Reading mode: Light Dark

H1 battery life

Go to last post
A

Autumn

New member
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Hi all,

I'm new to this forum but in the market for a sony digicam. Have had use of a F717 for a few years and loved it, now ready to buy one. I'm all but decided on the H1 but have heard negative comments regarding battery life. Can any users out there share their experiences on this issue? Also, can you plug the battery charger into your car (or can you buy one that does), as we will be travelling and camping with no other power source to charge (the F717 was great for plugging into the old cigerette lighter spot in your car).
 
I have 2 NiMH 2100 mAh Sony and 4 NiHM 2500 mAh Energizer. I can shoot all day without running out of battery. The battery is very cheap so you can bring as much as you can.

Good luck with your choice.

Regards,
Iwan
Autumn said:
Hi all,
I'm new to this forum but in the market for a sony digicam. Have
had use of a F717 for a few years and loved it, now ready to buy
one. I'm all but decided on the H1 but have heard negative comments
regarding battery life. Can any users out there share their
experiences on this issue? Also, can you plug the battery charger
into your car (or can you buy one that does), as we will be
travelling and camping with no other power source to charge (the
F717 was great for plugging into the old cigerette lighter spot in
your car).
Click to expand...
--
Oly C-860L, DSC-H1
http://iwansala.blogspot.com/
 
I took it on a 12 day trip and clicked 250 photos. I had to charge it only once. Some additional batteries as a backup should do the trick for you.

I believe the battery issue is blown out of proportion.

Cheers,

Chetan
--
Sony DSC H1
 
took it on a 4 day trip, took 320 pictures, replaced the first set before "running dry", second set lasted at least for another 200 pictures when back home ..

I agree with one poster .. It is a non-issue ... compared to my old HP where I constantly had to drag around at least 3 set of 4xAA and charge 1 set every 2 days, now with 6xAA I'd probably be fixed for 2 weeks with no recharge and ok say I'd take 8xAA (and no charger) to be on the safe side
--
if needed, email me at : [email protected]
Horum Omnium Fortissimi Sunt Belgae !
C912G6H1
 
The battery charger that comes with the H1 from Sony does not work in your cigarette lighter. However, you can buy 1 hour chargers (wal mart) that work in home and auto.

I've had my H1 for a week now and certainly have done a lot of "fussing around" with it just to try and learn it and replaced the batteries for the first time last night. As others have stated, it certainly is not an issue.
 
I get at least 200 - 300 shots per set. What you may have heard is other's posts stating that they have 4 batteries, and the H1 only uses 2.

An advantage of the H1 IMO.
R2

--
Good judgment comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgment.

http://www.pbase.com/jekyll_and_hyde/galleries
 
Battery life only becomes a problem when shooting with the flash. Which uses up batteries very quickly... The charger that comes with it cannot be used in a car, and even if you find an adapter it is the slowest battery charger I have ever seen... The flash recycle time is slow. I would buy a fast charge battery charger right away, they aren't very expensive. Here is a link to Steve's Digicam review of batteries and his suggestions.
http://www.steves-digicams.com/nimh_batteries.html

I was contemplating buying a lens for my new preordered R1 and decided to buy an H1 instead. And the 1.7x Sony Teleconverter is great. This is a great little camera, I also have a 717 and an 828 and the R1 is on preorder...

Jim in VT
http://www.photosbyjim.smugmug.com/
 
I don't know where you heard that there was a problem with H1 battery life. The only posts I've seen about that, so far, are from people who haven't bought one yet! :-)

My first event at which I used the H1, an indoor concert, was 660 shots. I brought 12 batteries, just in case. In fact, I didn't replace the battery even once. I came home, downloaded direct from the camera, and then the battery finally died.

First of all, I don't use the Sony batteries at 2100 mah. I bought EverReady 2500 mah batteries with charger (about $19 at Wal*Mart). Now I carry only a pair of extras and make sure to keep them charged.

The battery life of the H1 is, in fact, excellent!
--
AAK - http://www.aakatz.com
 
for two AA's the battery life is great, never had a problem with it
 
I have energizer 2500 NiMH batteries that last for about 200 - 250 shots. Sometimes more, but not much more than like say 325. I'm not sure why some are getting over 600 shots with one pair but maybe they have better batteries or something.

The flash definitely drains my batteries faster.

Regardless, that's still pretty good.

Yes, you can get a charger with a cigarette lighter adapter. My energizer charger came with both a wall and CLA adapter. I think the charge is like 2 hours which is fine for me. I just left the key in the ignition overnight and let them charge (I have a keyless entry remote so it wasn't an issue) or when I was driving around.
--
Brian
Sony DSC-H1
Canon 20D
http://www.pbase.com/bhusk
 
I have to retract my earlier short life battery experiences with my new H1..

My wifes, NiMh batteries 1800's ended up in the H1. I had stopped using the Sony charger because it was so slowww... and started using a 4 battery rapid charger. I made the mistake and put the 1800's in the H1.... and only after other comments about no problems did I realize the mistake....

I apologize for my stupidity... Next time I will put my glasses on. Sorry for any confusion.
Jim in VT
 
jmknights said:
I have to retract my earlier short life battery experiences with my
new H1..
My wifes, NiMh batteries 1800's ended up in the H1. ..
Click to expand...
But even then Jim I expect them to last at least for some 120-150 shots .. :-)

--
if needed, email me at : [email protected]
Horum Omnium Fortissimi Sunt Belgae !
C912G6H1
 
Battery life is fine. I carry two spare sets with the camera, and even on a busy day, never had to change more than once. But, by all means, replace the charger Sony provides - which is the slowwwest charger on the planet. I have a nice charger from Olympus that charges 4 at a time, 110V and 240V for travel. If you're camping, get one that works on car voltage.

Yes, the flash eats up batteries rapidly. Speaking of S-L-O-W, the shot-to-shot recovery time when using flash is extremely slow. For travel and some uses, that may not be a big deal. But if you need to take shots rapidly with flash, like keeping up with active children, then the H1 may not be the camera of choice. Even with freshly-charged 2500 mAh batteries, the camera takes forever to recover after flash.

Other than the flash recovery, the H1 is a sweet little 12X camera.

**** Stevens, FZ20, FZ30, H1, W1
 
When you say the H1 takes forever between flash shots, how long are you actually talking about?
 
If you force the ISO to 200, the flash recovers a bit faster, and the pics still look great.
--

'If you find yourself on the side of the majority, its time to pause and reflect.' - Mark Twain
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top