Home > Consumer Reviews > Canon COMPACT BATTERY PACK CP-E4 (small battery pack for 580EX II Speedlite)

With Canon Speedlites like the 580EX II you will find that the recycle speed has increased vastly over older units like the 550. Saying that, if you want to change batteries less frequently and have a fantastic recycle time this CP-E4 will do the trick.
External battery packs have a habbit of being VERY expensive. If you are a pro photographer that requires the ultimate in recycle time and overal battery life you won't be looking at this unit. BUT!....if your recycle time and overall battery life requirements are still very demanding this unit won't disappoint.
To be honest, I was sceptical about this CP-E4 when I purchased it.......however, after a number of photo shoots it has turned out to be far better than I had expected. It is also slightly better contructed than I had expected.
For the money, this will perform.

For anyone using Canon flashguns on a regular basis, this battery pack is a real asset (assuming of course that your flashgun is compatible - 430EX units are not compatible). It speeds the recycle time (the time it takes for the flash to recharge) considerably and allows for much longer sessions between battery changes.

The unit takes 8 AA batteries - this is in addition to the 4 AA batteries already in the flashgun - in a magazine (the magazines can be purchased separately, allowing for quick battery changes if you have them preloaded) and comes complete with a strap to allow it to be fastened to a belt. The pack is little larger than the size of the 8 batteries it contains and is therefore quite discrete and easy to slip into a trouser or jacket pocket.

Price-wise, this battery pack is much cheaper than the equivalent Quantum battery pack, but by all accounts (having read many forum posts on the subject) offers performance levels that are not far behind it.

All in all, a great addition to your camera bag if you use flash regularly...