Watch as this Flashpoint/Godox battery pack explodes on camera
Oct 10, 2019
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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Lithium-Ion batteries are not to be trifled with. They can be very dangerous things, as evidenced by massive recalls from companies like Samsung and Apple. You have to be very careful when flying with them, and some devices aren’t even allowed on flights anymore. Manufacturers do everything they can to try to ensure their batteries are safe, there is always a risk that one can go bad.
One went bad for one photographer, though when he says his Flashpoint branded Godox AD360 battery exploded on him. He put his batteries on charge the night before a session, as many of us do, when one of them started to swell. He unplugged it, and rushed outside with it, unprepared for exactly what would happen next. Fortunately, his security camera captured the whole event.
The events unfold over two videos. The first shows him rushing outside, clutching the battery in paper towels as he places it down on the grass.
He posted an account of the event to a Facebook group.
So I’d thought I’d share this experience last night. I had a battery from my Flashpoint 360 explode on me last night. I use these lights for my portrait sessions where I shoot 300 plus students. Last night I was charging the batteries to get ready for today. One battery charged fine. The other battery swelled up. When I unplugged the charger which was hot to the touch as well as the battery, a mist of steam and a bad alcohol like smell was coming from the battery. I was thinking this is not good. I got some paper towels, grabbed the battery and put it outside in the backyard. Not thinking it was going to explode, it emitted horrible smell. See the videos to see what happened next.
The second video shows the battery exploding dramatically and then sitting there on fire on the grass.
This isn’t a Godox/Flashpoint-specific issue. This can happen with any lithium-ion battery. Perhaps there’s a manufacturing defect. Maybe cells get old and die. And sometimes a previously healthy battery can just develop issues due to the way they’re handled. We’ll likely never know what caused this battery to swell up and explode.
But it just goes to show that no matter what device you’re using, if it uses lithium-ion batteries, you need to pay care and attention to them, particularly when charging them. If he hadn’t gone to check on his batteries and noticed that one of them had swollen up, this could’ve been his house going up in flames instead of just a patch of grass.
You can decrease the odds of them exploding through simple chemistry by not leaving them fully charged or completely empty for long periods of time (like, weeks at a time). And if you’re not planning to use them for more than a couple of months, make sure to check on them every so often and top up their charge to around 40-50%.
Although geared more towards radio-controlled aircraft and vehicles, the video on this post offers some good tips for keeping your batteries safe while charging. And while it might seem overkill to charge your batteries inside a fireproof box, consider it insurance. Because if you ever do have a battery explode in your house when you aren’t around to do something about it, you’ll be glad it was contained.
How do you protect yourself against the potential dangers of lithium-ion batteries?
Videos used with permission.
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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22 responses to “Watch as this Flashpoint/Godox battery pack explodes on camera”
Oh great
Fake.
How I protect myself? I buy proper gear. But no, Godox is exactly the same as the expensive brands?
I also bet you’re well versed in li-ion batteries and where the majority of them come from and are manufactured… because hey this doesn’t happen to top brands like Samsung or Apple. Or Canon, or Nikon, or Sony… Manufacturers definitely don’t have warnings about users not storing batteries correctly because they are so safe and user friendly…
Geoff, I know a few things about electronics and batteries yes, thank you for asking. I’ve have had Godox products myself, for example the ad360 and battery pack PB960, several of them. Insane capacity the few first months, then zero, swelled up and need to be disposed of. I had a ten year old Profoto battery that works as new. Now using Broncolor, no issues. Friends who’ve had tons of Godox speedlites etc that went the same way. So, yeah, the comment still stands.
Hmm I don’t think it does. Anyone can use anecdotes and friends to make their point relevant. Personally, been using godox equipment for about 4 years now. Still original batteries, no swelling, no nothing. But I bet you could easily find people who have had issues with profoto and elichrome as well. You can easily make brash aqusations but fanboying is annoying and provides nothing worth while. So please, for the sake of all photographers, go fanboy in private where none of us have to read the words of a dullard.
Geoff, haha, defend your purchase all you want. If you don’t think there is more issues with cheaper electronics then more expensive electronics then go head, won’t make you right anyway.
I heard the same thing when I worked with repair of electronics : “doesn’t matter what you buy, it’s the same parts in everything.” It’s not true, and when it was true, the configurations the parts are used in are completely different, and for good reason, one is cheaper, one is way better.
Btw, I did not base my comment on my experience alone.
Oh so you worked in repair? Wait, which one of us is an engineer? Doesn’t smell like you… But cool keep on fanboying. Once again anecdotes are not evidence.
I guess that’s why you’re a photographer.
Old fashioned magnesium burner included :)
Never leave charging batteries unattended, or go to sleep in other room etc.
“DIY Photography” stands for “Destroy It Yourself”? ;)
I guess it reached it’s flashpoint.
He is lucky to get an outdoor space for this.
What would be the advice if I’m traveling in an hotel and this happens to me?
What are the basic safe place to put this when no outside is possible?
Shower + water?
In tub or shower stall yes. Water – absolutely not. No water. Lithium and water don’t mix well. Lithium metal explodes and flames when exposed to Water. I know this isn’t pure Li but you dont know what the chemistry is inside of those things after charging.
This post brought to you by Profoto
“Profoto! See, we told you!”
Not quite. I shoot Godox. Have about a dozen of ’em. I’m not worried about charging them. The same thing could happen to Profoto or any device that uses lithium ion batteries. :)
I jest, I just picked up the AD400Pro’s and a AD600pro and I don’t worry about charging any more or less an AA batteries. I don’t leave them charging when I’m not in the room tho but, thats me.
I have many swollen lithium batteries from my old phone and camera, none of them exploded . I think there is something wrong with the charger and it overcharged the battery
Or there was something wrong with the battery’s overcharge protection circuitry. We don’t know the history of the battery, if it was dropped or damaged.
Personally I find that amount of flash unworkable in any setting ?
Michael Balmain there was an exploded lithium ion battery in the wooden train at the Sandwick play park the other day. I suspect foul play….