The Quadra is one of those interesting pieces of kit.
When it was first introduced I considered it to be a contender for use on 'one man' quick shoots and I was convinced that the full sized more powerful Elinchrom Rangers would continue to be my mainstay.
As time has passed though, I have found myself using the Rangers less and less, and the Quadra's more and more.
The compact, lower weight and sheer convenience has carried the day on many occasions.
Well there is an interesting upgrade available on the near horizon.
Elinchrom has developed a Lithium Ion battery option for the Quadra, which is smaller, lighter and is rapid to charge too.
Here are the specs
Comparison Chart
The good news is that it is you can 'convert' your existing Quadra to accept the LI battery.
Each battery costs £250.00 plus Vat and can be pre ordered at The Flash Centre
I understand that future Quadra's will still be supplied with the current Lead Acid gel battery and that Lithium Ion will be an 'extra'
I will be buying at least 2 of these batteries and will let you know how I get on.
The only fly in the ointment is that some airlines are cautious about letting you fly with Lithium batteries.
Though these batteries are Swiss built to the highest standards, with documentation which shows they are safe complying to International standards, therefore safe to fly with.
But imagine this debate with airport/airline staff.........
When it was first introduced I considered it to be a contender for use on 'one man' quick shoots and I was convinced that the full sized more powerful Elinchrom Rangers would continue to be my mainstay.
As time has passed though, I have found myself using the Rangers less and less, and the Quadra's more and more.
The compact, lower weight and sheer convenience has carried the day on many occasions.
Well there is an interesting upgrade available on the near horizon.
Elinchrom has developed a Lithium Ion battery option for the Quadra, which is smaller, lighter and is rapid to charge too.
 |
| Left the current Lead Acid Gel and right the Lithium Ion |
Here are the specs
Comparison Chart
| Lead Gel | Li-ion | Advantage | |
| Flashes @ Minimum Power (Slow/Fast) | 2000/1500 | 4800/4200 | +240%/+280% |
| Flashes @ Maximum Power (Slow/Fast) | 150/110 | 320/280 | +213%/+255% |
| Recharging Time | 2hrs | 1hr 30mins | -25% |
| Battery Dimensions | 15x8.5x21cm | 15x8.5x18.5cm | -28% |
| Battery weight | 1.7Kg | 0.7Kg | -57% |
In addition, the Li-ion battery will recharge in 30mins to more than the maximum capacity of the Lead Gel battery!
Each battery costs £250.00 plus Vat and can be pre ordered at The Flash Centre
I understand that future Quadra's will still be supplied with the current Lead Acid gel battery and that Lithium Ion will be an 'extra'
I will be buying at least 2 of these batteries and will let you know how I get on.
The only fly in the ointment is that some airlines are cautious about letting you fly with Lithium batteries.
Though these batteries are Swiss built to the highest standards, with documentation which shows they are safe complying to International standards, therefore safe to fly with.
But imagine this debate with airport/airline staff.........
2 comments:
VERY interesting possibility, I have a Pelican case with my two Quadra kits, and the three batteries I have in there DEFINITELY add the weight. The added pops for less weight are definitely a bonus. I wonder if they also help improve the recycle time (which can be painfully slow on those full pops sometimes).
By "convert" do you mean you need to send the pack in to be upgraded? by Elinchrom? Could be a prohibitive cost for current units...
That sounds pretty exciting although fairly pricey. I got four of the lead batteries as part of my to head kit just before Christmas but they don't half way a ton!
By the new ones aren't cheap. Maybe a future investment...
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