© Will Prentice, Captura Photography+Imaging. All rights reserved.
Most photographers carry spare batteries for their cameras and many have more than one camera system. Many cameras today no longer ship with battery chargers – they charge the battery in-camera via USB. To remedy this, Hähnel recently introduced the ProCube 2 battery charging system and Extreme camera batteries.
ProCube 2 is the ideal battery charger, and it’s more than just a battery charger. You can charge two camera batteries simultaneously. The clear LCD provides information unlike any OEM charger and the added USB port let you charge your phone or other devices without affecting your camera battery charge.
Why you need a ProCube 2
Many of the latest cameras ship without a battery charger, as manufacturers look for ways to cut costs. Another problem with the latest mirrorless cameras is that battery life still isn’t great – especially when compared to recent DSLRs. It’s pretty hard to use your camera when it’s plugged into a USB cable to charge the battery. ProCube 2 is your answer – it will charge one or two batteries at the same time.
ProCube 2 is an intelligent charger – its intelligent IC circuitry is meant to protect your batteries for top performance and long life. It will top up your batteries from any power level without damaging your battery like less capable chargers can.
Hähnel makes a ProCube 2 for almost every camera system: Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic and Olympus. Each one is colour-coded to your camera system, too! Check out www.hahnel.ca to find out what battery plates each charger comes with and which battery plates can be purchased separately.
Photographers who use more than one camera system, which is becoming more and more common, can rejoice. Instead of buying a charger for each camera system, you can buy one Pro Cube 2 and separate battery plates for your other camera system!
© Will Prentice, Captura Photography+Imaging. All rights reserved.
How it Works and Performance
The ProCube 2 comes complete with at least two battery trays for each camera system, plus a AA battery tray that will charge 4 AA batteries simultaneously. It would be nice if it would charge individual AA batteries at a time, but you have to load four.
The supplied “eject tool”, which looks like a paperclip, is pushed into a hole on the back of the charger to release the installed plate. Be mindful not to lose this tool – there isn’t anywhere on the charger to store it, which would have been nice. If you do lose it, a heavy enough paperclip will suffice.
A nice feature regarding the AA battery tray is that you don’t have to remove your camera battery tray -the AA tray fits magnetically on the top!
The ProCube 2 has a very easy-to-read white on black LCD display that shows you important information about your battery: current charge level, how much capacity in mAh has been added and the charge level of each battery.
From empty, it took around an hour and a half to charge one EN-EL15 Nikon battery – an hour faster than my OEM charger. I had a model shoot and was able to get two batteries topping up simultaneously, which saved me a couple of hours total.
I then put my AA batteries on charge for my triggers – White Eneloop 1,900 mAh batteries charged in three hours.
ProCube 2 is also an ideal travel charger. It’s supplied with North American, Euro and UK plug adapters, plus a 12-volt automotive lead. There’s an integrated 2.4-amp USB charging port in the back.
Another impressive feature of Pro Cube 2 is build quality. It’s a solid unit – an aluminum body and enough weight to not feel cheap without feeling like a boat anchor. Everything fits nice and snug – you can feel your batteries engage into the battery plate with a firm push. The entire unit feels like it won’t be easy to knock off your desk.
Hähnel pride themselves in using certified recycled/fully recyclable cardboard packaging for all their products – plastics have been phased out completely. This helps you feel even better about your purchase!
Hähnel has a 60-year history as one of the leading manufacturers of photographic accessories. They are the only third-party battery company whose batteries and chargers are fully compatible with OEM batteries and camera systems. Ask for Hähnel at your favourite photography store. Learn more about their exciting accessories at www.hahnel.ca
© Will Prentice, Captura Photography+Imaging. All rights reserved.
Verdict
If you only have and use one battery for your camera, then the Hähnel ProCube 2 isn’t for you. But if you use spare batteries or have more than one camera (or camera system), ProCube 2 should be on your short list. Not only can you charge two batteries at once, you also have the AA charger, USB charger, travel adaptors and car charger. ProCube 2 has your charging needs covered no matter where you go.
If your OEM charger quits working (like mine did two months ago) or you lose your OEM charger, ProCube 2 is only a small step up financially but replaces all the travel extras, plus AA & USB charge capabilities, that OEM chargers don’t offer.
About the Author – Will Prentice (www.capturaphoto.ca) is a professional photographer based out of Whitby, Ontario and Brand Specialist – Lighting for Amplis.
