Infolithium vs. AA

[Andre Tiba]

Hi,

If you could choose, what would you prefer: recharchables AA or infolithium ?
What about performance of these two batts ?

Thanks,

Andre Tiba - Brazil

 

[leonbrag]

I would AA - way, way cheaper!

Hi,

If you could choose, what would you prefer: recharchables AA or
infolithium ?
What about performance of these two batts ?

Thanks,

Andre Tiba - Brazil

 

[JerryCurtis]

Especially if it didn't add much size or weight to the cam..
-Jerry

--
Sony V1 - Just learning...
http://www.pbase.com/icicle50/root

 

[outtatimeiii]

I guess it depends on the person, you gotta decide if you want a lot of power (AA) or convenience (Infolithium).

I kinda like Infolithium now, I don't need to carry a lot of AA's around with me anymore. I just pack 2 NP-FC11's for my P8 and im good to go for a day (or days). I like to carry as little with me as possible, and to me lithium ion packs are the way to go, depsite not lasting as long as AA's. I admit it, the small FC11 Infolithium is puny LOL , but I rather carry one or 2 of them than 4 to 8 AA's.

I do know the NiMH AA game though. My previous camera was a Fuji 2650, which took 2 AA's at a time. I usually kept 4-8 batteries with me, plenty of power. I just did not like carrying them or when I had to swap batteries. When I went looking for a new camera when the Fuji got stolen, I made sure my next camera had a lithium ion pack and so far, I have not looked back.
---
Take care!
Zack (outtatimeiii)

 

[JohnK]

Hi,

If you could choose, what would you prefer: recharchables AA or
infolithium ?
What about performance of these two batts ?

Thanks,

Andre Tiba - Brazil

--
JohnK

 

[kenrippy]

infolithium all the way for me. AA are heavier and don't tell you exactly how much time you have left before they die on you. I don't take 100's of pictures at a time so 2 batteries are all I need. (V1 and soon to have P100)

Hi,

If you could choose, what would you prefer: recharchables AA or
infolithium ?
What about performance of these two batts ?

Thanks,

Andre Tiba - Brazil

 

[Mike Fitzgerald]

is that the self-discharge rate of Ni-MH cells is pretty severe. Leave them for a month in warm weather and they can be down to half charge or less without you suspecting it. The message is that for occasional use Li-Ion or Li-Polymer batteries are less likely to catch you with your pants down.

Other comments here about ready sourcing and cost of Ni-MH's are quite valid though.

Mike

Hi,

If you could choose, what would you prefer: recharchables AA or
infolithium ?
What about performance of these two batts ?

Thanks,

Andre Tiba - Brazil

 

[DigiSon]

I do not see any difference between the two.

For sure if it be a good replacement of NiMH they always can make Li-Ion batteries on the same size as AA

AA has some different kinds like Alkaline, Ni-Ca and now Ni-MH. So why noit Li-Ion AA batteries??

So I feel more comfortable to use a standard battery size for the camera. Since the SONY technologies changes too much, no non-standard battery will be available after 10 years.

What do you think?

Hi,

If you could choose, what would you prefer: recharchables AA or
infolithium ?
What about performance of these two batts ?

Thanks,

Andre Tiba - Brazil

 

[Mike Fitzgerald]

because the nominal voltage of a single Li-Ion cell is 3.6 volts, being fixed by the underlying electrochemistry of this technology. Ni-MH and Ni-Cd cells have a nominal voltage of 1.2 V, and alkalines 1.5 V.

It would be disastrous to give consumers access to cells with triple the voltage of their familiar AA rechargeables but with the same physical shape. Contemplate a 4.8 V portable appliance (four Ni-Cd or Ni-MH cells) with a 14.4 V power pack substituted inadvertently ;-)

Mike

For sure if it be a good replacement of NiMH they always can make
Li-Ion batteries on the same size as AA

AA has some different kinds like Alkaline, Ni-Ca and now Ni-MH. So
why noit Li-Ion AA batteries??

So I feel more comfortable to use a standard battery size for the
camera. Since the SONY technologies changes too much, no
non-standard battery will be available after 10 years.

What do you think?

Hi,

If you could choose, what would you prefer: recharchables AA or
infolithium ?
What about performance of these two batts ?

Thanks,

Andre Tiba - Brazil

 

[DigiSon]

Hi Mike,

Interesting... I am sure Notebooks also use Li-Ion batteries. So they use the 3.6V too?

I think the voltage is different on them. So it is possible to make change on the voltage, am I wrong?

For example, isnt it possible to make 1.5 V li-ion batteries?

Thanks

It would be disastrous to give consumers access to cells with
triple the voltage of their familiar AA rechargeables but with the
same physical shape. Contemplate a 4.8 V portable appliance (four
Ni-Cd or Ni-MH cells) with a 14.4 V power pack substituted
inadvertently ;-)

Mike

For sure if it be a good replacement of NiMH they always can make
Li-Ion batteries on the same size as AA

AA has some different kinds like Alkaline, Ni-Ca and now Ni-MH. So
why noit Li-Ion AA batteries??

So I feel more comfortable to use a standard battery size for the
camera. Since the SONY technologies changes too much, no
non-standard battery will be available after 10 years.

What do you think?

Hi,

If you could choose, what would you prefer: recharchables AA or
infolithium ?
What about performance of these two batts ?

Thanks,

Andre Tiba - Brazil

 

[keith1200rs]

Hi Mike,

Interesting... I am sure Notebooks also use Li-Ion batteries. So
they use the 3.6V too?

I think the voltage is different on them. So it is possible to make
change on the voltage, am I wrong?

Notebooks often use Li-Ion (but not AAs). They usually have 3 cells in series in each battery block to give 11.1V or so, nominal.

The cell voltage is determined by the materials used. To get a lithium based cell with 1.5V would take a different combination (lithium + something else). While I believe it has been done for a primary cell, it is a bit wastefull because you don't end up with the same number of Joules for a given volume.

The only logical substitution would be where the 2 AA batteries were replaced with one Li-Ion cell. It can be done, but would tend to be cameras specific because you need to be certain that the Li-Ion battery is sized and shaped to fit in the space taken by the two AAs. Casio do this on their EX-P600 I think (or it may be the Ricoh Caplio GX - I have looked at so many cameras in the last month it is all a blur).

Keith.

 

[DigiSon]

Thanks keith,

They can even provide an adapter for this. Sony battery space of most models that use AA (like P31, 51, 71, 32, 52, 72...) are the same. So an adapter can easily be made for those people who would like to use Infolit batteries.

So they first build an Standard Li-Ion battery and call then BB or BBB then produce adapters for each device.

Of course most people do not like the Li-Ion becuase of the price, but this work can be done when the price be same as nowdays Ni-Mh.

Probabely noone will ever do this, but it is possible.

Hi Mike,

Interesting... I am sure Notebooks also use Li-Ion batteries. So
they use the 3.6V too?

I think the voltage is different on them. So it is possible to make
change on the voltage, am I wrong?

Notebooks often use Li-Ion (but not AAs). They usually have 3
cells in series in each battery block to give 11.1V or so, nominal.

The cell voltage is determined by the materials used. To get a
lithium based cell with 1.5V would take a different combination
(lithium + something else). While I believe it has been done for a
primary cell, it is a bit wastefull because you don't end up with
the same number of Joules for a given volume.

The only logical substitution would be where the 2 AA batteries
were replaced with one Li-Ion cell. It can be done, but would
tend to be cameras specific because you need to be certain that the
Li-Ion battery is sized and shaped to fit in the space taken by the
two AAs. Casio do this on their EX-P600 I think (or it may be the
Ricoh Caplio GX - I have looked at so many cameras in the last
month it is all a blur).

Keith.

 

[keith1200rs]

Thanks keith,

They can even provide an adapter for this. Sony battery space of
most models that use AA (like P31, 51, 71, 32, 52, 72...) are the
same. So an adapter can easily be made for those people who would
like to use Infolit batteries.

Yes, it can certainly could be done on future models, but the charger built into the existing cameras wouldn't be suitable - it would have had to have been designed with that in mind.

I checked, and it is the Ricoh Caplio GX that has AAs and Lithium option. It was a close contender on my short list due to the 28mm lens, but I bought the P120 instead.

Keith.

 

[vix2004]

Last w/end my v1 wet thru my 2 fuly charged infolithiums in maybe 1.5 hours.... granted i was using the flash occasionally, i never realised how quickly they went dead until that night... and the night had only just begun =(

I realise now i have to get at least 2 more NP-FC11's next time i have to do some night shooting... and those lil things aint cheap

I'd prefer to have a dozen rechargeable AA's handy that having to spend all that dough on the info lith's

 

[keith1200rs]

Last w/end my v1 wet thru my 2 fuly charged infolithiums in maybe
1.5 hours.... granted i was using the flash occasionally, i never
realised how quickly they went dead until that night... and the
night had only just begun =(

I realise now i have to get at least 2 more NP-FC11's next time i
have to do some night shooting... and those lil things aint cheap

I'd prefer to have a dozen rechargeable AA's handy that having to
spend all that dough on the info lith's

I guess you cannot separate battery choice from camera choice. Lithiums on the P120 are great, but then they last a long time. A lithium with too low a capacity and/or a power hungry camera is not so good.

Keith.

 

[Mike Fitzgerald]

Interesting... I am sure Notebooks also use Li-Ion batteries. So
they use the 3.6V too?

Yes, but those batteries use typically 3 or 4 of the 3.6 V cells in series to yield, respectively, 10.8 or 14.4 volts.

I think the voltage is different on them. So it is possible to make
change on the voltage, am I wrong?

For example, isnt it possible to make 1.5 V li-ion batteries?

No, that's the whole point. The characteristic cell voltage of these devices is fixed by their electro-chemical makeup, and in the case of Li-Ion it's 3.6 volts per cell. A related situation exists with Ni-Cd and Ni-MH cells which are only 1.2 V even though 1.5 would be more convenient for substitution purposes. That's just the way it is.

Mike

because the nominal voltage of a single Li-Ion cell is 3.6 volts,
being fixed by the underlying electrochemistry of this technology.
Ni-MH and Ni-Cd cells have a nominal voltage of 1.2 V, and
alkalines 1.5 V.

 

[JP Lee]

If I can use the same battery on my flash unit as I do in my camera, that would be a good start. Or If I could just use the same charger for all the different electronics (camera, flash, camcorder...) I could be happy.

As it stands, I have to carry multiple chargers and multiple backup batteries in my bag.

So I guess I would prefer AA's since they're more universal.

 

[DigiSon]

It is completely true.

I have bought a Mavica case for my old P10 but I always carried the BC-CSQ2 Sony Quick Charger for my Sony MP3 player.

So, I always should carry P10 adapter and all wires in that time and an AA charger with me in any trips. Now I have bought W1 and the Adapters and Wires will be gone. I am so glad that I can use extra space on the camera bag.

Since P100, P10 or P120 is not quick mount you always should carry its Adapter, Power Cable and Camera Power cord. So now, I have get rid of 2 wires and an adapter.

Everything has its own PROS and CONS. I think everyone shoul decide about these things on their own.

If I can use the same battery on my flash unit as I do in my
camera, that would be a good start. Or If I could just use the
same charger for all the different electronics (camera, flash,
camcorder...) I could be happy.

As it stands, I have to carry multiple chargers and multiple backup
batteries in my bag.

So I guess I would prefer AA's since they're more universal.

 

[sonyphotobug]

I have done an entire wedding on one battery. I could never have done that on AAs.

Hi,

If you could choose, what would you prefer: recharchables AA or
infolithium ?
What about performance of these two batts ?

Thanks,

Andre Tiba - Brazil

 

[gundamf91]

I prefer AA now (after using Sony's Li-ion for P5, P9) Have the W1 now.

I agree that AA batteries do not tell you exactly the REAL remaining power. Li-ion do.

But I don't buy that advantage of Li-Ion telling you EXACTLY how much power you have left.

Because let's say you have the Li-Ion, you see 50% left, what's the difference? Are we going to leave the 2nd Li-ion spare battery home just because its a little extra to carry? And you "think" and "guess" 50% is enough for our event ?

How would we know how many photos you will be taking? Maybe suddenly you want to take a movie clip that uses up a lot of your power.

So final conclusion, unless it KILLS me, I would carry a 2nd battery JUST IN CASE.

In my W1, the power gauge isn't 100% accurate, but I carry another set of AA anyways. No big deal, leave it in my car or bag or something.

Hence, the biggest concern here is cost in my opinion. For the price of a 2nd Li-ion, you can buy almost 20-30 more AA !!! That's ridiculous !

Besides, we all know we should cycle our batteries to get the FULLEST best usage out of them. No matter AA or Lithium. That isn't always possible. So I'd rather waste some AA than waste an expensive Sony Li-Ion.