Project: Nikon SB-800/SB-900/SB-910 Quick Battery Loader-Unloader

Goal

AA Battery Loader/Unloader

The goal of this project is to develop a method for quickly loading and unloading AA batteries from Nikon SB-800, SB-900, and SB-910 flash units.  While this won't save much time for a single flash, it can be real handy when using multiple flashes.

Why go to this much trouble?

   Being the geeky technical-type, taking care of equipment is a big peeve of mine.  Having had a few pieces of electronic gear ruined by leaking batteries - not only as a kid but also as an adult - I decided that leaving AA batteries in my Nikon SB-800 and SB-900 flashes was not an option.  I tried the generic AA battery holders, but quickly grew tired of having to handle each individual battery at the beginning and end of every use. With multiple flashes, the process of dealing with batteries became a real pain.  As a result, I sought a better and faster way to load and unload batteries from these flash units.  Although this article is targeted at Nikon units, any flash unit that has batteries arranged in a single line will work with this holder.