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
--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...

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...

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.

It seems that all the cameras eat batteries. There is some good detail
about both batteries and chargers in the informative article found
he
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM


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

Nate Nagel wrote:
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...

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

In article ,
Nate Nagel wrote:
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...

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.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...


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...


You should be getting much more than that. Is the charger working properly?

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

My batteries are good for up to 100 shots depending on flash use, etc.

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

nate



--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...
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

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.

Nate Nagel wrote:
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
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

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.


"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...
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
--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

jmagerl wrote:

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.


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

"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...
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
--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

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

"Frank" wrote

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

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

On Tue, 5 Dec 2006 08:34:19 -0800, Steve B wrote:

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.

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.


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.

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.

"AZ Nomad" wrote in message
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.



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

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

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

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
Nate Nagel wrote:
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

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.

--
Joseph Meehan

Do you own one of those?

Nate Nagel wrote:
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

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.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

On Tue, 05 Dec 2006 05:06:31 -0500, Nate Nagel
wrote:

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

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.

http://www.eneloop.info/ You can purchase them from Circuit City
They are not readily available at all retail stores.

Steve B wrote:
"Frank" wrote

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

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

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

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

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.

Nate Nagel wrote:
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

Thanks all for the comments on this thread...

here's what I don't get. The batteries that I have are Energizer
2300mAH jobs. They were sitting in the charger, but the charge light
wasn't on therefore the charger thought they were fully charged. I took
the other pair out of the charger and put them in a mini mag light and
turned it on. It's been on continuously for about 75 minutes now and is
a little yellow but still bright. Is it possible that these particular
batteries have an unusual voltage vs. state of charge curve so both my
digicams think they are fully discharged when they really have 80-90%
charge left? or any other ideas?

Does deep cycling help or hurt NiMHs? I know some types of batteries
they say to deep cycle them every now and then to make them last longer,
and others it's supposedly bad for them, but I dunno about NiMHs in
particular.

nate

--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

here's what I don't get. The batteries that I have are Energizer
2300mAH jobs. They were sitting in the charger, but the charge light
wasn't on therefore the charger thought they were fully charged. I took
the other pair out of the charger and put them in a mini mag light and
turned it on. It's been on continuously for about 75 minutes now and is
a little yellow but still bright. Is it possible that these particular
batteries have an unusual voltage vs. state of charge curve so both my
digicams think they are fully discharged when they really have 80-90%
charge left? or any other ideas?

The NiMH batteries keep a fairly constant voltage (1.25) until they
become mostly discharged. Your camera has electronics that will
alarm and then shut down once the batteries get to a certain voltage.
This is usually around 1.15 volts or so. A NiMH battery that gets this
low is mostly discharged.

Does deep cycling help or hurt NiMHs? I know some types of batteries
they say to deep cycle them every now and then to make them last longer,
and others it's supposedly bad for them, but I dunno about NiMHs in
particular.

Deep cycling is not needed and could harm a NiMH battery.

Here is a valuable discussion of the Sanyo Eneloop batteries mentioned
(by ). See:
http/www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=96500&forum_id=51

That plus the website and the details previously provided should be
very helpful. See:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM

On Tue, 05 Dec 2006 19:40:21 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:
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.

There is a whole range of crappy chargers out there.
Many of them "cook" the batteries.
Best one so far ( cost vs results ) is;

KODAK K6000 1-hour battery charger.

It's a gray unit, chargers up to 4 batteries at a time,
Charges NiMH or alkaline batteries ( switch )
I bought mine at WalMart.


rj

marybeth wrote:
Here is a valuable discussion of the Sanyo Eneloop batteries mentioned
(by ). See:
http/www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=96500&forum_id=51

That plus the website and the details previously provided should be
very helpful. See:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM

As referred to in the above link, Powerex batteries and charger are
some of the best for digital cameras.

Check he

http://www.thomas-distributing.com/m...arger-buy.php3

wrote:




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.

Well, my camera came with E2 batteries, so I don't think
there will be any problem there.

Bill Gill

On Tue, 05 Dec 2006 05:06:31 -0500, Nate Nagel
wrote:

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

IMHO:

Ad far as I understand, rechargeables aren't good enough, voltage
wise, for some camera's. Even mine, a kodak, has some switch that is
depressed to tell the cameria it's recharables, and kodak's kind, so
it doesn't complain. As far as I understand.

I bite the bullet, and get lithiums. Just what I do...

tom @ www.ringtone-makers.com

Ad far as I understand, rechargeables aren't good enough, voltage
wise, for some camera's. Even mine, a kodak, has some switch that is
depressed to tell the cameria it's recharables, and kodak's kind, so
it doesn't complain. As far as I understand.

That may be true for some newer cameras but rechargeable can supply
more instantaneous power than standard (higher voltage) alkaline's.

I bite the bullet, and get lithiums. Just what I do...

tom @ www.ringtone-makers.com

My first digital, a Kodak circa 1999, used to consume 4 batteries very
quickly. In newer cameras, they seem to last forever, even rechargeables.

"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...
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
--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel