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| Re: Digital Camera Batteries [message #67075 is a reply to message #67071] |
Sat, 16 April 2011 16:47   |
Thermionic
Messages: 208
Registered: May 2009
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Master |
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Howdy RadioDinosaur,
I've only owned two (low-end) digital cameras, so I can't accurately comment on the battery consumption of the devices as a whole. However, my camera that uses AA batteries does go through 'em like water. So, I bought some good quality NiMH cells, which have paid for themselves and the charger many times over. BTW, my other camera has an internal NiMH pack, which doesn't hold up very long, either.
You might take a look at http://www.cheapbatteries.com. Their prices are fantastic (even after paying the applicable shipping charges), provided you're willing to buy bulk quantities. It won't reduce your device's appetite for batteries, but it can sure help alleviate the sting of buying them!
The website is quite primitive (it looks to be dial-up era), the shopping cart doesn't automatically figure the totals for you, and they don't send you a shipment notification e-mail, but you can't beat their prices. I recently bought a box of 100 lithium coin cells for about $25, including shipping. Locally, the same cells cost over $10 per pair with tax. I got many years worth for the cost of maybe a couple of month's worth if bought locally. Definitely a pretty fine deal.
Thermionic
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| Re: Digital Camera Batteries [message #67086 is a reply to message #67080] |
Sun, 17 April 2011 00:32 |
Thermionic
Messages: 208
Registered: May 2009
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Master |
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| Shane wrote on Sat, 16 April 2011 20:28 | If you get rechargeables, invest in a good charger like a Maha, as they won't abuse your batts.
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Yes, definitely! Your batteries will last longer if you use a top-notch trickle charger. Whatever you do, avoid speed chargers! A 30 minute charge time might be very attractive, but your batteries wear out far faster. No wonder there; they get so hot while charging in one of those things that you can hardly touch them.
I've used inexpensive, generic AA NiMh cells in our church's wireless mics for about 3 years now. One batch charges while one is in use. They finally began wearing out around 2 months ago, and I replaced them with better quality ones. I'd always used a standard, non-electronic trickle charger, which I replaced at the same time with an Ultra microprocessor-controlled charger.
The Ultra is very similar to the Maha that Shane uses. It shows you how much charge each battery has, and will even tell you when it's worn out and needs to be replaced. It has a discharge function, to completely drain the cells before charging. NiMH cells don't form a "memory" the way that NiCads do, nevertheless completely draining them every now and then supposedly extends their useful life.
In summary, I got three years and far in excess of 250 charges out of each set of generic NiMH cells, that were charged on an old-school charger. I expect I'll get close to twice that from the better quality cells and microprocessor charger. It's an investment that'll no doubt pay for itself many times over, just like the old cells and charger did. Going through six or eight Duracells per week is a mighty pricey endeavor, not to mention having them die on you in the middle of a service. With the rechargables, you start with fresh batteries every time. It's a win-win situation.
Thermionic 
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| Re: Digital Camera Batteries [message #67812 is a reply to message #67800] |
Mon, 23 May 2011 16:32 |
Shane
Messages: 1117
Registered: May 2009
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Illuminati (3rd Degree) |
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| Danny wrote on Mon, 23 May 2011 07:04 | You might want to check and see how long the charged batteries are supposed to last - they don't really last very long, and if you leave your camera on, it won't seem like long at all.
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I beg to differ. Good quality cells (and no, I don't mean the ones from Harbor Freight or the cheapies from Walmart) will last as long as alkalines in my experience. You need to research the type of rechargeable cell you need that matches with what you're going to use them for. Like I stated above, the eneloops are excellent cells, especially for cameras and off-board flashes. You need a good smart charger like the Maha's as well. The slam chargers that supposedly charge in 30 min. aren't going to cut it.
Also, if you have a camera that doesn't shut off or go to sleep mode after a short period, you might think about getting a newer model. Almost all camera's do this now.
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If you are having so much trouble with it, and you are spending so much money on batteries. Maybe you should consider buying a new camera. There are some nice ones that are not that expensive and charging the batteries is not a huge deal.
