Rechargeable batteries for digital cameras

[ICHTHYDEMON]

I'm going to buy a couple sets of Ni-MH AAs to go with my new digital camera. Is there any difference in the brands?

[The Bad Fish]

not really, IMHO they all do the same. ours only take a couple hours to charge.

[Riverkeeper]

Although I was somewhat dubious at first, I bought the IC3 batteries and charger from radio shack. They charge in 15 minutes or less, and seem to work great. 4 AA batteries and the charger cost almost $50 though.

[ampersat]

I didn't pick out any specific brand or type (other than NiMH - they work best for cameras and other burst-type, high drain devices) when I got my rechargables. The camera takes two and I've got two spare to recharge. I've never run into any problems with them.

[SafetyChain]

Not really much difference in brands. They all have the same chemistry inside.

The difference is in the MaH rating. This is rate of charge/discharge. Think of it like the size of your fuel tank. The higher the number, the longer the charge will last.

Also NiMh charge slower than Nicd. Max recommended charge rate for NiMh is 1c while NiCd can rapid charge at 10C+. While you can charge NiMh at a faster rate, it decreases the life of the cell(s) due to heat. But if you are using a wall wart, it doesn't really matter as they typically are not charge rate adjustable. Regardless make sure you cycle them a few times before requiring a max load from them. This will extend their life. Kind of like breaking in a new motor. Using a good peak charger is best as it will always detect the quality of life in a battery pack.

[ICHTHYDEMON]

So I should return the 1 hr charger I bought last night?

[ 12-15-2003, 09:38 AM: Message edited by: ICHTHYDEMON ]

[Reno Reeler]

Are lithium ion batteries an option? I've heard they charge fast and do not have memory problems.

[SafetyChain]

Reno Reeler,
Lithium Ions do not have memory. But if you don't know what you are doing when charging, you could have a problem. LIon have a problem in that they heat up while charging and if you are not careful, you could easily end up with a fire. Stay away from recent no name imports on the LIon.

I know your cell phone has LIOn, but the charger also has a chip to detect the heat of the cell. LiPoly has the same issues.


ICHTHYDEMON,
probably not. If you are ok with taking a hour for a full charge, and the charger output is the same rate as the cells rating, you're good to go. But don't try to fast charge those same NiMh cells in like 10 minutes by cranking up the output if the charging rate is adjustable.

[ 12-15-2003, 12:07 PM: Message edited by: SafetyChain ]

[Fish_N_Russ]

Sanyo green label (industrial strength) NiMH are the best ones. They are rated at 1600 but usually test at 1750-1800 MaH. They are about $2 each from several places online.