short circuit and input voltage detection/protection, which means it is safer from an overheating standpoint and is compatible with every rechargeable battery. Also – and you should make a note of this – it can charge batteries without being in pairs. Most chargers that you would buy in a store requires that two batteries be loaded into the charger to charge them. They will not charge single batteries, or in odd number combinations. Meaning that if you loaded three, it would only charge the first two but not the third.

This charger has a smart chip that allows for an odd number or single battery charging.

It includes 16 – 2800mAh batteries for extended use situations like weddings. The total price is about $36, which is a steal considering the quality and durability. Considerable savings when you factor in that you can recharge over 1200 times per battery. That should last 4 to 5 years.

They sell several combinations of bundles of batteries that you can add to it so that you can do that if you need a higher batter count than ten. For instance, I have a total of six flashes. That is 24 total batteries. But I need a spare set charged and ready to replace those should the job requirements, which means that I need a total of 48 batteries.