Choosing The Best Rechargeable Battery

My Nikon D300 digital camera with an MB10 accessory grip and three Nikon Speedlight flashes use twenty AA batteries just to get started. After I throw a few radio triggers in the camera bag it adds six AAA batteries and at least one CR2 battery for the transmitter. That is a whole lot of batteries before considering the fact that you are likely to need that many more as backup units. I counted all the batteries I took on one recent photo shoot and came up with a total of 68.


It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to arrive at the conclusion that you will soon be bankrupted by using disposable batteries in such large quantities. In addition to camera equipment, you probably have many other devices around the house adding to your total battery consumption. Some people tell me they can’t be bothered with charging batteries before using them and they will not buy rechargeable batteries for that reason but for people like me who use batteries constantly and in power gulping devices like electronic flashes, the rechargeable option makes much more sense.


The good news is that you can now buy rechargeable batteries that come pre-charged from the manufacturer and can be used straight from the package. These batteries are often referred to as hybrids because of the way they combine the benefits of pre-charged disposable batteries and those of multiple use rechargeable batteries.


A big problem with traditional rechargeable batteries is their characteristic high self-discharge rate, sometimes referred to as “shelf discharge,” meaning that rechargeable batteries loose power even when they are not being used. The newer rechargeable hybrid or low self-discharge (LSD) batteries can retain up to eighty percent or more of their charge for six to eight months depending on the brand and the power rating of the battery.


Even though rechargeable batteries generally start out at a slightly lower voltage than non-rechargeable batteries, they make up the difference because they tend to use the power at a more consistent rate as the battery is discharged. The way a battery consumes power has a lot to do with how you use it, another reason why it is often difficult to do meaningful comparisons between battery types or brands. Testing may give you an idea of how the batteries perform within the parameters of the test and not how they will perform in actual use.


For example; one battery may do well in a device that draws power continuously as in a flashlight that is left on until completely draining the batteries, while other batteries are better at delivering large bursts of energy at random intervals in devices like cameras and electronic flash units. The problem is that you may use batteries in a way that is completely different from the way they were tested, making the test results slightly or totally misleading.


After doing a some investigation I came to the realization that I would need to test a lot of batteries in order to gather enough information to be meaningful. Testing four brand A batteries against four brand B batteries does not provide conclusive information because of the small sample size and because one bad battery can completely skew the test results. There is no simple battery test that will tell you if one brand is a significantly better performer for every intended use, especially when testing in very small quantities.


There are many online sources for battery tests including the battery manufacturer’s websites, which can teach you a lot about batteries (and marketing). You can also check out user reviews on retail sites like www.amazon.com It’s not a perfect decision making tool but it may provide some insight using other peoples experience.


There is a very good battery comparison at http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=79302 where you can compare the discharge rates of many different batteries.


There is also a pretty good discussion of low self discharge batteries at http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1023&thread=26078814


An interesting result of all this testing is that the performance of rechargeable batteries seems pretty consistent between many of the top brands. What this means in practical terms is that you can choose the lowest cost battery that is readily available where you live and by purchasing locally you can pick up spares as needed. I was able to offset some of the cost of my initial rechargeable battery purchase by surfing local sales and using discount coupons. It may be more difficult to find a specific brand of low self discharge batteries locally.


So you’ve made it this far and may be asking what type of batteries a person who has spent way too much time researching batteries uses. I was pretty stoked about the Powerex Imedion 2100 (LSD) batteries when they came out but those have now been eclipsed by the recently released Powerex Imedion 2400 batteries. That’s a 14% increase in power! The best part is that they come pre-charged and ready to go right out of the package.


Don’t get me wrong, you can’t go wrong with Sanyo Eneloops or many of the other major players either. Right now I have the Powerex Imedions in my NIkon SB900, SB800 and SB600 flash units and the Sanyo Eneloop batteries in all my wireless flash triggers. I’m also currently testing some of the Rayovac Hybrid batteries in my Nikon MB10 battery grip. I’m using low self discharge batteries as my primary power source and regular rechargeable batteries as backups or for bigger jobs where I need to use more flash units. The biggest difference is that I have to remember to charge the regular rechargeable batteries a day or two before I use them.


I have run across a lot of other good resources and information about batteries that are worth sharing so here are a few in no particular order.


http://www.mahaenergy.com Buy direct or use the store locator on the website. The local retailer in St. Louis did not have Imedion batteries in stock when I checked (August 2010).


Maha Energy Corporation 1128 Coiner Court, City of Industry, CA 91748


Toll Free: 1-800-376-9992 Office: 626-363-9017 Fax: 626-363-9010


http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ReduceWaste/power/rechbattinfo.htm This is a very good eco-friendly site put out by the state of California with loads of great information on batteries. Watch out, they may convince you that you don’t even need batteries.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_self-discharge_NiMH_battery A short article on the basics of how a low self-discharge battery works.


http://climber.org/gear/batteries.html Battery wisdom from on high! Several mountaineers tell you everything they have learned the hard way about using batteries in cold and demanding environments.


http://www.rechargeable-battery-review.com/ All about rechargeable batteries and battery reviews. Do You Use or Are You Planning To Buy Rechargeable Batteries?


http://michaelbluejay.com/batteries/ A good battery guide and comparison. If you have no idea what to choose this guy will tell you. It’s a good plain talking guide about the good, the bad and the ugly battery.


One of the most consistently recommended sources for purchasing batteries and chargers online is Thomas Distributing.http://www.thomasdistributing.com/


For some of the world’s most powerful low self-discharge batteries you will ever see… as in, “Do you feel lucky punk?” go towww.horizonbattery.com where you can buy the Ansmann Max E 2500 mah AA batteries directly from the manufacturer.


I like also to use http://www.amazon.com for the service, convenience and customer reviews.

What's New?

Recently I've started posting this blog over at http://www.insidetheviewfinder.com
I had been trying to mirror the posts over here but that didn't seem like the best use of time so please check it out over at the other URL.

Late Night Olympics

I’m contemplating the spin

Of things from without and within
The world keeps moving at it’s normal speed
Though nearing the center it appears to increase
Everything seems like the same old spin
As though it’s been rehearsed
And repeated again
And now what should I do
Whatever you want he says on queue
I stay up late and try to decide
If the emotion is fake or from inside
We play games and stay up late
To contemplate the spin
Until the morning when it begins again
The world keeps moving at the same old speed
And will continue with or without me
Sometimes it feels like you just can’t win
So I just sit here and contemplate the spin

Through My Iphone Eyes

For the past couple of weeks I have been feeling like road kill. If I had known that my cold would last so long I probably would have given up early on. I have managed to do very little except to eat, sleep and use a lot of tissues to blow my nose. It has not been pretty around here for a while. Personal projects have all gone by the wayside due to a lack of energy or enthusiasm.

The biggest event of the week was when Jimmy the maintenance man came and fixed a leaky water line in the bathroom. It felt good to be able to at least watch someone accomplish something useful.

I have been playing with my iphone to pass the time and I thought that maybe I would put together a list of my favorite photography applications for the iphone. These are in no particular order since that would require way too much thought and I’m not up to that right now.

1- Polarize – This thing is way too cool and it’s free so there is no reason not to add it to your iPhone. I like being able to add captions at the bottom of the frame.

2 – PhotoShop Mobile – Can’t live without it. It does a whole lot of stuff and it is also free.

3 – Gorillacam – This adds multi shot bursts, a grid overlay, a timer, digital zoom and a couple of other very useful features. Yes, it’s free!

4 – Format126 – Various filters to give you a vintage look including square format, polaColor, MonoPlus and LOFI to name a few.

5 – LEGO Photo – This one is just fun to play with and has a neat interface. It’s free so there is no reason not to indulge your inner child.

6 – Flickr – This is a cool tool for uploading your iPhone photos to flickr, browsing your contacts photos and checking for recent activity on your photo stream. It’s a free and easy way to get those photos posted.

7 – Camera Plus – It has a digital zoom and a faux flash to lighten up those dark images. It’s pretty straightforward and it’s also free.

8 – My PhotoBooth – Create photo strips just like an old time photo booth except you don’t need any quarters because it is free.

9 – Nikon Learn & Explore – This has something for photographers of all skill levels and the best part is that they are giving it away for free. Actually the best part is the content and it gets updated on a regular basis. Fundamentals, Image Editing and Shooting Techniques are all covered.

10 – Tilt-Shift Generator – I thought I would throw in one inexpensive application that is extremely useful for manipulating images right on the iPhone. It’s not free but it is definitely a great value for the small asking price.

Right now I have over forty photo applications on my iPhone and all but a few are free. The iPhone is a wonderful tool for jumpstarting your creative instincts and there are plenty of applications to assist you in creating your own artistic vision. You can easily combine the effects from various applications and preserve your original image if you want to start over and go in a different direction.

Snapshot Heaven

The other night when we were going through old photos I came across this one and set it in my own little pile. I wasn’t too sure what the man had in his hand until I scanned the print and saw what looks to be a nice looking box camera. Of course there were scratches, spots and fingerprints galore but I fixed the worst of them and left the rest. Those scratches show the passing of time and that this is an actual artifact and not some made up scene. There is no doubt that a decent snapshot can tell you worlds about a subject and at the same time it leaves plenty of room for the imagination. I don’t know these people and I’m not sure I ever met them in passing at a family party or wedding but they look like they would be worth spending some time with.

I love the way the hat mimics the lines of the car (or is it the other way around). There is a lot of style in this one frame. Somewhere in the city of St. Louis, MO but the exact location is unknown. Another image from the series shows the bride and groom (my in-laws) still in there wedding clothes sitting at a table in a local tavern. Maybe that was the reception. Things were a lot different back then. There is a wedding album but nothing can compete with snapshots taken by close friends. This is as close to real life as you are likely to get in a photograph.

I cropped this second shot because it was taken from a distance. Just imagine a large expanse of lake and sky behind them and a cobbled walkway in front. This photo is full of happyness and life. I wish I could have been there. It may not be a technical masterpiece but there is no doubt that this is a great photograph. I’ll have to find the time to scan a few more of the ones I picked out of the box. Other family members are working on the bulk of the project and I’m sure it will be a while before they are all done and divided up. The great thing about digital is that you can essentially have a photo lab sitting on your desktop. The scanners and cameras keep getting better and less expensive which is great. You could just about as easily use a point and shoot camera in macro mode to copy these old photos as long as you used a tripod and the self timer to avoid camera shake.

People took a lot less photos back in the days when film ruled photography but those few photos seem more iconic in many ways. There are fewer of them and I think they hold our attention longer for that reason.

I’ll be taking some snapshots of my own if the weather changes and it warms up a bit. This month’s assignment is to take portraits with the Brownie Hawkeye Flash (unconventional portraits). I don’t have any solid ideas for that project yet but I’ll be starting those soon. The Brownie is not what I would call an ideal portrait making machine so it should be interesting to see how those turn out. Last month I took photos with the Brownie I converted to a pinhole camera. The shutter on that camera jammed and I ended up with a bunch of partially exposed frames. They probably had a good laugh at the photo lab but I was actually pleased with the result. I’m happy to get any sort of usable exposures out of a fifty year old box camera.

I’m still snapping away with the iPhone and having fun inserting those images into text messages and other online media. The iphone camera is pretty low resolution so it does a good job of emulating fixed focus cameras with single element lenses. I have not been carrying my point & shoot camera since getting the iphone though the phone is really not a substitute and is a lot slower in operation. Even though there are limitations it is a blast trying different filter effects and being able to upload the images moments later for everyone to see.

World Famous

There is always a heated debate about who has the best pizza in town. Since we had other plans for the night all I got was a photo outside of Giordano’s. They do have good pizza though some of us lean towards Gino’s for our deep dish delight.

I took a series of hand held photos, trying not to shiver from the extreme cold outside. The idea was to get some sort of reflection in the foreground and since the pavement was dry, I tried catching reflections on the passing cars. Of course a tripod would have helped a lot but since I got my new lens I seem to keep trying to use it somewhere beyond the ragged edge of a decent exposure. I seem to keep taking shots at around 1/10 of a second at 24mm on my D300 at high ISO and of course I keep getting less than stunning results.

I am really longing for sunshine and warmth right now and it’s not happening. I thing I need some beach time but since I don’t have any time to go to the beach I guess I will have to dream of warm pizza ovens instead.

I just finished reading Joe McNally’s book “The Hot Shoe Diaries.” It is full of McNallyizms (see I can make up words too) and other interesting bits of knowledge. I think it would really be interesting to see a book written by one or more of Joe’s long-suffering assistants to compare (and contrast) his recollection of events. Joe points out up front that this is not a how-to manual and it is actually written more like a diary or even a blog with lots of short and to the point examples of what it’s like to be Joe and lighting stuff with small flash units. Sometimes there are a whole lot of small flash units so it’s not exactly about minimalist lighting, though there are some examples of one and two-light setups in there as well. Joe shoots with Nikon equipment so that is what he talks about and the equipment has a lot to do with his work flow. Joe talks a lot about iTTL and Nikon CLS in the book and how to make everything work together in different situations. There is also some good general information about different qualities of light and the use of light modifiers so it’s not just for Nikon shooters.