management and use of batteries

I have been with my 7i a while. The biggest pain is, like what you may have experineced, that it eats batteries so fast!

1. If I charge the batteries without using them right away, would fully-charged status bring anything bad to the batteries (like the life, durability, chargability, strength, etc)

2. Also, rumor says that when you see the “battery sign” blinking, there is still some power left in the battery. To fully re-charge it to the full extend, we have to start from “zero” level. So, it becomes necessary to “drain” some power first before actually putting the battery in the charger. Is this true? Is yes, how do I do it to max out the prowess of the batteries?

3. The time between "semi-full" sign to "no power left (battery blinking)" is just too short. It only sustains 2-3 shots in between. Is my camera normal? I think the " semi-full" warning should last longer....

Thanks

--
Mike - newbie owner of DiMAGE 7i

not many people here have battery issues anymore because we all bought the digipower DPS-9000 battery pack. buy it and you will go back to using rechargable AAs. at full charge the DPS-9000 lasts literally forever. people have reported to take over 600 shots per charge. the best thing i have ever bought for my dimage.

mike zen said:

2. Also, rumor says that when you see the “battery sign” blinking,
there is still some power left in the battery. To fully re-charge
it to the full extend, we have to start from “zero” level. So, it
becomes necessary to “drain” some power first before actually
putting the battery in the charger. Is this true? Is yes, how do I
do it to max out the prowess of the batteries?

Thanks

--
Mike - newbie owner of DiMAGE 7i

Click to expand...

As you said, "rumor". If you are going to use AA nimh's (instead of the excellent DigiPower DPS-9000), then you can recharge them anytime, you do not have to wait for them to be drained down to almost "zero" (that is for Nicd's).

Again, if it is the AA nimh's you want to keep using, then get at least 2 or 3 sets of the newer higher mah rated (Maha 2200 Powerex would be an excellent choice), at least 1800's or higher.

Then just rotate by charging as you need and try to keep a set on trickle charge to be ready for extended shooting time.

But if you get the DigiPower DPS-9000 you will find that "power" is not a problem at all.

Good Day,
Steven

john grayson said:

not many people here have battery issues anymore because we all
bought the digipower DPS-9000 battery pack.

Click to expand...

'not many' and 'all' ????

Well I can contradict the 'we all'. I don't have a DPS-9000.

It's likely that the DPS9000 owners in the forum represent
a minority of participants and lurkers -- nowhere near an 'all'.

--
---------------
Andrew.

Andrew Cruickshank said:

john grayson said:

not many people here have battery issues anymore because we all
bought the digipower DPS-9000 battery pack.

Click to expand...

'not many' and 'all' ????

Well I can contradict the 'we all'. I don't have a DPS-9000.

It's likely that the DPS9000 owners in the forum represent
a minority of participants and lurkers -- nowhere near an 'all'.

--
---------------
Andrew.

Click to expand...

--
Turboman

Andrew, I wouldnt get out of shape over semantics. Many D7 series owners have Dps9000 battery pacs and they all have FORGOTTEN about battery issues. The damn things stay charged for months too.I HIGHLY RECOMMEND one to all. After 20000 shots, now I can just worry about what might be my next shot, not-Will I get a next shot.Try it you will be pleased.Dennis

http://www.Arendtgalleries.HomeGallery.PhotoShare.co.nz

For what it's worth, having tried carrying several sets of spare AA NiMHs around for the last few weeks, I have finally given up trying to persuade myself that I don't need a Digipower 9000 and ordered one. The AA batteries are not a problem, so long as you don't end up in a situation where you're not going to have time to recharge 2 or 3 sets before you next have a day out planned. I'm planning to use the dp9000s only for weekends away etc, but it remains to be seen whether that will actually be the case.

Andrew Cruickshank wrote:
It's likely that the DPS9000 owners in the forum represent
a minority of participants and lurkers -- nowhere near an 'all'.

-- ---------------
Andrew.

Greetings

Whether or not you "need" a DPS - 9000 depends on what you photograph and your shooting style. My only regret is that I didn't discover this forum sooner ( like when the local Best Buy had the DPS - 9000 on clearance for $22 ). I just spent 5 hours photographing the Songbird Migration at Crane Creek, Ohio. When you have a singing, male Black-throated Green Warbler, perched 5 feet away from you, the last thing you need is to have to change the batteries. I was able to bird and shoot ( in other words leave the camera "On" ) for the entire 5 hours on only half a charge of the DPS - 9000. So for me, the DPS-9000 is a must. If you are

going on a trip to Europe, which uses a different voltage, I would say it is also a must. On the other hand, if your shooting style is to pull the camera out of the bag, take a couple of shots, turn it off and put it away, NiMH AAs are probably more cost effective.

My recommendation is this: If you are having to change batteries twice a day ( especially at the most inconvenient times ), get the DPS - 9000. If one or two sets last you a wholes day's "shooting" stick with the NiHM AAs.

Roy

Well, currently I haven’t any plans buying anything additional…Let's go back to my original questions...

My question is, how many sets of AA rechargeable batteries I have to prepare to suffice one day’s out? Are 4 sets enough? Or I should buy more…
Thanks

Allan Taylor said:

For what it's worth, having tried carrying several sets of spare AA
NiMHs around for the last few weeks, I have finally given up trying
to persuade myself that I don't need a Digipower 9000 and ordered
one. The AA batteries are not a problem, so long as you don't end
up in a situation where you're not going to have time to recharge 2
or 3 sets before you next have a day out planned. I'm planning to
use the dp9000s only for weekends away etc, but it remains to be
seen whether that will actually be the case.

Click to expand...

--
Mike - newbie owner of DiMAGE 7i

It depends on how many shots you are taking on your typical day out - I am using a 7Hi and so far have found 3 sets to be sufficient for most days out - this gives me enough for about 200 shots - I believe that the 7i may be a little more power hungry - it depends what review you read. The problem is, that if you are away for 2 or 3 days, and out until late evening, how do you charge 3 sets overnight? You either need a charger that will take 12 batteries (very large and cumbersome), 3 separate 4 battery chargers, or to get up every 3 hours to change the batteries in your charger - hence the DPS 9000.

If you want to get the best out of your NiMHs, get an intelligent charger, that will ercharge each battery independently to full capacity, rather than cutting off when your first battery is full, and get a charger that will discharge your batteries before recharging them, and do this for the first 4 or 5 charges, after which you can just top them up. I use an Ansmann charger.

Hope this helps.

Allan

mike zen said:

Allan Taylor said:

For what it's worth, having tried carrying several sets of spare AA
NiMHs around for the last few weeks, I have finally given up trying
to persuade myself that I don't need a Digipower 9000 and ordered
one. The AA batteries are not a problem, so long as you don't end
up in a situation where you're not going to have time to recharge 2
or 3 sets before you next have a day out planned. I'm planning to
use the dp9000s only for weekends away etc, but it remains to be
seen whether that will actually be the case.

Click to expand...

--
Mike - newbie owner of DiMAGE 7i

Click to expand...

I carry 4 sets of AA nimh's for my photo outings and have never needed the 4th set. I rarely need the 3rd set.

Again, it depends on what you're shooting and for how long, but 3 sets seems to do the trick for me.

Also, in regards to charging quickly, I have the Rayovac PS-4 charger that charges in about an hour. I can recharge all 4 sets of my batteries in about 4 hours. Not hard to do overnight at all.

Allan Taylor said:

• I am using a 7Hi and so far have found 3 sets to be sufficient

for most days out - this gives me enough for about 200 shots - I
believe that the 7i may be a little more power hungry - it depends
what review you read. The problem is, that if you are away for 2 or
3 days, and out until late evening, how do you charge 3 sets
overnight? You either need a charger that will take 12 batteries
(very large and cumbersome), 3 separate 4 battery chargers, or to
get up every 3 hours to change the batteries in your charger -
hence the DPS 9000.

If you want to get the best out of your NiMHs, get an intelligent
charger, that will ercharge each battery independently to full
capacity, rather than cutting off when your first battery is full,
and get a charger that will discharge your batteries before
recharging them, and do this for the first 4 or 5 charges, after
which you can just top them up. I use an Ansmann charger.

Hope this helps.

Allan

mike zen said:

Allan Taylor said:

For what it's worth, having tried carrying several sets of spare AA
NiMHs around for the last few weeks, I have finally given up trying
to persuade myself that I don't need a Digipower 9000 and ordered
one. The AA batteries are not a problem, so long as you don't end
up in a situation where you're not going to have time to recharge 2
or 3 sets before you next have a day out planned. I'm planning to
use the dp9000s only for weekends away etc, but it remains to be
seen whether that will actually be the case.

Click to expand...

--
Mike - newbie owner of DiMAGE 7i

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

--
---
Ray Flanagan
[email protected]
http://www.pbase.com/rayflana
---
For me, photography is not about taking
great pictures. It's getting the chance
to take pictures at all.

Let me share my experience with my 7Hi:

I use Sanyo 2100, and a 2010 Charge Manager: typically I take around 200-250 shots with one set, using flash for 20% and EVF for 100% of the shots. The battery indicator changes to half after 50-100 shots! Ok, I live in Singapore, so the ambient temperature is around 30deg which helps a lot!

I reaslized charging before using the batteries is the key (self-discharge) and a good charger is another!

Rgds,
Michael

mike zen said:

I have been with my 7i a while. The biggest pain is, like what you
may have experineced, that it eats batteries so fast!

1. If I charge the batteries without using them right away, would
fully-charged status bring anything bad to the batteries (like the
life, durability, chargability, strength, etc)

2. Also, rumor says that when you see the “battery sign” blinking,
there is still some power left in the battery. To fully re-charge
it to the full extend, we have to start from “zero” level. So, it
becomes necessary to “drain” some power first before actually
putting the battery in the charger. Is this true? Is yes, how do I
do it to max out the prowess of the batteries?

3. The time between "semi-full" sign to "no power left (battery
blinking)" is just too short. It only sustains 2-3 shots in
between. Is my camera normal? I think the " semi-full" warning
should last longer....

Thanks

--
Mike - newbie owner of DiMAGE 7i

Click to expand...

mike zen said:

I have been with my 7i a while. The biggest pain is, like what you
may have experineced, that it eats batteries so fast!

1. If I charge the batteries without using them right away, would
fully-charged status bring anything bad to the batteries (like the
life, durability, chargability, strength, etc)

Click to expand...

Not sure if I completely understand this question. You are asking if having the fully charged batteries sitting on the shelf will hurt them? The answer is no. However, NiMH batteries will slowly discharge on the shelf. You'd probably see lower capacity from a fully charged set after they sat on the shelf for a few weeks.

mike zen said:

2. Also, rumor says that when you see the “battery sign” blinking,
there is still some power left in the battery. To fully re-charge
it to the full extend, we have to start from “zero” level. So, it
becomes necessary to “drain” some power first before actually
putting the battery in the charger. Is this true? Is yes, how do I
do it to max out the prowess of the batteries?

Click to expand...

No, NiMH batteries don't have to be drained to zero after every use. In fact, going to zero every time would shorten their life. They should be drained to zero by a charger that supports battery cycling after every 10 cycles or so. However, the newest Maha charger has circuitry that makes this step unnecessary. In fact, they've removed the battery cycling button from their newest charger.

mike zen said:

3. The time between "semi-full" sign to "no power left (battery
blinking)" is just too short. It only sustains 2-3 shots in
between. Is my camera normal? I think the " semi-full" warning
should last longer....

Click to expand...

I'm guessing that this is because you don't have a good charger. The Sanyo charger that came with your 7i is really only good to get you started. It's kind of like the 16MB CF card that came with the camera. You should quckly invest in a higher quality charger. The best batteries in the world won't do well without a decent charger. I'd recommend the newest Maha/Powerex charger from Thompson Distribution along with a couple sets of the new Maha/Powerex 2200 batteries.

--Blake

Does anyone have a photo of what the 7X looks like with the DP 9000 attached? In similar photos with other cameras, it looks very awkward. Any problem fitting the camera and battery pack in your camera case?

Casey

I did a search about the DP 9000 and found a thorough review of it, but the review took particular time in describing the problem it has with the 7 and 7i. The revewer said:

"High Power" Cameras - Semi Compatible?

I know from past experience that some high power-drain cameras are problematic when used with external battery packs, even when the voltage rating of the pack and the camera's input spec seem to be compatible. A case in point is the Minolta Dimage 7/7i. That camera shows a voltage spec on its external power jack of 6.5 volts, but I've found in the past that it required a LiIon pack with an 8.4 volt output to power it properly. I happened to have a Dimage 7 on hand, waiting for me to take a look at the latest firmware upgrade from Minolta. I've used this camera successfully with Maha's LiIon "PowerBank" external battery pack with good results, but when I plugged the D7 into the DPS-9000, it wouldn't power up properly. - The camera turned on, but the rear panel LCD wouldn't light up. Switching to the D7's electronic viewfinder (which has a lower power drain), the camera worked normally. I could even snap photos with the rear panel LCD enabled, I just couldn't see what I was doing.

The Dimage 7 and 7i are particularly demanding cameras from a power standpoint, so my experience with the D7 may very well be unique to that model. (It doesn't even seem to be a matter of the pack's ability to handle high power drains, but may possibly be an issue with noise voltages appearing in response to large, short spikes in current demand when the LCD backlight tries to start up.) Still, it does appear that you should actually test the DPS-9000 with a camera, if you suspect it has a very high power drain.

The web site is here: http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/DPS9000/DPS9000.HTM

Any comments?

Casey

Casey Carrow said:

Does anyone have a photo of what the 7X looks like with the DP 9000
attached? In similar photos with other cameras, it looks very
awkward. Any problem fitting the camera and battery pack in your
camera case?

Casey

Click to expand...

Here you go.

Good Day,
Steven
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1024&message=5044051

I will become one of the 'select' few who have the 9000. Mine should arrive tomorrow. I will let all know what my impressions are. I purchased it from erwincomp.com for $39.95 plus shipping.

Mike

Casey Carrow said:

Does anyone have a photo of what the 7X looks like with the DP 9000
attached? In similar photos with other cameras, it looks very
awkward. Any problem fitting the camera and battery pack in your
camera case?

Casey

Click to expand...

Hi Casey

As I posted earlier, I was able to use my D7i ( Firmware 1.1.1 ) for 5 hours yesterday with no problems of any kind ( other than uncooperative songbirds that refused to sit still ). As for being awkward, it may look that way, but in use it actually feels quite comfortable, as it "sits" right under the camera's center of balance, so the camera doesn't "feel" different, other than being a little heavier. As for putting the camera, with DPS 9000 attached in the camera bag, I use a Tamrac Explorer 2 and have no problems getting the camera into the bag. There are several ways you can store the camera and the DPS 9000. I remember reading somewhere on this forum, that someone had cut off the bolt that comes with the DPS 9000 to attach it to the camera, and uses high strength Velcro instead. In any case, if the camera doesn't fit in the bag with the battery "attached", simply unscrew the DPS from the camera and store it somewhere else in the bag. By the way, I use a different way of running the cable than the photo that Stephen came up with. I attach the DPS so the "Fuel Gauge" LEDs are on the left side of the camera and then wrap the cord around the bottom of the camera.

Roy

Really?! I have never heard that the quality of Sanyo’s battery (along with its charger) is this bad. I also got from Sam’s Club a set of Energizer’s charger and batteries set as well.

Thanks for your two cents, anyway. Here are some more questions:

1. Have anybody used Energizer’s as well? How it compared to Sanyo’s?

2. Have anybody tried all of Sanyo’s, Energizer’s, and (newly suggested) Maha/Powerex’s? (in terms of durability of use, power, stability and reliability)?
3. Most importantly, the money’s worth? (value per dollar)?

Thanks

I will clarify John's post...all users who have the DPS9000 no longer have battery issues. I have not used a single AA battery in my camera since I purchased mine. The best accessory I've purchased. Period.

Andrew Cruickshank said:

john grayson said:

not many people here have battery issues anymore because we all
bought the digipower DPS-9000 battery pack.

Click to expand...

'not many' and 'all' ????

Well I can contradict the 'we all'. I don't have a DPS-9000.

It's likely that the DPS9000 owners in the forum represent
a minority of participants and lurkers -- nowhere near an 'all'.

--
---------------
Andrew.

Click to expand...

--
Mike McLean

mike zen said:

1. Have anybody used Energizer’s as well? How it compared to Sanyo’s?
2. Have anybody tried all of Sanyo’s, Energizer’s, and (newly
suggested) Maha/Powerex’s? (in terms of durability of use, power,
stability and reliability)?
3. Most importantly, the money’s worth? (value per dollar)?

Thanks

Click to expand...

For VALUE it is hard to beat the Energizer's 1850 nimh that you can buy at Wal Marts and Targets for around $10.97 a set of four.
They are right at the top and my own experience has been very good with them.

The Maha Powerex batteries are always very good also (latest is 2200 mah), but you pay a premium for just a little more, not much more, power.

Good Day,
Steven

P.S.
Rayovac 1800's are also good batteries.