Digital Camera Batteries

This week we take a look at the many different batteries that are available for digital cameras.

Batteries are rated in milliampere-hours or mAh. Simply put, mAh is the amount of electrical current a battery can put out for a certain amount of time. For example, a battery with a 1000 mAh rating could last about an hour (depending on how many of the camera's features are being run at the same time) and a battery with a 500 mAh rating will last half as long. The higher the mAh number the longer the output.

What is “Memory Effect”?

This is a term heard most often with rechargeable battery use. Memory effect occurs when the battery is not fully discharged before recharging. For example, I have a fully charged battery at 100% capacity and I use it and drain it to 50% capacity and then recharge it. The battery forgets that it still has a 50% charge in it. Recharging a battery before it is fully discharged on a steady basis will result in a battery working at only 50% of its full capacity, or whatever capacity the battery was drained down to. To fix this- fully charge and fully discharge the battery at least once every 2 – 3 weeks.

Different Types of Batteries

Nickel metal hydride (NiMh) - The highest capacity rechargeable AA’s that will last for about an hour or more and are usually the best ones to get for digital cameras. There is no memory effect problem with these and they will last through hundreds of recharges but do not have a long shelf life.

Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) - The most commonly available rechargeable AA battery and they last about half as long as NiMh. These batteries can supply power for about half an hour and are cheaper than Nickel metal hydrides.

Lithium-Ion - These are not rechargeable and are a bit expensive but they put out at a rate of 2100 mAh, meaning they will last for almost 2 hours of normal digital camera use. Lithium’s make up for their non-recharge ability by having a long shelf life, about 10 years, and perform well in cold weather. These make good back up batteries.

Alkaline - The most common non-rechargeable, disposable battery that will last about 15 minutes in a digital camera under normal use. Even the new “Ultra” types will not give you enough power to run your camera for any length of time. These are good for small devices like cassette players, but not for fully functional digital cameras.

Rechargeable Alkaline - Rayovac “Renewal” is an 1800 mAh alkaline battery that can be recharged, about 50 times at most. Compared to NiMh and NiCd batteries, that can be recharged hundreds of times, rechargeable alkaline don’t seem to be the battery of choice for digital camera use. Another downside, this battery holds a little less charge each time it is recharged. Done enough time and the battery could actually have no charge at all.

New NiMh Introduced- MAHA Nickel metal hydride - This battery can be recharged upwards of 500 – 1,000 times. MAHA NiMh has a mAh rating ranging from 1,550 to as high as 1,800 which means these batteries will last a long time under normal use. They have no “Memory Effect” which means you can charge these anytime you want, whether they are fully drained or not, without any loss of capacity. MAHA has a shelf life of approximately 70 – 90 days at room temperature.

Battery Care

1. Break in new batteries by fully charging and fully discharging 2 – 4 times before using. Read the manufacturers suggestions.
2. Remember, to avoid “memory effect”, make sure the battery is fully discharged before charging. Exceptions to this are NiMh, which have no memory loss problems and Lithium-Ion batteries as well.
3. Maintain good connections between the battery and the digital camera by cleaning the contacts with a cotton swab and some alcohol.
4. Do not leave batteries dormant for a long period of time. Use them at least once every 2 weeks. 
5. Store unused batteries in a dry, cool place away from heat and metal objects. Remember, NiMh and NiCd will slowly discharge themselves during storage. Break them in before using.

Batteries are the key element in a digital camera’s performance. You want to make sure you have enough juice to last through your picture-taking event, so it is recommended by the experts to use rechargeable NiMh or NiCd and to have Lithium-Ions in your camera bag as a back up. There is nothing worse that seeing the perfect shot and having your batteries fizzle out. Always carry back up batteries to your back up batteries. Lithium-Ion batteries are recommended for this task because they pack about 2 hours of juice and have a long shelf life.

By Georgiana Marshen

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