AA batteries what is a full charge

[SS]

Recently had a few probs with AA batteries for digi cam, the batteries are probably 3 years old but have no idea on how often they have been recharged. Recently after charging they dont last long (have ordered a couple of new sets) Anyhow I have just recharged them all and on a multimeter thingy they are showing 14V + or should that be 1.4 V, not too clever with these things and how to set them.

Would this be a realistic voltage for freshly charged? Other than when my digicam tells me `change the battery pack` after a few pics is there any practical way to decide if the batteries are past their best. I am assuming the slight possibility of a camera fault, thats about 7 years old.

thanks

[John Williamson]

That's about the right voltage (1.4V) for MiMH batteries.

Under ideal conditions (Regular use, good charger....), you can get a few hundred cycles from new, with gradual loss of capacity. Leave them unused for a while, and they don't last as long.Try cycling them a few times, and if they don't improve, then they're cheap enough to replace. I'd only suspect a camera fault if the problem persists with a new set, or if they go flat in the camera in less than a few days without using it.

[John]

When buying new ones go for the Sanyo Eneloop or similar.

don't seem to lose their charge when not in use.

I would be inclined to try a couple of Duracell's before getting more rechargeable batteries. See how they cope. It will provide a good benchmark

[John MacLeod]

You haven't even told us whether they're NiCads or NiMHs. In any case, perhaps you're coming at this from the wrong end. Anything over 1.2volts might be reasonable, but that's an off-load voltage you're measuring and what you should be interested in is an on-load voltage.

Neither NiCads nor NiMH are all that suitable for cameras -- if you've a camera that takes AA batteries, put in good-quality alkaline batteries.

Your digicam is due for replacement, if it's done seven years. Make sure your new one has a Lithium-ion battery built in and that it can be charged in the camera. Far more suitable for camera use than NiMH or NiCad.

John

[tony sayer]

Beg pardon .. but I've used Nickel Metal Hydride batteries in my Fuji Finepix S1800 for some time now. They hold a very good charge are quite cheap and work fine. The camera has a setting for the type of battery .

My wife's olde Canon uses the same with very good results too..

RS stock number 617-0773 if anyone wants some....

f you've

[Skipweasel]

I couldn't disagree more.

I've had several cameras which take AA cells - all unusable on alkaline batteries, they just droop far too fast - though there's power left they can't sustain the peak load.

A good set of NiMHs are far superior in every such camera I've tried.

[SS]

You haven't even told us whether they're NiCads or NiMHs. In any case, perhaps you're coming at this from the wrong end. Anything over 1.2volts might be reasonable, but that's an off-load voltage you're measuring and what you should be interested in is an on-load voltage.

Neither NiCads nor NiMH are all that suitable for cameras -- if you've a camera that takes AA batteries, put in good-quality alkaline batteries.

Your digicam is due for replacement, if it's done seven years. Make sure your new one has a Lithium-ion battery built in and that it can be charged in the camera. Far more suitable for camera use than NiMH or NiCad.

John

I am using 1.2V 2800mAh HI-Mh .

The 7 year old is a canon A70 and although others may consider it for replacement it still works for me. I also use a Nikon D50 slr which would also be considred out of date. It uses a battery pack which I assume will be AAs in disguise.

My out of date is when it stops working or doesnt do the job. Not when a newer model becomes available. :-)

[Mike Clarke]

And the batteries ability to retain its charge, something that does deteriorate with the age (or amount of use) of the batteries.

That would depend on the OP's requirements. If the camera does what he needs it to do and produces results that meet his requirements why should he change it?

I'd disagree there. I use rechargeable NiMH batteries, if they run flat it's a matter of moments to pop in a set of ready charged ones (or the reserve set of unused Duracells I keep in the camera bag). Far better than waiting for the internal battery to recharge and if you're half way up a deserted mountainside that isn't even an option.

[tinnews]

Surely depends on the camera, some are specifically designed to use rechargeables (usually NiMh), I certainly wouldn't even consider a camera that won't run well on rechargeables. My Fuji is perfectly happy with them.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember John MacLeod saying something like:

Lithium is lovely, to be sure. However, NiMh was/is the preferred chemistry for numerous bridge Fujis and the lesser Pentaxes and they last for hundreds of shots per charge. Big advantage is; they can be recharged nearly anywhere, by several means and at a pinch you can bung some alkalines in if you're stuck. My ancient Fuji S7000 uses them and it's fine.

[Tim Streater]

I'd throw away all rechargeables you may have, and replace with Sanyo Eneloop or equivalent from other manufacturer. These are a better technology that don't lose their charge. They're sold already charged up, in fact.

I bought a set last Xmas for SWMBO from Amazon, they were made in July

2009, and as of now (Jan 2011) they're still showing charged in her camera. She's taken a couple of hundred pix during the year she's had them.

[chris French]

I wouldn't like a lithium that was built in, but ones that can be removed and recharged are fine really. up until last year our compacts always took AA's, and I preferred that. but they are disappearing from the compact market it seems as cameras get smaller.

But I bought a spare (well after we lost the bag for a while with the spare in we have 2) and it's been fine. and the advantage is that even two spare batteries take up less space and are lighter than the equivalent AA's

Though it does mean 'another charger' to take with us when we go away

[Clive George]

I used to agree with you, but since I got a camera which will take a couple of hundred photos on a single charge of a battery which is smaller and lighter than the AAs, I changed my mind. If I'm feeling keen I'll take a spare on a mountain, but I've never used it and charging the thing is just as effective.

[Ronald Raygun]

Your wife will be very pleased to hear you say that.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Tim Streater saying something like:

That's what I've done for the cameras which take them and for bicycle lighting. It was a total pita finding the rechargeables had gone flat in a few weeks of non-use and on one occasion finding the spare ones were that way two. I have some Eneloops, but I mainly have Vapex.

[Tabby]

Get yourself some NiMH. There's no need for eneloops, NiMH that dont go flat quickly are common now.

NT

[Skipweasel]

Just beware that some firms, like Panasonic, are locking their firmware so that you can only use "genuine" Panasonic batteries and not the often better aftermarket alternatives. That's OK to start with, but when you decide you want a spare battery to go camping with you find they screw you right-royally.

[Dave Liquorice]

1.4v is about right for a fresh from the charger battery.

after a

You may just have one battery that has reached "end of life" or is not taking as much charge as others. This one will go flat before the other and the overall voltage will drop below that which the camera will tolerate. Measure the voltage of each battery when the camera objects, you'll proably find one at or below 1v with the others around 1.2v

What action you take after that depends a bit on your charger. Does it charge individual batteries or is it one that does them in pairs or more? Is is it a really simple, manual charge for x hours type with no built in timer or one with a timer or a decent one that monitors each battery and charges each accordingly?

I wouldn't do that, very little to gain and why throw out perfectly functional batteries? Certainly when replacing truely dead ones go for the low self discharge NiMH variety.

[chris French]

In message , Skipweasel writes

they try, not very successfully though it seems.

Our new Panny TZ10 is has such batteries, but you can get 3rd party batteries that work fine in it

[Dave Liquorice]

Why? My digital camera is pushing ten years maybe more. It takes pictures, what more do I want? It also has a "B" setting that most digicameras these days don't have, useful for the aurora and 30 to 60 second exposures.

I have another camera with built in, custom, Lithium Ion battery and it is a right royal PITA. More often than not it is virtually flat when ever I want to take a photo. If I want to be sure of being able to take more than 3 or 4 shots it has to be charged immediatly before hand(*). Any new camera I get will take standard sized cells (AA or AAA) at least then you can swap sets cheaply and in extremis get some alkalines from almost any shop in the world...