Which Batteries?

[hedders]

My dad had given me his 'old'camera, an HP photosmart 850.

I have the set of rechargeable batteries that he used with it (red Uniross Ni-Cd 7h-150ah)and i have rechargeable batteries that i use for my R/C stuff but none of them seem to hold a charge long enough to take more than a few pics / video's.

If i buy brand new duracells they last longer, but I would still need a few replacement sets to last me a day..

Is there a certain type of recharegeable battery I should get, cos this is just not practical. I Take a few shots and the batteries die before i can even see the pictures I have taken.

ta.

[simpo two]

Old digital cameras do seem to use prodigious amounts of power. If the batteries are 'AA' size your best bet is to get a set of 4 rechargeable batteries (at least 2000mAh) and charger - £15-20 max.

[hedders]

2000mh?

I didn't know they were available! I have some 1000mh and thought they must have been about as good as it gets!

Ta for that, I will check them out.

[_dobbo_]

hedders said:

2000mh? I didn't know they were available! I have some 1000mh and thought they must have been about as good as it gets! Ta for that, I will check them out.

I think it goes as high as 2800mah now - get NiMh ones as well not NiCad, and you should find that they last a bit longer!

[406]

_dobbo_ said:

I think it goes as high as 2800mah now - get NiMh ones as well not NiCad, and you should find that they last a bit longer!

I use 3000mah Uniross in my sb800 and they last an age

[hedders]

3000!

Ok , any advance on 3000?

Do i hear 3,500?

You sir, in the back?

No wonder I am having problems..little ol' me with a puny 1000

[406]

hedders said:

3000! No wonder I am having problems..little ol' me with a puny 1000

See, size DOES matter!!!

[HankScorpio]

Nah, not size that matters, it's capacity, stamina and recharge rate...!

[simpo two]

hedders said:

No wonder I am having problems..little ol' me with a puny 1000

More than that, you have old knackered NiCads which I've heard lose 10% of their charge per day whether you use them or not... and that's before you allow for the memory effect.

[Bee_Jay]

visit www.budgetbatteries.co.uk - top stuff and top service.

The Ansmann kit is excellent - I use 2400,2500 & 2600 NiMH Ansmanns in a "Digispeed 4 Ultra" charger -for my flashes - charges 4 in 10-15 minutes - stunning.

[imperialism2024]

Nah, CR2 batteries are the best

[hedders]

Ok, I went out to maplins and bought 4 x 2000ma ni-mh AA batteries.

I have charged them up fully and they don't have the necessary power to even turn the camera on this is just silly!

[simpo two]

hedders said:

Ok, I went out to maplins and bought 4 x 2000ma ni-mh AA batteries. I have charged them up fully and they don't have the necessary power to even turn the camera on this is just silly!

Hmmm - maybe that camera needs the small extra voltage that alkalines provide... Frankly, I'd keep the batteries and change the camera, sorry!

[hedders]

I think you may be right...I can see why my dad gave up on it after only a few outings with it...

[size13]

Quoting the dpreview review of the camera..

4 x AA batteries (NiMH recommended)

I use 2000mh NiMH in my older DX4900

>> Edited by size13 on Friday 21st October 10:35

[hedders]

I have got them working now after charging them for a second time, I guess maybe my charger needs to allow more time for these batteries, one charge doesn't do it...

[simpo two]

It's not capacity but voltage that can make difference. Some older circuits need the 1.5V of alkaline cells and aren't happy with the 1.4V of NiMh.

[Vipers]

Good ol'dad, but I assume the camera is quite old, as far as digital cameras go.

I was "given" one some years ago, it took 4 AA's, and it absolutely EAT batteries, fact of life for older models.

My honest suggestion would be to get a more recent model, if the bidget is tight, Jessops usualy do a nice range of "used" equipment

[mcflurry]

hedders said:

Ok, I went out to maplins and bought 4 x 2000ma ni-mh AA batteries. I have charged them up fully and they don't have the necessary power to even turn the camera on this is just silly!

Maybe the "old charger" is only putting 150ma an hour for what it thinks the batteries are. My old charger came with 800ma batteries, so after 5/6 hours it stops, even with 2000ma batteries.

I got a new charger off fleabay for £5 which is :thumbsup:

[size13]

My old Kodax batteries and charger suggested charging the batteries up, then take the batteries out of the charger, put them in again and plug it in again!