Rechargable Ni-CDs for Canon A540?

Recently got one Canon540 and am using them with Alkaline AAs.Have got some
old NiCds and would like to know if they'd be any good? How do they compare
vis-a-vis Alkalines?
Would like opinions from experts.
Thanks in advance
--
drjayceeATgmailDOTcom

On Sat, 16 Sep 2006 17:51:38 +0530, Jaycee
wrote:

Recently got one Canon540 and am using them with Alkaline AAs.Have got some
old NiCds and would like to know if they'd be any good? How do they compare
vis-a-vis Alkalines?
Would like opinions from experts.
Thanks in advance
I wouldn't want to deal with the hassles of NiCads and inherent charge
memory, deep discharge problems etc.
I suggest NiMH from http://www.mahaenergy.com/store/products.asp
especially the 2700's.

Jaycee wrote:

Recently got one Canon540 and am using them with Alkaline AAs.Have got some
old NiCds and would like to know if they'd be any good? How do they compare
vis-a-vis Alkalines?
Would like opinions from experts.
Thanks in advance
--
drjayceeATgmailDOTcom

As has been advised, grab some NIMHs. If you don't have a charger
capable you can usually buy high speed chargers with batteries for
much better prices nowadays, but batteries themselves are reasonable.
NIMH kick the backside off alkaline batteries in stuff like digital
cameras. I don't know which country you're in so suggest a search on
google, just put in something like

4 X AA nimh

or if you buy stuff like bank cd-r check the places you buy from to
see if they sell batteries too.
and obviously if the cam takes four you're probably better off with
eight.

--
Paul (This sky, too, is folding under you)
------------------------------------------------------
Stop and Look
http://www.geocities.com/dreamst8me/

"Jaycee" wrote in message
news
Recently got one Canon540 and am using them with Alkaline AAs.Have got
some
old NiCds and would like to know if they'd be any good? How do they
compare
vis-a-vis Alkalines?
Would like opinions from experts.
Thanks in advance
--
drjayceeATgmailDOTcom

i'll say apart from what other two said, you can use NiCd ones, it's just
their capacity is low comparing to NiMH so i guess they won't last much
longer than alkaline's. If you have them lying around, i see no reason why
not to use them as long they are alive, though.

Jaycee wrote:
Recently got one Canon540 and am using them with Alkaline AAs.Have got some
old NiCds and would like to know if they'd be any good? How do they compare
vis-a-vis Alkalines?
Would like opinions from experts.
Thanks in advance

NiMH are preferred. There is one downside, if you take very few pictures
(or fail to drain them in about a month or less), you will see problems
with self discharge. Not serious but annoying. If that matches your
shooting habits, take a look at the new eneloop NiMH's now becoming
available. Their capacity isn't as high as latest NiMH, but still a lot
more than my very first Quest with would give 350 shots in A40 if used
over a short period. Do a google search for details. Later cameras such
as yours are said to do quite well on alkalines. I've just put 4 in my
A95 to see how well they do.
Dave Cohen

On 16 Sep 2006 15:48:38 +0200, Protoncek (ex.SleeperMan) wrote:

i'll say apart from what other two said, you can use NiCd ones, it's just
their capacity is low comparing to NiMH so i guess they won't last much
longer than alkaline's. If you have them lying around, i see no reason why
not to use them as long they are alive, though.

It's probably worse than that. In the A540, alkalines should last
about 1/2 as long as NiMH, and as the NiMH cells are rated about
2,500mAh, you could say that the alkalines are equivalent to about
1,200mAh. (they're actually very close in capacity to the NiMH
cells, but they can't deliver more than 1/2 of their energy to the
camera.) If the NiCads are brand new, they'll have a capacity
ranging from 600 to 900mah, depending on where they're bought, so
they shouldn't last as long per charge as alkalines. If they're not
brand new, their capacity could be much less than 600mAh. If the
flash and the LCD is not used, NiCads might be good for several
dozen shots. If the flash is used though, the number of shots will
be greatly reduced. That might be enough in some cases, especially
if the A540 never wanders too far from a charger or another set of
fresh batteries.

"ASAAR" wrote in message
...
On 16 Sep 2006 15:48:38 +0200, Protoncek (ex.SleeperMan) wrote:

i'll say apart from what other two said, you can use NiCd ones, it's just
their capacity is low comparing to NiMH so i guess they won't last much
longer than alkaline's. If you have them lying around, i see no reason
why
not to use them as long they are alive, though.

It's probably worse than that. In the A540, alkalines should last
about 1/2 as long as NiMH, and as the NiMH cells are rated about
2,500mAh, you could say that the alkalines are equivalent to about
1,200mAh. (they're actually very close in capacity to the NiMH
cells, but they can't deliver more than 1/2 of their energy to the
camera.) If the NiCads are brand new, they'll have a capacity
ranging from 600 to 900mah, depending on where they're bought, so
they shouldn't last as long per charge as alkalines. If they're not
brand new, their capacity could be much less than 600mAh. If the
flash and the LCD is not used, NiCads might be good for several
dozen shots. If the flash is used though, the number of shots will
be greatly reduced. That might be enough in some cases, especially
if the A540 never wanders too far from a charger or another set of
fresh batteries.


agreed. Capacity is just too low for serious work. I'd say they are usable
for home testing purpose, but soon a man would bo crazy and throw them away
just because of being empty too soon.
Capacity of alkaline batteries is actually quite large, they are just not
capable of delivering high currents, so, say in my ex S2 canon they lasted,
say, max.50-100 shots, while a full set of 2600mAh NiMH were good for appr.
500 shots. Note however that those "dead" alkaline's were quite capable of
running, say a small radio or clock for months, though...

Trouble is with Nicads they are only 1.4V per cell and not 1.5v per
cell, also Nicads have a pretty dismal self discharge rate. You are
better using NiMH, metal Hydride batteries better still Lithium Ion
batteries are the one's to use, the self discharge rate is better
than Nicads. Li-ION, Lithium Ion batteries these are far superior in
holding their charge when not in use over long periods.

A while ago a friend brought me a Olympus camera, I don't repair
cameras and wasn't in at the time otherwise he would have got it back
pretty smartly. It powered up for just a few seconds and then died...
the batteries where Alkaline non-rechargeables measured perfectly
under load on a battery tester, why I don't know but I tried some
Duracells, lo and behold they worked the camera perfectly.. they
measured just the same.

Brand new batteries he bought and loads of em.... was just no good at
handling an appreciable load, as you drew more current the terminal
voltage sagged which the Olympus didn't much care for..

Battery tester he tells fibs...!
Funny how people alway's blame the camera.. always test batteries
under load, for digital cameras batteries tester's tell 'porkies' as
a camera takes a much higher current under load compared to these.

Always turn the LCD display off when not in use, these are the battery
flatteners.

Davy

"Davy" wrote in message
...
Trouble is with Nicads they are only 1.4V per cell and not 1.5v per
cell, also Nicads have a pretty dismal self discharge rate. You are
better using NiMH, metal Hydride batteries better still Lithium Ion
batteries are the one's to use, the self discharge rate is better
than Nicads. Li-ION, Lithium Ion batteries these are far superior in
holding their charge when not in use over long periods.

hold on a bit...where on earth did you find 1.4 V? Run in a store, buy some
of them and read what say on them - it says 1.2 V !!!
Secondly, it's NOT the problem, since all cameras are MADE for them, they
just tolerate bigger voltage if using alkaline batteries.
So, don't mislead things here...



A while ago a friend brought me a Olympus camera, I don't repair
cameras and wasn't in at the time otherwise he would have got it back
pretty smartly. It powered up for just a few seconds and then died...
the batteries where Alkaline non-rechargeables measured perfectly
under load on a battery tester, why I don't know but I tried some
Duracells, lo and behold they worked the camera perfectly.. they
measured just the same.

Brand new batteries he bought and loads of em.... was just no good at
handling an appreciable load, as you drew more current the terminal
voltage sagged which the Olympus didn't much care for..

Battery tester he tells fibs...!
Funny how people alway's blame the camera.. always test batteries
under load, for digital cameras batteries tester's tell 'porkies' as
a camera takes a much higher current under load compared to these.

Always turn the LCD display off when not in use, these are the battery
flatteners.

Davy

funny, how all says that LCD is battery eater, while i've had ALWAYS LCD on
when i had camera on and i still managed to make over 500 shots with one
charge. They also say IS is battery eater, but i still had IS ALWAYS on and
still made over 500 shots with one charge.... But i admit, earlier models
DID have LCD's which were battery eaters...

But i admit, earlier models DID have LCD's which were battery eaters...
A bit off topic but I think it's clear that battery usage is one area in
which digital cameras have improved enormously in the last few years. My
old Olympus C2100 needed four AA cells and used to munch its way through a
set of 1700MaH NiMH batteries in about a day and a half.

My Canon A700 only needs two AAs and lasted out nearly to the end of my
recent two weeks holiday, shooting at anything that moved (and a lot that
didn't) every day, before needing more to eat. Yes, I am still using
1700MaH cells. When I bought them you couldn't get much more and they are
still going strong so why fix something that ain't broke.

Keith