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Quantum Turbo batteries: Supercharge Your Flash

by Ralph Paonessa
Published November 9, 2003
Updated May 24, 2006

NOTE: An updated version of this article has been published as Quantum Turbo Batteries: More Ways to Supercharge Your Flash.

Every photographer who uses a hotshoe flash eventually longs for one thing—power. We want a power supply that keeps that flash firing, and firing fast. Recycle times are relatively slow with fresh alkaline batteries, and get steadily worse with every shot.

Alkaline batteries are readily available, but from the first shot your recycle time goes slowly and inexorably downhill. And if you shoot a lot of full power flashes, alkalines run out pretty quickly—and many end up in landfills.

Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) cells are a significant improvement—the recycle times are better, and remain constant (until the batteries suddenly run out and have to be recharged). But their capacity is limited, and if you're using a lot of flash power you can still wait several seconds between shots—which can be an eternity when shooting fast-breaking action.

For the ultimate in capacity and recycle time, get a high-voltage flash battery. I like Quantum's line of Turbo batteries (www.qtm.com). The venerable Quantum Turbo Battery has long been a staple of the pro shooter's arsenal. But Quantum has two newer models in the lineup: the Turbo 2x2 and the Turbo Compact. How do they compare, and which one(s) might be right for you?

Stop that whining!

First, let's digress a bit and talk about how your hotshoe flash actually works. When a flash recycles, the power source, whether AA cells or an external battery, must charge a capacitor—an electrical "holding tank"—by filling it with electrons. When you fire the flash, those electrons are released suddenly into a flash tube filled with xenon gas, which emits a brief but bright flash of light. For this to work, the capacitor must be charged at a fairly high voltage—about 300 volts or more in your typical hotshoe flash. If your power source consists of four 1.5 volt"AA" batteries, you're starting with 6 volts.

How do you get from 6 volts to 300? You whine. Well, you don't actually whine. But that high-pitched whine you hear as your flash recycles comes from an oscillator circuit that dutifully boosts the power to 300 volts. But that takes time. And if you've discharged the flash completely (shooting at a distant subject, for instance), you can wait a painfully long time for that Ready Light to come back on. Your flash won't be the only one whining.

The high voltage advantage

The solution? Start with a high-voltage power source, and feed it directly into the flash. No oscillator, no long recycle times, no whining. That's where the Turbos come in. Their 300+ volt output flows quickly and directly into your flash, giving you super-fast recycle times even with full power flash output.

Not all flashes are designed to accept this high voltage source, but most higher-end hotshoe flashes can. You can check with Quantum (www.qtm.com) to be sure your flash has a high-voltage socket and that Quantum sells a compatible cable. (Compatible flashes have a high-voltage socket, often hidden behind a removable cover; refer to your manual.)

If your flash has no provision for high voltage input, you can still select from a range of 6 volt external battery packs offered by Quantum and others. These will provide many more flashes on a single charge than AA cells—but you won't get the fast recycle times that high voltage packs provide.

It's worth noting that these batteries put out so much power that you can actually damage your flash if you're not careful. But that will only happen if you fire your flash at full output twenty or more times in rapid succession, without letting it cool. Don't get carried away in the heat of the moment.

Assuming your flash—and you—can handle this power, what are the pros and cons of the three models in Quantum's Turbo lineup?

Table 1. Specifications

Model	Street Price	Weight oz.	Volume cu. in.	Battery Type
Turbo	$389	39	46	Lead-acid
Turbo 2x2	$500	32	46	NiMH
Turbo Compact	$391	16	27	NiMH

Street prices as of May 7, 2006 (B&H Photo)

Common features

The batteries in the Turbo line will all give you many more flashes and much faster recycle times than AA cells (see Table 2). All the Turbos feature a power monitor "fuel gauge" to let you know how much charge remains, and all require an accessory cable designed for your flash. All come with AC chargers.

Note that all these external high voltage sources still require you to put 4 AA cells in the flash. These are needed to power the electronics, zoom, TTL circuitry, and wireless capability. But the batteries will last much longer, and won't be drained recycling the flash. I typically use four NiMH cells, which I recharge every night.

Table 2. Performance comparisona

Model	Sockets	Recycle (sec.)	Capacity (Flashes)	Charging (hr.)
Turbo	1	1	450	4
Turbo 2x2	2b	1	900	3/1.5
Turbo Compact	2c	1.4	400	1.5
AA alkaline	-	10	75	-
aPerformance for typical hotshoe flash at full flash power. Data provided by Quantum Instruments. bCan power 2 flashes, 1 flash and 1 digicam, or 2 digicams. cCan power 1 flash and 1digicam.

Quantum Turbo Battery: a venerable workhorse

The Turbo Battery has long been the battery of choice for many a photojournalist or nature shooter who needs the ultimate in recycle time and capacity. The Turbo is powered by sealed lead-acid cells. These have proved quite reliable (they eventually wear out and can be replaced by Quantum factory service). They also are memory-free, meaning you can recharge them at any time, even if you've only run them down a little, with no loss in capacity. Other rechargeables, most notably NiCd batteries, suffer from memory—if you recharge them before they've fully run down, the next time they won't hold as much charge.

The lead-acid Turbo Battery, however, has no such limitation. (In fact, to enhance the life of your Turbo, Quantum advises that you top it off after every use and store it fully charged. Also, after three months of no use, you should take it out, fire off a few flashes, and fully charge it.) Note that this battery uses completely sealed lead-acid gel cells, so you don't have to worry about leakage.

The Turbo can be slipped into a large photo vest pocket, and also has two D-rings to attach a shoulder strap; it also has a clip for hooking onto your belt or pants. But at 39 oz. this is the heaviest of the Turbo line. Avoid embarrassment and make sure your pants are on securely before you clip this on.

I frequently use my Turbos in conjunction with a long telephoto lens on a tripod and a fresnel Better Beamer Flash Extender. In this case I highly recommend the Quantum Mounting Clamp QBC ($37). This C-clamp screws onto the leg of your tripod and has a slot for clipping on the battery. (Carbon fiber tripod users should screw this clamp onto the metal piece above the carbon fiber section; otherwise it's possible to crack the carbon fiber if you over-tighten the clamp.)

With a Better Beamer Flash Extender and a tripod-mounted Turbo, I've saved many a wildlife shot on an overcast day, by adding some color and that all important catchlight in the eyes. Fill flash can also reduce harsh shadows. With the power and speed of the Turbo and the added reach of the Flash Extender, my fill flash will reach a hundred feet or more, and I still get fast recycling. When I'm shooting people or other subjects in closer, either hand held or on a tripod, I like the high capacity and ultra-fast recycle times.

The main disadvantage of the Turbo may be its weight. To counteract this, Quantum's newer models get the lead out.

Turbo 2x2: new technology for ultimate performance

Quantum's top-of-the-line high-voltage battery is the Turbo 2x2, built around proven NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) technology. NiMH cells are memory-free, but at a fraction of the weight of lead-acid batteries. But Quantum didn't stop there. The Turbo 2x2 can power two devices—a digital camera and a flash, or two flashes. It's equipped with two identical sockets. Plug in a Quantum flash cable, and it supplies high voltage output for a flash. Use a special Quantum digital camera cable, and it will automatically supply the correct low voltage for your camera. You can also power two flashes (or two digital cameras, if you somehow have an application for this). Check with Quantum to see which digital cameras are supported.

The Turbo 2x2 improves on the original Turbo in several ways. It maintains the super-fast recycling, but doubles the capacity of the Turbo, while weighing 18% less (32 versus 39 oz.). If you power only one device, all the capacity will be dedicated to it, otherwise the capacity is split between two devices. I've replaced my lead-acid Turbos with the Turbo 2x2.

It takes three hours to recharge the Turbo 2x2, versus four for the original Turbo. Plus, you can buy a second charger for the 2x2, plug it into the second socket and use it with the first charger to cut your charge time to 1.5 hours.

The new charger for the Quantum 2x2 (don't use your old Turbo charger) is dual voltage capable, so you can use it worldwide (with appropriate plug adapters). That's another improvement over the Turbo, which requires the purchase of a separate 220 V charger. (Quantum explicitly recommends against the use of voltage converters.)

The battery life of digital SLRs has improved to the point that I don't think there's much need to power your camera from this external Quantum battery. But because of it's lighter weight, greater capacity, fast recharging, and dual voltage capability, the Turbo 2x2 is now my battery of choice for heavy flash usage. And the extra socket is still handy when you're powering multiple flash setups.

The Turbo 2x2 is a hefty $500, while the Turbo has a street price of $389 (May 7, 2006). Note that if you need to power two flashes with the original Turbo Battery, you must buy Quantum's Dual Connector QT48 for $76, while the Turbo 2x2 comes with two sockets. Despite the increased cost, I replaced my Turbos with the Turbo 2x2, for the double capacity, lighter weight, faster charging, and dual socket flexibility. If you're willing to fork over the cash, it may be the ultimate power source.

The Turbo 2x2, like the lead-acid Turbo, has provision for a shoulder strap or can be clipped onto your belt or the QBC mounting clamp.

Turbo Compact: flash and digicam power in a compact package

Quantum based the newer dual-socket Turbo Compact on NiMH technology. The Turbo Compact is the lightest in the line (16 oz.) but has the same capacity as the lead-acid Turbo Battery. The recycle time is about 20% longer.

The Turbo Compact, like the Turbo 2x2, has two sockets, but there's an important difference: Only one socket on the Compact puts out high voltage flash output. The other is a dedicated low voltage socket for digital cameras, and to this end Quantum has released a new series of cables. Quantum has designed the Turbo Compact to screw into the tripod socket on the camera bottom, and to this end has provided new 1.5 foot cables (you can still use the older, longer flash cables).

There is a female 1/4-20 tripod socket so the Turbo Compact and camera can be mounted on a tripod. However, you can purchase the accessory Quantum Multi Clip QMC, which screws into the tripod socket on the Turbo Compact and provides a clip for mounting. So if you're looking for a battery with the same capacity and nearly the recycle speed of the original Turbo, but at just over 40% of the weight, the Turbo Compact should fill the bill at $380.

Recommendations

High voltage power sources will give you plenty of flashes and the fastest recycle times. The Quantum Turbo has long been a valuable tool in the pro and serious shooter's arsenal, but now Quantum has two models that are better.

• The Turbo 2x2 doubles the capacity with the same fast recycle times, at less weight and with dual flash or flash-digital camera capability. It tops my list for heavy-duty flash shooting.

• If you're really looking to save weight with just a small sacrifice in recycle speed, the Turbo Compact may be for you. It can optionally power your compatible digital camera along with your flash.
  

• If you don't mind the weight, the Quantum Turbo Battery has stood the test of time and is still a great performer. And it will cost you less than the Turbo 2x2.
  

Postscript: NiMH discharge

One shortcoming of all NiMH batteries, including the new Turbos, is that they slowly lose their charge while sitting on the shelf (or in your camera bag). This takes place over days and weeks. But you can top off the charge at any time. If your NiMH Turbos—or any NiMH batteries— have been sitting unused, you should charge them a day or two before you need them. You can do this without harming the batteries.