rechargeable batteries and chargers?

S

storyville

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Aug 11, 1999
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My wife's digital camera goes through AA's, including lithium cells, pretty quickly and she really wants to try out some rechargeables. What is the skinny on current types of rechargeables -- plusses, minuses, do's and don'ts, etc? Any info and/or vendor links would be much appreciated. Cheers, Glen
 
Eveready Energizer 2500mAh are pretty good. They are a "NiMH" battery, which means that they are rechargeable and don't have the "memory" problems that the older (Ni-Cad, etc) has. You can get these in a kit, which includes the charger and 4 (or 8) AA batteries. Also, the higher the "mAh" rating is, the better.
 
+1 again, get some high capacity Ni-MH cells you will be amazed at the difference. I've got some Uniross 2000mAh cells and a charger that charges them in about an hour ,even in your car from the cigarette lighter.
 
I would recommend the Sanyo Eneloop cells and charger. The charger is not too abusive. The cells can be charged in advanced and left ready for use, unlike most NiMH that self discharge very fast.

Spud
 
Must be an older camera? I don't think many digitals these days use anything but proprietary lithiums (although I wish they did).

Best bet has already been mentioned - two sets of NiMH and a good charger.
 
The energizer e2 lithiums supposedly have the best battery life. I use NiMH for my purposes because they're lighter.

NiMH have the downside of losing charge in storage, but it doesn't sound like a problem if your issue is going through batteries too quickly.

Something to consider is how long it will take to charge them... my 2650 mAh duracells take 16 hours to charge. Have extra batteries to fill in the gap.
 
For a great source of NiMH (nickel metal hydride) batteries and chargers, Google up "C. Crane Company" and check their site out. I've bought from them for years with excellent service every time. They send out a very educational catalog you might enjoy, too. When you peruse their site be sure you notice their "orphans" section where you can find some great bargains. Being the scrounge that I am, I always buy their orphans, which all come with a full guarantee just like their other stock. C. Crane mostly sells radios with some lights, but batteries and chargers are a natural for them, too. I not only use some of their NiMH batteries, but I liked their "smart charger" so much that I later bought a second one on sale for half price, just so I'd have a backup. I've never needed it, though. It's a great charger!
 
Thanks for all the refs and tips! A friend also directed me to http://www.batteryspace.com for anyone else interested.

Cockroachfarm: My wife's camera is a 2-yr old Canon Powershot S2 IS, and uses four AA cells. The current S5 IS model also uses four AA cells.

Thanks all and cheers,
Glen
 
storyville said:
Thanks for all the refs and tips! A friend also directed me to http://www.batteryspace.com for anyone else interested.

Cockroachfarm: My wife's camera is a 2-yr old Canon Powershot S2 IS, and uses four AA cells. The current S5 IS model also uses four AA cells.

Thanks all and cheers,
Glen
Click to expand...

Thanks, didn't know that. I remember many years ago buying a Nikon 990 (?) specifically because it still used AA's! (Love Canons! Just bought an SD-900 to keep my D-SLR company :) )
 
Spuddate said:
I would recommend the Sanyo Eneloop cells and charger. The charger is not too abusive. The cells can be charged in advanced and left ready for use, unlike most NiMH that self discharge very fast.

Spud
Click to expand...

Agreed.

The Eneloops do not self-discharge like other NIMH bats, so you can charge them, and leave them for a very long time before recharging.

The other option is the new Rayovac Hybrids, which also have lower self discharge (available at Wal-Mart).

The only downer for these batteries is that they have a bit less capacity (around 2000mah), but I think it is a worthwhile trade-off.

If you must have high-capacity, the 2500ma batteries (I have some Kodaks) are good, but will self- discharge like any other NIMH.
I personally haven't had troubles, but there are a number of people that have had issues with the Energizer 2500's.
To clarify something: if the battery has "HR" stamped on the negative terminal, it is made by Sanyo, and is generally regarded as an excellent battery. Both the Energizer and Kodak have this stamp.

I have not used the Eneloop charger, but my Vanson Speedy box is an inexpensive, but great charger. Not the fastest, but it charges gently on 4 channels, and can even condition the bats. It is inexpensive as well.
 
I just did a search on Sanyo Eneloop and they look really cool. But the website lists them as available in countries besides the United States, mainly available in Europe. Does anyone know where to find them in the U.S.?

Thanks!
 
I use Maha batteries, mostly.

Seem better than the more readily available brands (the more common Sony, Sanyo, Everyready, etc.).

The Maha batteries seem to last a good bit of time.

Just remember to get a charger that is capable of taking individual cells and has a "renew" option (i.e. will completely discharge battery and then recharge it).
 
Digital cameras have high current drain - so plain alkalines do not last long in them.

NiMH rechargeable batteries although rated "lower" capacity than alkalines, actually last longer - because they can handle higher current requirements.

Almost any 2500mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries are going to be about the same (within manufacturing tolerances, and how they're treated/charged).

The Sakar/Digital Concepts 2500mAh NiMH sold at WalMart for about $6.27 for a set of 4 are actually pretty good.

Get a "fast" 1 to 2 hour charger - C/2 (2 hours) seems to be optimal for NiMH (which prefers faster charging) - again sets sold under the Sakar/Digital Concepts at WalMart seem good value (includes 4x 2500mAh NiMH)

http://sakar.com/products-features.aspx?PARM_ID=101232
or
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5640639


NiMH lose their charge in about 2-3 months even if not used.
LSD (Low Self-Discharge) NiMH like the Sanyo eneloops are a very good idea if one does not use the digicam often, and don't want to come back to it to find the batteries (self) discharged.


The Kodak Pre-Charged (LSD NiMH) are good value and easily available at WalMart (don't confuse these with the regular Kodak 2500mAh NiMH) -

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5639897

they charge up fine on regular NiMH chargers such as the ones listed above again 1 to 2 hour chargers are about optimal.

--
Vincent
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Timblade said:
I just did a search on Sanyo Eneloop and they look really cool. But the website lists them as available in countries besides the United States, mainly available in Europe. Does anyone know where to find them in the U.S.?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I got my Eneloops at Costco, they have a kit with 8 AA's and 4 AAA's, battery sleeves for 2 C cells and 2 D cells, and a smart charger, all for 26.00 and change. A great starter set, and it includes a carry case. :)

I also have the Hybrids and they have proven to be very good at holding a charge over a good period of time.

I've given up on my standard NImH batteries, a week after charging and they already show "low battery" on my camera.
 
Eneloops are excellent. They hold their charge for much longer than regular NiMh batteries, and are usually a higher capacity than the 2000 mAh they are rated for. Most of mine are closer to 2100 mAh, just like the majority of "2600 mAh" batteries I own from reputable brands. Also, if you happen to need batteries that can handle a high discharge current, they are great for that. Unless you know you need this, the vast majority of people won't care about the discharge current. I am slowly replacing my rechargeables with all Eneloops. I have tried all of the LSD (low self discharge) batteries, and Eneloops always come out on top.

If you want them cheap, go to an HH Gregg if you have one nearby. I snagged about 40 of them at $7.99 for a 4 pack of AAs. I think the AAAs were $6.99. If people can't find them, let me know, and I can probably grab a bunch.
 
leatherman said:
I got my Eneloops at Costco, they have a kit with 8 AA's and 4 AAA's, battery sleeves for 2 C cells and 2 D cells, and a smart charger, all for 26.00 and change. A great starter set, and it includes a carry case. :)

I also have the Hybrids and they have proven to be very good at holding a charge over a good period of time.

I've given up on my standard NImH batteries, a week after charging and they already show "low battery" on my camera.
Click to expand...
Leatherman,

Thanks for the info. I looked at Costco in St. Louis this weekend and only saw one pack of rechargeable batterties. They were Duracell brand and didn't indicate that they were Eneloops anywhere on the packaging. Is Eneloops the brand name?

Thanks!

-Tim
 
Timblade said:
Is Eneloops the brand name?
Click to expand...

Yes. They are made by Sanyo, and are white in color. They are all the rage at candlepowerforums.com for the aforementioned reasons - they self-discharge at a very low rate, and in fact come "charged" and ready to use. I bought a buhzillion of them from some place like batterybob.com (or some such), and use them in everything from Wii remotes to a portable CD player to my EDC flashlights. The only (minor) downside is that their capacity at 2000mah is a little lower than some of the others that may be 2700mah or so, but thats no biggy.

right on
 
I did some research as I wanted some for my camera and was advised to get the new Hybrid Nickel Metal Hydride. I ended up with Panasonic HHR - 3MPA - 2050 Mah

They will hold an 80% charge after 12 months storage.

Also bought the little Panasonic BQ-390 charger which plugs into the outlet and holds 4 batteries.

Rayovac were recommended to me, but in Canada, only Panasonic did the Hybrids.
 
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