Education Which AA rechargeable batteries for camera?

Main Scratcher · 11 Jul 2016

Blogins said: ↑

Eneloop are great batteries! I use them in many gadgets like Remote controls, Joypads, Keyboards and Mices! Saved me a small fortune

Not sure how they'd perform in something demanding like a camera however. Be interested to learn of others experiences with the Eneloops in that setup.
Click to expand...

Similar to you, Blogin, I haven't tested the Eneloop batteries with a camera but I can certainly vouch for their use with the exact equipment you mention above. Based on my own experience, the Eneloop AA and AAA batteries have been better than the rechargable batteries that came with the devices I have bought. I have used this brand of rechargable batteries since 2011, and if friends ask me I always recommend these

boiled_elephant said:

And if you're going to be using them a lot, get a Maha/"Powerex" charger. They do AA-only ones but if you've also got (or might get) other size NiMH rechargeables the 808 is a great investment.
Click to expand...

I did not know about these. Do you recommend using this charger for regular Eneloop batteries as well or only necessary for nurturing the Extreme version of the batteries?

Unicorn · 12 Jul 2016

boiled_elephant said: ↑

The Eneloop Extremes are essentially the highest capacity AAs you can buy (edit - didn't see post above about the Energizers, sorry - I have no experience of these but my information is about 2 years old now), but they are expensive. I use them in my bike lights (very high power LED things) and they are worth it. For most lights and other uses I've since started downgrading to regular Eneloops but if you absolutely need the best possible capacity, the Extremes are worth the extra cost.

And if you're going to be using them a lot, get a Maha/"Powerex" charger. They do AA-only ones but if you've also got (or might get) other size NiMH rechargeables the 808 is a great investment.

Battery nerds all rave about the MH808 and honestly I don't regret buying mine, it's a fantastic charger. (Appears on UK sites as the Powerex 9000, confusingly.) It has separate charging circuits for each of the 8 bays, complicated measuring and safety circuits to prevent overcharge, trickle charge and health cycle modes to restore older batteries (nickel are all too well known for ageing badly) and its default charge mode is crazy quick without risking damage to the cells (other cheaper 'superfast' chargers lack the sophisticated safety features and tend to overcharge and gradually kill cells).

If I sound like a shill on Maha's payroll, it's only because I admire good electrical engineering and frickin' love this charger.

Edit:
Regarding RedFlames post above, the rechargeable vs non-rechargeable question, without meaning to offend I think this is old, super old information. As late as the early 00s rechargeables were rubbish, it's true, but they are now absolutely stonking batteries if you pay for decent ones. They also have a much better discharge output curve, as torch nerds often remark: non-rechargeable NiCd cells slope off their power output in a long steady curve to fully depleted, while rechargeables output close to full voltage for most of the duration then suddenly drop off power towards the end. This makes them far more reliable for anything that's power hungry and likely to cut out if it sees a drop in voltage. Non-res are therefore great for remotes, clocks and toys and pretty **** for anything else. I use expensive rechargeables in everything that matters now and swapping them out in lower power devices has become such a rare event that I forget half these things have batteries in them.

Edit 2:

Don't develop brand loyalty. Brand loyalty is dumb. Brand loyalty only hurts; it never helps.
Also, pairing some new swanky batteries with an old bundle-purchased wallwart charger may not be ideal. I lost the link but someone on candlepower forums did explain why; basically those cheap bundle chargers are often designed specifically for the batteries they sell with, having a very simple set charge rate and timed cut-off. This means that paired with different, newer batteries they may not charge them properly.
Click to expand...

Good advice here, with my hobbies of RC vehicles and high end flashlight collecting, I've been through many charger and battery combinations over the years, everything from Energizer to Uniross and everything in between. My personal favourite combination for AAs and a charger are the Panasonic Eneloop Pro 2500mAh and the Nitecore Intellicharger i4 V2, mainly because I charge a mixture of the Eneloops and RCR123A/18650 Li-Ions for my torches.

Log in or Sign up

Education Which AA rechargeable batteries for camera?

Main Scratcher What's a Dremel?

Unicorn Uniform November India

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Education Which AA rechargeable batteries for camera?

Main Scratcher What's a Dremel?

Unicorn Uniform November India

Share This Page

Useful Searches