HomeGadgetsCanon CP-E4 Compact Battery Pack |
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29 of 29 found the following review helpful:
 expensive and i'm not sure how to tell when batteries are low Feb 20, 2010
By Path
"Path"
I have BOTH the Canon CP-E4 and some 8 battery power supply from a knockoff company named Yangshuo. I am writing because I have something very simple to say that can help lots of people...
THEY ARE IDENTICAL. So much so that I think the knockoff one must be the OEM for Canon. I mean the dimensions, the curve, the texture, the hole, the cord, the sleeve, the plastic hardness, etc. it's IDENTICAL (except for the label).
Do yourself a favor and save. This is not like some high-tech device, it just holds batteries. Pay $160 or pay $40. Even $40 is high for a rectangular piece of plastic.
Question to my fellow shooters... I don't know how to tell when the batteries are low (other than vague lag time). The problem is I have rechargeables in this thing to prevent drainage of my lithium batteries in the flash, but I end up killing the lithium because I was unaware the power was out from the battery pack. I guess I wish it had a select switch so I could clearly choose which power source to draw from.
28 of 28 found the following review helpful:
 Love it! Sep 08, 2008
By M. Scott
I'm a wedding photographer by profession. I put off buying this because it was so expensive and I was doing just fine carrying extra batteries and changing them when I noticed they were running low. I purchased it the other day because I was getting sick of missing 1 or 2 out of 5 pictures in quick-sequence shots (bouquet-tossing, cake cutting, etc).
After just one shoot, I have completely fallen in love with it. I was able to fire off sequences without missing anything, it recycles my flash supremely quickly and I only wish I'd bought it sooner. I will actually be getting rid of my 430ex backup flash so that I have two flashes that are compatible with this.
23 of 24 found the following review helpful:
Cheap, weatherproof flash power. Aug 21, 2007
By Jim Krupnik
"jkrupnik"
I have been using the CP-E3 as a high voltage battery pack for my two 580EX, and single MT-24EX flash units. It works very well. It's light, carries 8 AA NiMh batteries, and will power an entire wedding shoot without choking.
When the 580EX II flash was announced, it featured weather sealing, and the weather sealed CP-E4 was announced at the same time. I added a 580EX II to my flash arsenal, and recently bought a CP-E4 to go with it. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the CP-E4 is pretty much identical to the older model, except for the weather sealing. It is so nice to not have to worry about rain invading the battery pack, and the new flash connector also makes a water tight seal at the flash unit.
As a bonus, the old 580EX unit is not weather sealed, but when used with the new CP-E4, it's high voltage connection IS sealed. That makes a huge difference when shooting in misty drizzle. The CP-E4 is a perfect update to the CP-E3, which was almost perfect to begin with.
Besides, at it's current price, it is easy to have backup units with fresh batteries ready to go at a wedding or other shoot.
15 of 15 found the following review helpful:
essential for long shoots Jun 07, 2008
By Photoleif
admittedly pricey, but an essential purchase for those who plan to shoot a long session such as a wedding and reception, and never have to change batteries. this unit gives you 12 total -- 4 in your speedlite and 8 in this unit -- great plenty to shoot and shoot.
the unit is nicely constructed, and comes with a ballistic nylon case. the case has two closures (snap and velcro), and two ways to attach it to yourself (belt loop, quick-release velcro). it also comes with a 1/4-20 screw to mount it to your rack.
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
 Great addition, but no longer the best option. Jul 18, 2010
By MiRSD
I've had the CP-E4 for a couple years now, and use it every time I go out. It adds that extra bit of power to the 580EXII to get you through the day (or shoot, as the case may be)
It's a neat little item - an external battery pack that you keep by your side (it has a belt-loop on the carrier) and plugs into the high-voltage socket on your 580EXII (the little part covered in rubber on the side of the flash). Neat idea and very helpful (it adds an extra 8 AA's worth of power!), especially when you don't have time to change batteries (or you run out right when you need them most).
Usage is very straightforward (just plug it in!) but it can be a bit odd to work around, when you're holding a camera on a neckstrap with an off-camera flash cable connecting it to the 580EXII and then have another cable from your belt going to the flash, but it's never been too tough to deal with.
The benefits to the CP-E4 are faster recycle times (time from when you shoot until it's ready again) and longer battery life. Both of which are considered very important. Weight of the unit isn't too bad (depends on your definition I guess) - keep in mind it's holding 8 AA Batteries though.
In addition to the belt loop, you can take the CP-E4 out of its case and connect it to the tripod mount of the flash. I found this to be very odd as it's longer than most (all?) Canon DSLR Batteries. On the 40D it adds a noticeable bulge and hangs off the side (and makes the camera near impossible to use in portrait mode with a battery grip). Nice option for those who don't use a battery grip on their DSLR though.
The CP-E4 uses a slide-out magazine tray. Unlock it, pop it out, and add/remove the batteries as needed. Easier said than done, and the clips inside the magazine are known to easily break off (tip: use the hole on the bottom of the magazine to pop the batteries out to prevent the clips from breaking). Canon sells spare magazine trays: Canon CPM-E3 Battery Magazine , but at about 1/2 the price of the battery pack (just for a plastic tray!) it's a bit of a ripoff. If you're a pro though, it's probably worth it to have a spare tray ready to go at a moments notice.
One thing to note (I made the mistake when ordering mine alongside a 580EXII) is that it still needs 4AA in the 580EXII to operate (so you need 4 + 8 batteries - 12 total. You can't run off 4 in the flash and 4 in the CP-E4, or just 8 in the CP-E4).
As the review title suggests, this was a great option (and still is, actually) but in the years since it's release, other manufacturers have taken the idea and improved upon it (while keeping the price at about half (or as low as 1/3rd) what the Canon branded version comes in at. Versions like the PIXEL TD-381 allow you to use either 4 or 8 batteries in the adapter, and greatly speed up recycle times (even over the canon CP-E4). While reliability has yet to be proven on these yet, early tests show it to be an all-around improvement (both in price and design). If you're looking for a tested and proven product, the CP-E4 does a very good job. If you're willing to step outside of the canon-box, check out some of the alternatives for their improvements.
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