Camera Battery News

I've been trying out some new re-chargeable batteries recently while out skiing. This activity gives camera batteries a good workout as the combination of cold and my own laziness in seeing that they are charged often results in my camera being unable to function. These new types of batteries have been working well. They maintain their change for a much longer time than regular Ni-MH batteries and they have stood up to the cold weather well. Yesterday I was out from 9.30 AM until 2.30 PM on a long ski in weather around -13°C. My camera was in my exposed jacket pocket and it continued to function well all day. I've had trouble using regular Ni-MH betteries doing that, so I'm a convert. Here's what the reviewers have to say about one brand made by Sanyo:

"Eneloop batteries are Ni-MH batteries made by Sanyo in Japan. They come fully charged out-of-the-box, and have a slow self-discharging range. They can also be recharged in any Ni-MH charger. Sanyo says Eneloops can be recharged up to 1000 times, and they will retain their charged capacity even after 6 or 12 months of storage. (According to Sanyo the specs are: 90% of charged capacity retained after 6 months, and 85% capacity after 12 months at 20 degree Celsius). The AA-sized (R6) batteries are rated at 2000mAh, and the AAA-sized (R03) cells are rated at 800mAh. The price is similar to the Hybrios — a pack of 4 AA Eneloops costs about $12. The charge times are as follows: AA Eneloops charge in 230 minutes, and AAA Eneloops charge in 135 minutes."

I will definitely use them when on longer trips thanks to their slow discharge rate. Last winter, in Florida, I was caught without sufficient battery power several times, so this feature ought to help considerably.