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Digital Camera - Normal batteries vs Li-ion, Help
UltraViolet
14-12-2009
How long are decent normal rechargable batteries suppose to last in a digital camera? it doesn't seem to last long in a camera I bought someone.

Compared to Li-ion batteries, I have one in my Nikon and it can last weeks after one charge.

Is it best to buy a digital camera with a li-ion battery in it?

It seems to just take a few hours worth and then the batteries run out... tried all sorts of makes of battery.

Is it just crap to use normal batteries, or a dodgy camera, everything else works fine on it?
gemma-the-husky
14-12-2009
R/Cs should be OK - I had a canon A60, took 4 batteries, and I used to get a couple hundred shots, some with flash, and messing with video. A few hours solid is about all though

using zoom a lot, and keeping the back screen on all use a fair amount of power.

I think as they age, they store a bit less

Take spares
chrisjr
15-12-2009
For my camera, which uses 4 AA size batteries, I use one of these...

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=45804

plus an 8 pack of NiMh 2500mAh batteries (so 12 in all). The charger works in the car so you can keep a set on charge, one set fully charged on standby and one set in the camera. As long as you are within sight of the car it means almost continuous shooting capability.
zapod
16-12-2009
I can highly recommend Sanyo Eneloop batteries. Their makeup differs from regular rechargeables in that they retain their charge much longer (regular RCs discharge naturally over time) making them ideal for applications that involve intermittent use.

The wikipedia article here describes the technology, and lists other manufacturers.
Oldhippy
16-12-2009
It will depend on the Mah rating. This is usually found on the side of the battery and the higher the number the better.

in my flashgun I use 2700Mah batts from www.mymemory.co.uk

These work a treat, though there is a problem with rechargeable Ni-Mh batts in the cold, they don't like it and show as dead in the camera.

Best bet is a camera with a Li-ion batts as they do not suffer the same problem in the cold. I found this frustrating when I had a camera that used four Ni-Mh AA batts.....


I know use a Nikon D300 DSLR. never had battery probs at all. I can get about 1,500 shots on a single charge...
chrisjr
17-12-2009
Originally Posted by Oldhippy:
“It will depend on the Mah rating. .”

The pedant in me feels compelled to say that Mah means nothing.

M is the SI abbreviation for Mega or 1,000,000. a (lower case A that is) has no recognised meaing that I can find. The h is correct for hour though.

What you mean is mAh as in milli Ampere hour

ie how many thousandths of an amp the battery can supply for one hour. Rather different to how many Million amps (OK i'll be generous on that one) it can supply in one hour

Tricky all this capitalisation making such a huge difference to meaning isn't it
Oldhippy
17-12-2009
LOL especially when the eyes want to shut and brain not fully in gear... Indeed it is mAh on the side of the batts, but you get the idea.. Now to return to sleep...
frasera
18-12-2009
canons last ages with nimh aa's.
now if you are silly using alkalines yes you'll rape them. alkalines don't like the cameras high drain and much of their energy becomes wasted heat. still they should last a decent amount of time in todays power sipping cameras... mostly the advantage is that in a pinch if your nimh's run out you can fall back on a pack of store bought aa's whereas you'd be sscrewed with those special battery packs. each type of battery is good for different uses. alkalines are good at low drain, like they last forever in wall clocks and remotes. their capacity is partially wasted in cameras though. nimh's shine in digicams.
frasera
18-12-2009
also mah's not the only thing, theres also low discharge, but it dpeends on what you need. i use a 15 minute charger for last minute out the door needs as well
UltraViolet
18-12-2009
Quote:
“ I can highly recommend Sanyo Eneloop batteries. Their makeup differs from regular rechargeables in that they retain their charge much longer (regular RCs discharge naturally over time) making them ideal for applications that involve intermittent use.”

I'll take a look into those, I got some of those Lithium AA batteries by Energizer a few weeks ago, suppose to last 600 or so photos, so it will be tested during Christmas.
frasera
18-12-2009
lithiums are ok for certain purposes, they perform well in cold weather ..extreme cold for instance lol
PrinceGaz
19-12-2009
The Energiser Lithium AA and AAA batteries are best set aside for emergency use situations; as they combine a very long storage life (over 12 years), with the highest available capacity today while being able to handle high current drains, and being useable over a very wide temperature range. And so they should, given how much more expensive they are than alkalines. If nothing else, it has forced Duracell to change the wording of their commercials, to specifically say that they are among the best alkaline batteries (because the Energiser Lithiums are a whole different ball game).

Given how much more expensive they are, I wouldn't recommend using Energiser Lithiums in any situation which doesn't specifically benefit from them though. And there aren't really many situations other than as a long-term storage maximum-life emergency battery.
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