OT: Digital camera battery pack

My Panasonic Lumix FZ18 uses a rechargeable battery pack. I bought a spare on Amazon

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for 13 bucks a while ago. Both original (about 3-4 years old) and spare hold charge for long time, and take a ton of pictures before going dead.

My old Kodak digital used 4 AA batteries and came with rechargeable batteries, they lasted fairly long but spare rechargeable AA never worked as well (as long between charges) nor lasted as long as the original Kodak batteries.

Reply to
Jack Stein
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Me too. Not just a fan-- I won't own a camera that doesn't take them.

We bought a Nikon CP950 when they first came out. Thankfully we'd read enough reviews on it to have a dozen NimH [I think they were

200mAh or something at the time] ready to go. the camera ate the included 4 alkalines in about 2 hours.

Using 2 chargers, and a dozen NimH we were never left lacking for battery power with that camera. I've done the same thing with cameras I've had since then.

My current camera is a Canon A520. Between having a more efficient camera and 2300mAh Nimh- battery management isn't nearly as challenging as it once was.

I only have lithium in a couple drills. I like the quick charge.

Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

??? I use the USB port only (so far) to d/l pix into the computer. Where can I find out whether mine can be powered through that port?

TIA

HB

Reply to
Higgs Boson

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Wasn't a Nikon Coolpix was it? They have pissant little plastic tabs for battery latches. I used to buy then on Ebay and the design was SO awful that even the brand new, never used cameras had the tabs snap off after the first use. Perhaps the worst battery door design I've ever seen on a camera - their should have been a class-action lawsuit based on that remarkable rotten design.

The heartbreaking part is that the rest of the camera is fantastic. Perfect white balance in all sorts of light, ultra-macro focus, swivel head perfect for low or high shots. Attaching a battery pack through the DC socket is a solution, but a pretty awful one considering where they put the socket. I have a 950 on the electronics bench tethered to the AC power so that I can film a disassembly step-by-step. That and an icecube tray (to keep parts in disassembly order) have proved invaluable when I find myself saying "did this go on first, or was it the other piece?"

-- Bobby G.

-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green

Go to ebay.com and type "Canon Powershot SD1200 IS battery" in the search box.

You can get a set of two or three battery packs delivered for under $10. That way you can keep one or two spares charged up and ready to go.

You were not thinking ahead. You should have done such a search before you ever bought your camera, to double-check that the packs wouldn't cost $39.95 each, or similar outrageous amount.

If you are buying a popular model of camera, the aftermarket batteries will be very cheap soon after the model comes out.

Some models of battery packs are used in more than one model of camera, which is even better.

See?

Reply to
Matt

I most certainly WAS "thinking ahead"! I knew the replacement battery would be a good chunk of the original camera price. But I didn't realize the battery would virtually stop taking charges so soon (less than 2 years).

Was also unaware of, or didn't think of, buying battery packs outside of original manufacturer; this was my first time using a battery pack camera.

So please don't treat me like a total idiot!

HB

Reply to
Higgs Boson

Ha ha. Okay, sorry. But see my post elsewhere on the present thread about my experience buying the cheapos on ebay. You just buy from somebody who has sold say twenty of the model you need without complaints. I see some sellers are also offering OEM packs for your model.

Reply to
Matt

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