Flash batteries
 

Does any reader have experience of using Lithium Ion AA batteries in their flash guns (mines' a Canon 580). Is this type of battery suitable for this application

Pretty sure you don't mean Lithium-ion batteries as the voltage is 3.7v and don't think they do a AA configuration. However there is a Lithium battery (non-rechargeable) which is 1.5v and AA sized. Their strength lies in high power (better than alkaline and NiMH), high discharge current (so fast flash recharge), lightweight (half the weight of NiMH), excellent low temperature performance (down to -20C) and very good shelf life (10+ years). The catch? They're not cheap! Personally, I use them as emergency backups and rechargeable NiMH for day-to-day use

Thanks for your response. I'll go with your advise

Do a Google search for Syl Arena's website, he did a comprehensive test of batteries in flashguns in his book "The Speedliter's Handbook (excellent book by the way for Strobist fans), it's in the book but may be on one of his sites Pixsylated, speedliting.com or sylarena.com

i use hybrid rechargeable batteries the main reason for using this type of battery is because i don't use flash that often and hybrids hold there charge for up to a year without use so on the occasions i use flash the batteries should be charged

ni cad nimh batteries have a natural discharge rate regardless of usage in other words if you leave them for a month the chances are they will be flat hybrid batteries can hold 80% of there charge over a 12 month period and can be charged 100s of times

i think lithium batteries are still too expensive for a one time use battery

Sanyo [URL="http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/default.php?cat=3&type=3060&man=232&filterwords=&go.x=15&go.y=11&comp="]Eneloop [/URL]batteries

ditto sanyo eneloop