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Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
from Albuquerque New Mexico on 7/12/2007
First I would like to start of by saying
Don?t you hate it when the flash misfires?
Do to drained batteries, rite when you need it most.
That dreaded hateful moment with no power
And you realize you?re like a football field away
From you?re fresh batteries. Yea I did too till I
Purchased this power pack, the dreaded missed shoots are thing
Of the past. I capture Frames just as fast as I hit the shutter release
That quick. I always bring fresh batteries to the shot but when you
Have no time for the flash to recycle this power pack does the trick.
But it does have one or two drawbacks; it could have been made out
Of some light weight metal instead of plastic and the power cord
Could be like another foot longer but if that doesn?t bother you much.
Than this power pack is for you. So put some punch back in your flash
And buy this if you are like me and afraid of the dark stop being afraid
Of the dark and put some light on the situation. You won?t be sorry.!
Cheers and good luck happy shooting
Jason-Albuquerque New Mexico
from Waco, TX. on 7/12/2007
A must have for any photographer!!!
from Houston, tx on 7/10/2007
I've only used it once, but was able to shoot over 9 gigs of RAW files using a canon 5D at dusk/evening time . . . aka mostly full power,
One set of recharegeable lithium batteries in the unit and one set in the canon 580exII strobe.
I was impressed!
from Norfolk, VA on 7/10/2007
I have shot two weddings with this battery pack and I love it. The quicker recycling time ensures I get more dance shots fully lit and the ability to hold 8 batteries means I have no worries all day and all night. The quick recycling time is also helpful for getting lit candid moments during location portraits.
from Houston, TX on 7/10/2007
The CP-E3 has been fantastic. Whether shooting in studio or on location, the battery pack charges my Canon Speedlight 580exII very quickly allowing me to get the shots I need.
I used to carry around 4 AA battery sets (4 AA's = 1 set) and was always swapping batteries in the middle of a show, or at the worst possible moment during a wedding. Also just before needing to swap out a set of batteries, the recycle time got so slow that I would end up getting underexposed shots because the flash had not completed the recycle.
Now I pop in 8 AA's into the pack, 4 more in my 580EX flash, attach the pack to my waist thru the supplied belt loop, and plug the cable into the flash. I then just snap away without any cares for the whole event 1000's of photos. The recycle time is nice and quick too so I don't miss those important shots anymore. Fashion shows, bikini contests, weddings, easter egg hunts, dancers, etc.. it does not matter anymore because I can snap away and not miss shots.
At first the extra cord did seem a bit cumbersome but with a bit of use and a minor adjustment I did not get in the way of my shooting.
I did also look into the price of other external battery packs, and read up on their reviews. At $400+ the other packs made no sense. I was already carrying 4 sets of rechageable AA's with me and I do not need to power my camera with it.
Even though it is a little bit pricey in my opinion, I still very highly recommended it.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Sunrise, Fl on 5/8/2007
Its basically an overpriced piece of plastic, but hey it works.
It hold 8 batteries.You can either make the flash run off the battery pack alone, or run off the flash and the battery pack at the same time.
When pulling power from both, the recycle time is a little faster. You have to have batteries in the flash, even if you use the battery pack. The flash needs batteries (four of them) for the menu system.
from South Florida on 3/26/2007
It has enabled me to capture photos I would have missed in the past
from Birminghamj, Alabama on 2/15/2007
Used primarily when shooting beauty pageants. I needed reliable and consitent flashes during show when contenstant are paraded in fron of audience. When combined with my Canon 550EX I didn't have to wait on flash recharging during multishot segments.
from Virginia on 2/13/2007
Excellent product! I use it with rechargeable AA's and it gives me lightning fast recycle time and the power I need every time. Great option to much more expensive battery packs. It's lightweight and comes with a great case that will hook to belt or jacket pocket. It will also screw into bottom of camera but I find it a little cumbersome in that position.
from Columbus Oh on 2/12/2007
Great to have battery juice when you need it and not having to wait for the internal batteries to charge the flash. great product
from Alhambra, Ca on 2/7/2007
It serves the purpose. Improves recycling time. I wish it's less expensive.
from Portland, Oregon on 2/5/2007
After missing critical wedding shots due to long flash recharge times, I started looking at external battery packs. All the "good ones" cost about $400. I'm not a full time pro so that was hard to justify, especially after finding this pack. Its the lightest weight option available. It doesn't easily attach to a flash bracket so I used the belt buckle, in this case the cable length limited movement of the camera, it would be perfect if the cable was about 1 foot longer.
You can vary the speed just by using different batteries. For the fastest recharge use Energizer Lithium batteries, they start at the highest voltage of any AA battery and nothing else comes close. Rechargables are cheaper in the long run but are always at a lower voltage, hence slower recharge, compared to almost any disposable battery.
from San Jose, Ca on 2/5/2007
I use the CP-E3 with a Canon 550 flash to get much faster recycle times between flashes. During a session, I don't have to worry about the batteries running low. Get a good set of rechargeable batteries and you're set. Slim and light weight compared to other options.