The Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack ("S" for Slim and "C" for Compact) provides typical all-day flash shooting capacity like the standard Turbo, yet weighs less than 1 lb and fits easily in a shirt pocket.
State-of-the-art NiMH batteries power the Turbo SC for lightning-fast recycling times and high capacity. Despite its mini proportions, it provides up to 225 full-power flashes with Quantum's Qflash units, or 400 shoe mount flashes, on a single 1.5-hour charge. And, like all Quantum batteries, the Turbo SC features a computerized "fuel gauge" that clearly displays the amount of power remaining and monitors charging progress.
| Battery Type | High-Voltage NiMH battery pack (no memory) |
| Recycle Time |
Based on full power: 1.4 seconds with shoe mount flash 1.8 seconds with handle mount flash 3.0 seconds with Qflash |
| Number of Flashes |
[rated at full power flash, thousands in fully automatic mode] 400 with shoe mount flash 325 with handle mount flash 225 with Qflash |
| Recharging Time | 1.5 hrs |
| Remaining Power Indicator | 4-Led Display (Full, 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4) |
| Dual Flash Capability | No |
| Belt Clip | Yes |
| Shoulder Strap | Optional |
| Dimensions | 5.14 x 3.6 x 1.3" (150 x 91 x 33mm) |
| Weight | 15 oz (422 g) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Most Liked Positive Review
Quantum Turbo SC Battery
I have been using this with my Canon Speedlite 580 EX II for a little over a year now. This product works well if you read the literature and fully understand the indicators on the...Read complete review
I have been using this with my Canon Speedlite 580 EX II for a little over a year now. This product works well if you read the literature and fully understand the indicators on the battery pack, how to connect and power up the unit, and most importantly how to set up the custom functions on your flash. For the Canon Speedlite 580 EX II you have to set the C.FN 12 to 1 for recycling with an external power source. Most people know this, but there was also a notice by Quantum that states you should set C.Fn 01 to 1 to disable the flash going to sleep mode. C.Fn 01 is a great feature if running on straight AA batteries, but if the flash goes to sleep the Quantum Turbo SC loses it's connection to the flash. You can determine if the Quantum Turbo SC has detected the connection to the flash by checking the yellow LED with the Flash symbol on the battery pack. If the LED is steady on you have a good connection to the flash. If the yellow LED is flashing it means that the high voltage has shutdown because the connection to the flash has not been detected. I am embarrassed to admit how long it took me to figure out why I wasn't getting the flash to fire as often as I was expecting it to when connected to the Turbo SC. Hopefully this will help somebody else out down the road.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Small but lacks Battery power
I purchased this product a couple weeks ago to shooting weddings with. The size of the battery is great, it slips onto your belt and you hardly notice the weight. The bad things were...Read complete review
I purchased this product a couple weeks ago to shooting weddings with. The size of the battery is great, it slips onto your belt and you hardly notice the weight. The bad things were that the battery died about half way through the wedding and the flash recharge time isn't great, especially indoors when using a full flash. I missed a few shots because the battery was recharging.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 158 customers
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Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
This is a small yet powerful battery pack that I love to use with my Quantum Trio. Provides great power in any situation. Turns a dark room shot into a brilliantly lighted photo. Love this pack
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
I used this battery pack to power my Nikon SB800 flash during an event. The flash held more than enough charge throughout the event and plenty in reserve.The recycle time is good. You cannot shoot continuously (what can) and it recycles in just over a second.Make sure you buy the Quantum cable for it. If you buy a third party, Quantum has a bright pink note on the flash itself that tells you to only use Quantum cables as others may cause damage. B&H's website does not give any indication of that!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
It might be small but it carries a ton of power. Before this I carried the power pack for the Metz 60 series flashes. When I switched over to these (I have 2) life became easy. I have taken over a thousand photos (ISO 400) in one session and none of the charge indicator lights went out. Great design. I still can't get over how compact this unit is. Quantum is all about quality
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
I do events, and this battery pack could not be any better tool to have in you case or backpack. It saves you money and time in changing batteries or flashes. This baby worked all night with out leaving me behind or waiting to recharge my flash. If you shoot events and don't have this in your gear you are missing out.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
Excellent battery. My third. I use them on location to power my Nikon SBs, and more and more often, in the studio just because it is so easy, and with the iTTL, adjustment of eaach flash from camera position, is just too convenient to overlook. Won't replace studio lights if you need the power, but will work even better in a 'whole lot' of situations. These are lightweight, long lasting, and powerful.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
I shoot a lot of Corporate events and weddings. It will last you all night long, no more going crazy replacing AA batteries on my flash.
Great buy, Great performance!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
As a wedding and event photographer, we are always looking to reduce the load we are carrying without sacrificing features or functionality. The Turbo SC offers us a great combination of portable power in a lightweight battery. We also like the battery level indicator which will tell us when the battery is getting low and needs to be recharged.
So far it's only seen limited use as wedding season is just starting here but in the limited testing we've done so far it seems to recycle quickly and provides adequate power for the times we'd need it on a typical wedding day.
My only knock against it is that it didn't come with a shoulder strap. They included a mail-in card for a free strap but the offer isn't available in Canada.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
This is just perfect...and adds to the length of power and number of images and quickness of recycle time...love it!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
This is a great battery for location shoots. When new, they will provide ample power for an entire job, convenient to wear on your belt or on a small strap or hung on a tripod.
This is my second SC, I don't need any larger pack with two of these on hand.
I power my Quantam flash and have purchased a CKE cord to power my Nikon flashes as well. This battery with a Nikon SB800 or SB900 makes for an ideal setup for event photography where mobility is important.
The price is a little steep, but the performance is dependable.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
I replaced my old Quantum Turbo battery with the SC. The size reduction is a real plus for me.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
This was going to be the back up/second for my Turbo 3 so that when I had a very flash heavy day I could use this while the 3 was charging. I used it for one afternoon and noticed quickly it did not produce the same power to my quantum flash as the turbo 3. I did a bunch of tests and found its recycle time to be poor and it just did not produce the same light quality as the other model. I very quickly returned it and will just purchase a second turbo 3 but felt that it would be a fine battery for a beginner and someone not doing events. it works and lasts a long time but just isn't as advanced as the other models.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
This little guy does the job. I can shoot a wedding with this and generally never have to go to my backup.Power is consistent throughout the night, even when on 1 LED.The universal charger makes it easy to take abroad.Yes, I would buy another.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
Really reliable battery pack. Lightweight, sleek AND does the job!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
A must have for any wedding photographer.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
for a product which costs over 500.00 they could have thrown in a strap.I think it's a great product and the second one I bought .light fast great
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
I am a full time wedding pro, I put this off for so long cause of the price thinking I would just keep using my old nikon double a battery pack and that it was good enough. I was dead wrong - I never miss any thing from outshooting and better yet I shoot 10 hour weddings and strobe and flash the entire time and still have yet to drain this beast.
Well let me demystify one benefit to this turbo pack - it has no fall off as it gets low on juice- it is as strong at 1 green light left as it is on 4 lights. Unlike double A's as they get drained they take longer and longer to recharge the flash.
Go get this thing , you will be glad you did.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
Very lightweight and holds a charge for a long time. One big drawback is it's price. Very expensive.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
I have the Turbo and use it during sporting events. I purchased the Turbo SC and was surprised by its compact size and its reduced weight. I will purchase another if I get a chance. I can still shoot the Turbo SC and Nikon SB-800 for over 400 shots and in 1 1/2 hours its charged and ready to go. No longer do I need to wait over night for the Turbo to charge.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
I used this Turbo SC Battery Pack with my Canon Speedlite 580 to photograph weddings; after using it for the first time last week I dont think I can live without it anymore. The design is not that slim and compact as they advertiste.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
This is a very light, sleek, reliable and handy battery.
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Most Liked Positive Review
Quantum Turbo SC Battery
I have been using this with my Canon Speedlite 580 EX II for a little over a year now. This product works well if you read the literature and fully understand the indicators on the...Read complete review
I have been using this with my Canon Speedlite 580 EX II for a little over a year now. This product works well if you read the literature and fully understand the indicators on the battery pack, how to connect and power up the unit, and most importantly how to set up the custom functions on your flash. For the Canon Speedlite 580 EX II you have to set the C.FN 12 to 1 for recycling with an external power source. Most people know this, but there was also a notice by Quantum that states you should set C.Fn 01 to 1 to disable the flash going to sleep mode. C.Fn 01 is a great feature if running on straight AA batteries, but if the flash goes to sleep the Quantum Turbo SC loses it's connection to the flash. You can determine if the Quantum Turbo SC has detected the connection to the flash by checking the yellow LED with the Flash symbol on the battery pack. If the LED is steady on you have a good connection to the flash. If the yellow LED is flashing it means that the high voltage has shutdown because the connection to the flash has not been detected. I am embarrassed to admit how long it took me to figure out why I wasn't getting the flash to fire as often as I was expecting it to when connected to the Turbo SC. Hopefully this will help somebody else out down the road.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Small but lacks Battery power
I purchased this product a couple weeks ago to shooting weddings with. The size of the battery is great, it slips onto your belt and you hardly notice the weight. The bad things were...Read complete review
I purchased this product a couple weeks ago to shooting weddings with. The size of the battery is great, it slips onto your belt and you hardly notice the weight. The bad things were that the battery died about half way through the wedding and the flash recharge time isn't great, especially indoors when using a full flash. I missed a few shots because the battery was recharging.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 158 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-20
Previous | Next »
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
This is a small yet powerful battery pack that I love to use with my Quantum Trio. Provides great power in any situation. Turns a dark room shot into a brilliantly lighted photo. Love this pack
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
I used this battery pack to power my Nikon SB800 flash during an event. The flash held more than enough charge throughout the event and plenty in reserve.The recycle time is good. You cannot shoot continuously (what can) and it recycles in just over a second.Make sure you buy the Quantum cable for it. If you buy a third party, Quantum has a bright pink note on the flash itself that tells you to only use Quantum cables as others may cause damage. B&H's website does not give any indication of that!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
It might be small but it carries a ton of power. Before this I carried the power pack for the Metz 60 series flashes. When I switched over to these (I have 2) life became easy. I have taken over a thousand photos (ISO 400) in one session and none of the charge indicator lights went out. Great design. I still can't get over how compact this unit is. Quantum is all about quality
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
I do events, and this battery pack could not be any better tool to have in you case or backpack. It saves you money and time in changing batteries or flashes. This baby worked all night with out leaving me behind or waiting to recharge my flash. If you shoot events and don't have this in your gear you are missing out.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
Excellent battery. My third. I use them on location to power my Nikon SBs, and more and more often, in the studio just because it is so easy, and with the iTTL, adjustment of eaach flash from camera position, is just too convenient to overlook. Won't replace studio lights if you need the power, but will work even better in a 'whole lot' of situations. These are lightweight, long lasting, and powerful.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
I shoot a lot of Corporate events and weddings. It will last you all night long, no more going crazy replacing AA batteries on my flash.
Great buy, Great performance!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
As a wedding and event photographer, we are always looking to reduce the load we are carrying without sacrificing features or functionality. The Turbo SC offers us a great combination of portable power in a lightweight battery. We also like the battery level indicator which will tell us when the battery is getting low and needs to be recharged.
So far it's only seen limited use as wedding season is just starting here but in the limited testing we've done so far it seems to recycle quickly and provides adequate power for the times we'd need it on a typical wedding day.
My only knock against it is that it didn't come with a shoulder strap. They included a mail-in card for a free strap but the offer isn't available in Canada.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
This is just perfect...and adds to the length of power and number of images and quickness of recycle time...love it!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
This is a great battery for location shoots. When new, they will provide ample power for an entire job, convenient to wear on your belt or on a small strap or hung on a tripod.
This is my second SC, I don't need any larger pack with two of these on hand.
I power my Quantam flash and have purchased a CKE cord to power my Nikon flashes as well. This battery with a Nikon SB800 or SB900 makes for an ideal setup for event photography where mobility is important.
The price is a little steep, but the performance is dependable.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
I replaced my old Quantum Turbo battery with the SC. The size reduction is a real plus for me.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
This was going to be the back up/second for my Turbo 3 so that when I had a very flash heavy day I could use this while the 3 was charging. I used it for one afternoon and noticed quickly it did not produce the same power to my quantum flash as the turbo 3. I did a bunch of tests and found its recycle time to be poor and it just did not produce the same light quality as the other model. I very quickly returned it and will just purchase a second turbo 3 but felt that it would be a fine battery for a beginner and someone not doing events. it works and lasts a long time but just isn't as advanced as the other models.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
This little guy does the job. I can shoot a wedding with this and generally never have to go to my backup.Power is consistent throughout the night, even when on 1 LED.The universal charger makes it easy to take abroad.Yes, I would buy another.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
Really reliable battery pack. Lightweight, sleek AND does the job!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
A must have for any wedding photographer.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
for a product which costs over 500.00 they could have thrown in a strap.I think it's a great product and the second one I bought .light fast great
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
I am a full time wedding pro, I put this off for so long cause of the price thinking I would just keep using my old nikon double a battery pack and that it was good enough. I was dead wrong - I never miss any thing from outshooting and better yet I shoot 10 hour weddings and strobe and flash the entire time and still have yet to drain this beast.
Well let me demystify one benefit to this turbo pack - it has no fall off as it gets low on juice- it is as strong at 1 green light left as it is on 4 lights. Unlike double A's as they get drained they take longer and longer to recharge the flash.
Go get this thing , you will be glad you did.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
Very lightweight and holds a charge for a long time. One big drawback is it's price. Very expensive.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
I have the Turbo and use it during sporting events. I purchased the Turbo SC and was surprised by its compact size and its reduced weight. I will purchase another if I get a chance. I can still shoot the Turbo SC and Nikon SB-800 for over 400 shots and in 1 1/2 hours its charged and ready to go. No longer do I need to wait over night for the Turbo to charge.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
I used this Turbo SC Battery Pack with my Canon Speedlite 580 to photograph weddings; after using it for the first time last week I dont think I can live without it anymore. The design is not that slim and compact as they advertiste.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Quantum Instruments Turbo SC Battery Pack:
This is a very light, sleek, reliable and handy battery.