What's the difference between Nicd and Nimh?

metajeff

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Anyone know what the difference is when talking about rechargeables? Thanks

Jeff
 
Anyone know what the difference is when talking about
rechargeables? Thanks

Jeff
Nicd batteries loose voltage fairly quickly as they are being discharged, Nimh batteries on the other hand hold a fairly constant voltage until near the end of their capacity. The overall effect is that you get more operating time from a Nimh battery in a digital camera then you do when running larger capacity Nicd in the same camera.

--
Jim M.
Oly 340R & Nikon 995 & TC-E2
http://www.pbase.com/jimm
 
I see, thanks Jim.

Jeff
Anyone know what the difference is when talking about
rechargeables? Thanks

Jeff
Nicd batteries loose voltage fairly quickly as they are being
discharged, Nimh batteries on the other hand hold a fairly constant
voltage until near the end of their capacity. The overall effect is
that you get more operating time from a Nimh battery in a digital
camera then you do when running larger capacity Nicd in the same
camera.

--
Jim M.
Oly 340R & Nikon 995 & TC-E2
http://www.pbase.com/jimm
 
I believe there is also a difference in voltage per cell. I think the Nicds are 1.5 volts and the Nimh are 1.2 volts. They night not be interchangable in some devices, like digital cameras.
 
I see, thanks Roger.

Jeff
I believe there is also a difference in voltage per cell. I think
the Nicds are 1.5 volts and the Nimh are 1.2 volts. They night not
be interchangable in some devices, like digital cameras.
 
I believe there is also a difference in voltage per cell. I think
the Nicds are 1.5 volts and the Nimh are 1.2 volts. They night not
be interchangable in some devices, like digital cameras.
There are voltage differences between the two but digital cameras that use AA size batteries are designed to run with the Nimh batteries. Go through Phil's reviews he has comparisions on the various manufacturer's Nimh batteries and their operating times in various caneras.

--
Jim M.
Oly 340R & Nikon 995 & TC-E2
http://www.pbase.com/jimm
 
Which one?

John
Nicd batteries loose voltage fairly quickly as they are being
discharged, Nimh batteries on the other hand hold a fairly constant
voltage until near the end of their capacity. The overall effect is
that you get more operating time from a Nimh battery in a digital
camera then you do when running larger capacity Nicd in the same
camera.

--
Jim M.
Oly 340R & Nikon 995 & TC-E2
http://www.pbase.com/jimm
 
Jeff

The Nicad has a memory in it's charge/discharge cycle, this means you need to completely discharge the Nicad before you recharge it to get max power and that's why they are becoming obsolete. The Nimh is good but the Lithium Ion is the best battery with it's very long shelf life.

Ron T
Anyone know what the difference is when talking about
rechargeables? Thanks

Jeff
 
Thanks guys, very informative indeed. Anyone have a link for Phil's battery review?

Jeff
The Nicad has a memory in it's charge/discharge cycle, this means
you need to completely discharge the Nicad before you recharge it
to get max power and that's why they are becoming obsolete. The
Nimh is good but the Lithium Ion is the best battery with it's very
long shelf life.

Ron T
Anyone know what the difference is when talking about
rechargeables? Thanks

Jeff
 
Turns out the battery shoot out was from Dave Etchells at Imaging Resource.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM

Also check each particular camera's requirement by looking in Phil's reviews.

Nikon's tend to use the EN-EL1 or simular Li-ion battery but Olympus, Minolta and others that use AA size batteries seem to recommend use of Nimh, check the specific camera just to make sure.

My old Oly 340R was only good for about 20 minutes of use with alkaline or Nicd batteries but would run houts with Nimh.

--
Jim M.
Oly 340R & Nikon 995 & TC-E2
http://www.pbase.com/jimm
 
Hi there metajeff.

Being an electronics technician, I can comment on your question with a resonable level of accuracy.

First of all there are several different types of rechargeable cells; namely:

1) Rechargeable ALKALINE cells at 1.5 volts per cell which can be recharged about 25 times, but are not suitable for digital cameras because they cannot deliver the high current required to run cameras for any length of time. Although they exhibit no memory effect, they really are useless in a digicam. I tried some in a NIKON 990 and they lasted abot 5 to 10 minutes.

2) Ni-Cd or NICKEL-CADMIUM cell at 1.25 volts per cell can be re-charged several hundred times but typically have one quarter to one half the capacity of a standard alkaline cell. Ni-Cd batteries also suffer from memory effect and have a high self discharge rate which requires you to recharge them at least every 1 to 2 months to keep them alive, otherwise they can develop an internal short circuit.

3) Ni-Mh or NICKEL-METAL-HYDRIDE batteries at 1.25 volts per cell can also be re-charged several hundred times and have a much higher capacity than typical alkaline cells. Ni-Mh batteries do not suffer from memory effect and can be partially discharge and then re-charged to full capacity with no ill effects. I have read that the self discharge rate on Ni-Mh cells is also high, but am not sure about that info because I only consulted one source for that info (see link listed at bottom of this message.

4) Li-On or LITHIUM-ION batteries at 3.6 volts per cell are not available in standard battery sizes such as AAA, AA, C or D due to their high voltage, but are found in camcorder and digital camera sealed plastic casings where the individual cells have been soldered together to achieve required total voltages to service the appropriate equipment. These Li-On batteries have the highest capacity presently available; can be recharged several hundred times and do not suffer from memory effects.

Hope that helps you out in some way. If you would like further information then plese click on the following link
http://www.millenniumbatteries.com/News/prannouncements/pcmarket.htm

Best regards: john1999
 
Thanks John! Very educational indeed.

I picked up some 1800 rechargeables with charger for 10 bucks at my local Walmart. I figure I don't quite need to plunk down for the Maha heavy artillery just yet. Hopefully, these won't fry my sunpak flash.

Jeff
Hi there metajeff.

Being an electronics technician, I can comment on your question
with a resonable level of accuracy.

First of all there are several different types of rechargeable
cells; namely:

1) Rechargeable ALKALINE cells at 1.5 volts per cell which can be
recharged about 25 times, but are not suitable for digital cameras
because they cannot deliver the high current required to run
cameras for any length of time. Although they exhibit no memory
effect, they really are useless in a digicam. I tried some in a
NIKON 990 and they lasted abot 5 to 10 minutes.

2) Ni-Cd or NICKEL-CADMIUM cell at 1.25 volts per cell can be
re-charged several hundred times but typically have one quarter to
one half the capacity of a standard alkaline cell. Ni-Cd batteries
also suffer from memory effect and have a high self discharge rate
which requires you to recharge them at least every 1 to 2 months to
keep them alive, otherwise they can develop an internal short
circuit.

3) Ni-Mh or NICKEL-METAL-HYDRIDE batteries at 1.25 volts per cell
can also be re-charged several hundred times and have a much higher
capacity than typical alkaline cells. Ni-Mh batteries do not suffer
from memory effect and can be partially discharge and then
re-charged to full capacity with no ill effects. I have read that
the self discharge rate on Ni-Mh cells is also high, but am not
sure about that info because I only consulted one source for that
info (see link listed at bottom of this message.

4) Li-On or LITHIUM-ION batteries at 3.6 volts per cell are not
available in standard battery sizes such as AAA, AA, C or D due to
their high voltage, but are found in camcorder and digital camera
sealed plastic casings where the individual cells have been
soldered together to achieve required total voltages to service the
appropriate equipment. These Li-On batteries have the highest
capacity presently available; can be recharged several hundred
times and do not suffer from memory effects.

Hope that helps you out in some way. If you would like further
information then plese click on the following link
http://www.millenniumbatteries.com/News/prannouncements/pcmarket.htm

Best regards: john1999
 
Thanks Jim.

Jeff
Turns out the battery shoot out was from Dave Etchells at Imaging
Resource.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM

Also check each particular camera's requirement by looking in
Phil's reviews.
Nikon's tend to use the EN-EL1 or simular Li-ion battery but
Olympus, Minolta and others that use AA size batteries seem to
recommend use of Nimh, check the specific camera just to make sure.

My old Oly 340R was only good for about 20 minutes of use with
alkaline or Nicd batteries but would run houts with Nimh.

--
Jim M.
Oly 340R & Nikon 995 & TC-E2
http://www.pbase.com/jimm
 

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