"X" Flash Recycle Accelerator
Cut Flash Recycle Times in Half
No photography gear I know of chews through AA batteries more quickly than external flashes. These little technological marvels are awesome, but their onboard power and recycle times can quickly become frustrating. Until now, auxiliary power solutions have been bulky, expensive battery packs that can be burdensome to carry or securely attach.
Lumedyne recently released the "X" Flash Recycle Accelerator for Canon, Nikon, and many other brands of external flashes, and it addresses these shortcomings beautifully. These ingenious lithium battery packs are the smallest and lightest weight rechargeable high-voltage battery packs available. Due to their small size and weight, they're able to be connected directly to the flash's high-voltage jack and require no cables, Velcro, or shoulder straps to attach or carry them.
When it comes to performance, the "X" delivers recycle speeds almost twice as fast as those possible without it. On my test flash with fresh AAs installed and the X pack attached, recycle times were 4 seconds instead of 7, and that's at full power. This is impressive but the X really shines as your flash's AAs start to lose power. This is when the X takes over the majority of the heavy lifting and again provides dramatically improved recycle times. For example, after 100 full-power flashes with a Nikon SB-800 using only AAs, recycle was a sluggish 30 seconds. With the X attached and the same number of full-power flashes, recycle time was a snappy 7 seconds.
Lumedyne's "X" Flash Recycle Accelerator recharges in 3 hours, is made in the U.S.A., and carries a full 2-year warranty. A generous replacement program is available once the two-year lifespan of the lithium battery is reached.
Company:Â Lumedyne, Inc.
Price: $325
Web: www.lumedyne-x.com
Rating:Â 4.5
Hot:Â Smallest and lightest pack available; increases recycle speed
Not: Price may be a barrier for some