[andybear]

Hi all, I was not sure which part of the forum to ask this question, unless camera is counted as tackle, but here goes, and chide me if you must.
The issue is rechargeable batteries for cameras. My camera takes AA cells, and I have been using lets say Big name batteries, and I am lucky to get off two shots without having to do a battery change. Fair to say they are a couple of years old, and have been cycled a good few times. I also have a couple of "digitor" batteries, which are as old, and are a lot better.
Question is, does anyone have a strong opinion, of which batteries are the best to get. I just hate having to charge 'n' change all the time. I could ask at a camera shop, and I am sure the ones that give the best profit margin will be suggested.

Cheers all Andybear :lol:

 

[RedPhoenix]

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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[sam60]

Andy, it is a pain when you recharge batteries only to have them die at the most inopportune moments. Our two cameras both use AA batteries and have been cycled quite a few times and we have found some of the cheaper brands do last longer. We have found some places sell a recharger and 4 batteries cheaper than buying new rechargable batteries or the other option is take some new non rechargeable spares with you for justin..... mmmmm maybe a solar powered camera is the answer . :wink:

 

[Dodge]

Andy also a mug in the digital camera/battery department.

When I got the digi camera, I told the bloke I was going to use my rechargeable NiCad AA in it and he said not to waste my time as battery life would be poor.

He recommended rechargeable lithium AA as the way to go at about $60 for charger and 2 batteries.

Didn't want to spend the extra at the time, so just bought 2 Lithium at about $16 pair and am at the 80 pics taken and uploaded to PC with no problems, and still OK, but may buy his suggested gear later; not sure though as happy with the output of the throwaway batteries to date and when they expire might just buy replacements if they last OK

Edit: just checked the tandy site and the recharge be these [not lithium] http://tinyurl.com/ygadj5

 

[jacktheyak]

I had a lot of trouble with my batteries in my last Digital camera, a Fuji (cant remember the model but it cost about $500 about three years ago) but have since bought a Fuji A310 for about the same money. ( Now on ebay for about $30 secondhand!)

Have been using Fuji 21oo, Ni -Mh in the current camera and find them very satisfactory, would get about 100 photos from them even though I seem to use the flash quite a bit.

I think that the later cameras have a better battery management system in them for what it is worth.

What do you blokes think??

 

[Peril]

Ni-cad are definitely not up to the job. Ni-MH are marginal. Lithium is the way to go. Also have negligible memory effect. When I had a standard battery powered camera I came down on the side of disposable Lithium - last longer and for that piece of mind I was grateful having had a very well known american camera that had the same problem Andy's having and a crap time never really sorting it out with the manufacturer.

My Pentax has a custom Li-ion battery that holds its charge for a long time and gives me no bother at all. Mobile phones have been a curse in many regards but their contribution to better technology is fantastic

 

[YakAtak]

I don't use my camera a lot, but I just use standard duracells, always keep a heap of fresh ones and they always seem to last quite well for me. When I got my camera a mate of mine had exact same model, fuji finepix s3500, and he told me to use the optical view finder rather than the LCD screen as it seems the LCD draws a lot of juice.

 

[Dodge]

and he told me to use the optical view finder rather than the LCD screen as it seems the LCD draws a lot of juice.

My Kodak manual says that also but using the lithium didn't worry about battery use, and I was wrong in my earlier reply it was $12 for 2 lithium batteries and pleased to date and money well spent

 

[RedPhoenix]

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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[abitfishy]

Yep, the problem with technology is we have all these fandangled things that suck power (mobiles, cameras), yet the buggers haven't included the power source in the advancing of technology. Sounds about right doesn't it!

Anyway, even with 2400mah rechargables I've found they aren't 'fantastic', and are terrible if left for even a week or so without use tend to die and need charging.

On a recent trip to tassie, I did find those expensive lithium NON-rechargables to be great, not the 'up to 800 shots' like they claim in the add (what a load of crap, christ knows what they tested them in, sure as hell not my camera), but great all the same. They did however die quickly once flash was used......

 

[troppo]

Choice mag tested rechargable batteries years back and said Energiser were the way to go. My energiser rechargable NIMH 2500 mAh have not performed, in my opinion, as well as the Inca ones I got when I bought my Fuji Finpix.

 

[andybear]

Gah! Murphey got me again. Not wearing the glasses in the shop......
Saw some Duracell Batteries, rated 2.7mA or thereabouts.....saw a Duracell charger next to them, appeared the same batteries. Squinted my eyes to read the small print, and bought the charger with the batteries. Got them home, and looked at the rate, and found they were 1.8mA :x

I feel like I'm paddling backwards now

Cheers all Andybear :lol:

 

[troppo]

Don't worry Andybear. My mate accidently stuck his finger in a power socket and when he was able to get it out after about 1 hr, he was able to power his camera for a full 24 hours with lots of flash and without even using batteries. He didn't need batteries in his torch either but he didn't have enough charge to run his portable fridge.