Lumedyne CZ HV Module

Comments about Lumedyne CZ HV Module:

I have three Lumedyne batteries that have worked well for years. The cords only last for a few months. I have a bag full of all the ones that have gone faulty and I think if your paying over $40 for basically a glorified extension cord, it should last for a couple years. I'm going to try the Quantum cord (QUCZ)and see how that works. It has better reviews so we'll see.

Comments about Lumedyne CZ HV Module:

I purchased two of these cords to power a Canon 580EX & 580EXII with a Lumedyne Cycler powered by a Lumedyne super battery. I've discovered that the area where the cord connects into the flash and the power pack, the cord is always hanging from the plug at a 90 degree angle. With use and movement, this constantly bent position seems to act as if it is constantly bending the cord back & forth. Eventually, the internal wires in the cord somehow fail. After a few months of use I noticed that the covering over the internal wires started to recede away from the plug, exposing the internal wires. Eventually from constantly being bent at 90 degrees the insulation on the internal wires wore through, crossed each other and shorted out, making sparks & smoke - right in front of my client, causing her to freak-out. Fortunately, I had the other wire with me and was able to continue shooting without any further incident and the client soon calmed down.

I returned the cord to Lumedyne with a strong letter and they replaced it. The cord was returned to me a few weeks later. During this waiting time I discovered that Quantum makes a cord that works with both the Lumedyne Cycler and the Canon flashes. I purchased one to keep as a back-up.

Recently, I was shooting a wedding and noticed that my flashes (yes both of them) weren't recycling as fast as they should. In most cases the Lumedyne Cycler will recycle a manual, full-power flash in about 1 second and when the flash is set on auto, it will recycle in a fraction of a second - even giving me the ability to use the high-speed motor drive feature on my camera (Canon 30D). After further investigation I discovered that when the cord was hanging at the usual 90 degree angle, the flash wasn't being recycled by the Lumedyne Cycler. It was being recycled by the AA batteries used inside the actual flash units. (AA batteries are necessary for use in the flash unit for memory functions and to power the focus assist beam). After straightening and jiggling the cord, it sometimes would work properly and would not work properly to make the Cycler recycle the flash. What's worse is that both cords failed on the same day on the same job. As a professional wedding photographer I can't function with equipment that only works some of the time and can't even be relied on as backup equipment.

I then connected the Quantum cord to the same Cycler & same flash and it worked flawlessly, without any failure. I did the same with the other flash & Cycler and again it worked flawlessly. I determined that the cord was the culprit. I thought that by some remote chance the batteries were exhausted but this was not the case. When I changed to the Quantum cord both flashes functioned as if the batteries were just recharged.

The difference between the Lumedyne cord and the Quantum cord is that the plugs on the Quantum cord are reinforced at both ends (flash unit & power pack) to prevent the cord from constantly hanging and bending at a 90 degree angle. The reinforcement is a heavy piece of material that eases/reduces the angle of the bending, making it more of a curve rather than a sharp bend. The cord also seems to be much thicker. I would not recommend the Lumedyne cord to anyone. Don't get me wrong, though. I have been using Lumedyne equipment most successfully since 1984 and Lumedyne makes an excellent product. I'm not sure if they manufacture these cords themselves or buy them from another manufacturer (because some other name other than Lumedyne is printed on the cord). If you want a cord that works, use the Quantum CZ (B&H #QUCZ)