Hähnel ProCube2 - Charge quick and easy your camera batteries
Photographers are definitely gear freaks, it's part of our DNA. We want to have the latest camera, buy another camera bag and have a drawer full of accessories. Now, when it comes to charging batteries, you might not be so enthusiastic, but Hähnel changes that with the Hähnel ProCube2.
Written by Renzo Gerritsen
Renzo Gerritsen is a professional photographer and the initiator of Avondfotografie.nl. With Avondfotografie.nl, Renzo helps (beginner) photographers to make better photos in an easy way.
The benefits of the Hähnel ProCube2
Do you recognise the problem of having several chargers? Or how long it takes before your batteries are charged? With the ProCube2 battery charger, this is a thing of the past. The Hähnel ProCube2 offers a user-friendly and easy way of charging.
The advantages of the ProCube2 at a glance:
- Charge 2 camera batteries simultaneously;
- Charge AA batteries for your flash unit;
- Charge USB devices such as your smartphone or tablet;
- Has a handy LCD screen to read the status;
- Can be used in the car by means of the adapter;
- Includes adapters for use abroad.
That is a lot of advantages! Many photographers carry several batteries with them, because many batteries do not last a whole day. If you have to charge them one by one, it can take half a day. Now it is possible to charge two batteries at the same time and that saves a lot of time.
The ability to charge AA batteries is also very handy, especially if you have a flash. Often you need a separate charger to charge your AA batteries. This is no longer necessary with the supplied black plate. With the ProCube2, you can also charge your smartphone or tablet via the USB input on the back, which is always a good thing.
The contents of the box
First of all, in the box you will find the instructions and a handy key to change the different battery plates. Have you lost the key? A simple paperclip will do. Then you see the ProCube2 battery charger with AA charging plate. The colour of the battery charger depends on the brand of the charger. My ProCube2 is for Nikon and is dark grey. There are two battery plates, one is for original EN-EL14 batteries and the other is for EN-EL15 batteries.
Furthermore you find a white cardboard box containing the power adapter with several attachments. You can use the normal EU adapter, but also the UK or USA adapter. This way you can keep charging your batteries with the Hähnel ProCube2 even on a photo trip outside of Europe. Finally, you will find a 12V adapter. Are you travelling from location to location to shoot and does your battery run out? Then with the 12V adapter you can also use the ProCube2 battery charger in the car. This is super handy! This way, the batteries are charged again when you arrive on location. This saves you a lot of stress when the empty battery situation happens to you.
How the ProCube2 charger works
The ProCube2 is a small square battery charger. First get the right battery plate to suit your battery type. If it's already in there, you don't need to do anything. If it is not, insert the key provided in the hole at the back and you can change the battery plate. You insert the power adapter into the back of the charger and plug it into the wall socket. You can now start charging! Want to charge AA batteries? Then simply place the AA plate on top of the ProCube2. It attaches itself by means of magnets.
Charging smartphones or tablets is possible through the built-in USB port. You can, for example, connect the Hähnel PowerCube wireless QI charger to this.
The performance of the ProCube2 battery charger
On paper, this seems like a fantastic product, but how well does the ProCube2 charge in practice? And is this charger faster than my original Nikon charger? For the test I used two empty batteries. I charged one battery with the ProCube2 and the other with my original Nikon charger. The result: the Hähnel ProCube2 finished charging the battery faster. The battery in the ProCube2 was full about 1 hour earlier than with the original charger. With the ProCube2 you can pick up two batteries at the same time, so with two batteries I have a time gain of 2 hours converted.
"The battery in the ProCube2 got fully charged in about 1 hour faster than the battery in the original charger."
So the ProCube2 saves me a lot of time and I am very happy with that. An extra nice detail of this battery charger is the LCD screen. This is something that most chargers do not have. The only indication you often see is a blinking or coloured LED light. The light stops blinking or turns green when the battery is full. The nice thing about this LCD display is that you can see exactly how full the batteries are. The charger displays it in percent and mAh values, which is very pleasant to look at. If you need to concentrate, it is a good idea to turn the ProCube2 a quarter turn so that you are not distracted by the increasing percentage.
While charging two batteries, the status of both batteries is displayed. So you always know where you stand and how long it will take.
My conclusion
The ProCube2 definitely makes charging easier and faster. There is no doubt about that. The LCD screen gives you insight into the battery status and it reduces work pressure, because you can charge at home or on the go. The charger is quite small and compact, but not smaller than many other chargers. Nevertheless, the ProCube2 stands in sight on my desk and the original battery charger is now stored away in the cupboard. This is also thanks to the beautiful design.
Are you looking for a handy and fast charger for your camera battery and AA batteries, and do you want flexible charging? Then I can absolutely recommend the Hahnel ProCube2! Hähnel offers the ProCube2 for Nikon, Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Fujifilm and Olympus.
