Does anyone make decent rechargeable batteries? (AA size)

Hi all,

I just recently bought myself a new digital camera, as my old one was eating batteries. The new one worked fine for about a month or so of occasional use, and then when the batteries that shipped with it wore out I replaced them with a pair of Energizer NiMH rechargeables that had been sitting on a charger in my room for about the same amount of time (since I'd moved, anyway) my new camera is saying "battery depleted" now which makes me think maybe old camera is actually OK (I stopped using it because it would kill the batteries after only 3-4 pictures) and just my batteries are Tango Uniform. But they are only maybe a year old, what gives? Are alkalines really my only choice here? they don't last very long in a digicam...

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel
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You should be getting much more than that. Is the charger working properly? My batteries are good for up to 100 shots depending on flash use, etc.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

It seems that all the cameras eat batteries. There is some good detail about both batteries and chargers in the informative article found here:

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I hope that helps and I'm sure Google can find similar test results and battery comparisons.

Reply to
marybeth

NiMH can be recharged thousands of times but apparently slowly discharge at maybe 1% a day. If camera sits around for a couple of months, it is best to recharge batteries before use. As other poster said, these cameras eat batteries, so NiMH use is still best bet.

Frank

Reply to
Frank

If your Energizer batteries are made in Japan, it is a quality issue with that particular source. This is widely known on the digital camera newsgroups - a place where you can get more focused answers on digicams than a newsgroup devoted to home repair.

Try a different brand.

Reply to
Mike S.

I have no idea. It does not *appear* to be malfunctioning.

I agree that they should. So I need to buy new batteries. What to buy? nothing I've tried has worked well.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

I think they all suck, in terms of how they perform, and they all seem to lose charge in storage. Based on recommendations from a group of people who use them in handheld devices OTHER than cameras, I tried Panasonic rechargables, and they're somewhat less disappointing than others. However, as someone else mentioned, cameras seem to be more demanding than, say, a handheld VHF radio or GPS toy.

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

My old rechargeable batteries are just that, old. They no longer hold a charge as long as they should. It is just the way they work.

One thing about rechargeable batteryies. The starting voltage is not as high on the NiMH batteries as the regular alkalines. So they seem to run down a lot faster.

And beyond that I have started using Energizer E2 batteries. The set I put in the end of October are still showing above 65% charge and I have been through 2 parades and a fireworks display with them. They have a very good life in cameras.

Bill Gill

Reply to
BillGill

I gave up on rechargables for cameras. They always seemed to self discharge when ever I needed to take a picture. Alkalines can't meet deep current requirements a camera has. I finally settled on a pair of Everready photolithiums. approx $10 for 4. They don't self discharge and are always ready for that unexpected picture. I still use rechargables when I expect to use the camera but between events the camera is loaded with the photolithiums so its always ready for that unexpected picture.

Note: It is always good practise when charging rechargable batteries to take them out of the charger as soon as they are charged. Letting them sit in the charger will cook them and shorten their life.

Reply to
jmagerl

NiMH chargers are either electronically timed, for a specific capacity battery(5 hrs. for a 1600 mah, eg.), or as in the case with most newer chargers for sale now, automatic. No need to unplug or remove. Both styles have indicator LED's to show if charging is taking place. The timer type WILL reset & charge again after a power interruption, so be aware of that.

As a youngster, we had a "Federal" 4-bay battery charger that we used to charge hundreds & hundreds of carbon-zinc batteries over the years( for Motorific cars & Hot Wheels "Superchargers, etc.). Many years later I took it apart to see how it worked, it was a just a rectifier & a special compensating bulb in series with the 120v mains! I'm surprised we never burnt down the house or had any acid mishaps the way we used to cook 'em to get a good charge!

Rob

Reply to
trainfan1

Go to any big box store and you can buy the charger and four batteries for about $15. They have the brand names. They have off brands. Buy the ones with the highest number capacity, as they last the longest.

Main thing is not to leave them on the charger, which I believe you did. I have heard of them catching fire when left on a charger for a long time.

Bottom line, I have several brand names. I have about twenty batteries, total, and I also have AAA that I use in my walkie talkies. You can buy such a thing as a "smart charger" and that senses the level of each battery and charges it accordingly. They are around $40.

Rechargeable nimh batteries are good. They will save you money. They do have to be used properly, though.

HTH

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

"Frank" wrote

And the best thing is that they are standard size batteries. If you ever forget to take spares, or use up all the ones you have, you can put in some AAs and keep taking pictures.

We recently went to Mazatlan with another couple. He brought his new Nikon. He forgot to bring his charger. He could not find a new battery, nor a charger, and if he did, they would have been $50 each or more.

I also use the AAs in my GPS unit. It is nice to have gear that takes all the same size batteries. One of my chargers works in the car, too.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

That can only happen if the charger is broken. A properly functioning charger will shut off when finished and perhaps run a minute trickle afterwards to keep the batteries from self discharging.

What I've observed over the last three decades is that rechargeables will last nearly forever as long as they are kept in regular service. Quit using the walkman/camera/whatever and leave the batteries in a drawer for four months and they'll be ruined.

Reply to
AZ Nomad

I've got some Nicads that I have had since 1972 that still work fine. Less of them than I did then, of course.

Bob

Reply to
Bob F

I'd try another set of energizer NiMH AA's. I have 2 sets for my digicam (3-yr old Canon PowerShot, takes 4xAA batts), and it easily gets 200-300 shots per battery charge. I just use the charger that came with the batts. There are now several brands that advertise 2500 mAh AA batteries (Energizer, Sony, and other well-known names), and I think ours are

2000 or less, so the new ones should theoretically be even better. As far as I know, basically all the decent chargers now are "smart" so you should be able to leave the batts on without a problem. You might also try contacting the camera manufacturer - my uncle had an older Kodak camera that went through batteries after just a couple shots, got it replaced twice, and finally got one that had reasonable battery life. Good luck, Andy
Reply to
aenewhouse

Do you own one of those?

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

Many chargers are of poor quality. The good ones charge each battery independently. Assuming you are using AA batteries and you don't have a charger that indicates when each cell is done, I suggest a new charger.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

Use a new NIMH battery technology. Just out are the Sanyo Eneloop batteries. These are NIMH batteries without the self discharge problem that all of former NIMH batteries have.

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You can purchase them from Circuit City They are not readily available at all retail stores.

Reply to
tnom

Looking over my Monster battery literature, they say 1 to 2% loss of charge per day and batteries can be recharged over a thousand times. NiCads are different and as someone pointed out, voltage potential varies with the electrochemical potential. I don't use rechargables in my Etrex gps as it is not often used but when I need it, I want it to work.

Frank

Reply to
Frank

Some digital cameras do not recommend using alkaline batteries. The reason being that these cameras draw so much current that the alkaline's voltage dips below the nominal voltage of the NIMH reference.

Some cameras do not recommend Lithium batteries. The Lithium E2 battery supplies to much current at a higher voltage than the nominal voltage of the NIMH reference.

Read the manufacturers manual on what batteries can be used and what to expect from them. Use Eneloop if you can find them.

Reply to
tnom

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