On Aug 30, 2005, at 10:54 AM, Shel Belinkoff wrote:
Subject say it all. What are YOU using, what works well, what
doesn't?
What sort of battery life are you getting, and under what conditions?
Will the camera work on household electricity with a converter of
some sort?
The *ist DS can use two CRV-3 Lithium disposables, four AA NiMH
rechargeables, four AA Lithium disposables and, in a pinch, four high
energy AA alkalines. CRV-3 and AA Lithium disposables cost about $8
per set in quantity (CRV-3s are a little more expensive, but are more
convenient to load and unload). They have excellent shelf life and
generally run about 1100-1300 exposures per set in average use.
NiMH AA rechargeables are good, if more maintenance work. It's
recommended to buy at least 2300mah capacity and to also invest in a
good quality charger (the Maha MH-C204W from thomasdistributing.com
is considered one of the best). Good quality cells normally run
around $15 per set, the Maha charger above is about $29. Properly
maintained, a full charge on a set of NiMH AAs (2300mah) runs about
500-700 exposures. Since NiMH don't hold a charge sitting on the
shelf well, they should be charged every week or so if you're not
shooting enough to exhaust them sooner than that.
AA Alkalines are an "emergency use" option only. Good ones generally
last 100-200 exposures, they don't have enough current to drive all
the camera's functions however, and their performance is quite variable.
(CRV-3s are also available in Lithium-Ion rechargeable form. These
are not recommended by Pentax, as many of the available batteries are
over-voltage for the DS. Some are available with 3.0V output, but
they are expensive and you're back into maintenance land. I don't use
them, some others I've heard of have used them successfully. )
Given these options, I find there are three good strategies for power:
- If you're shooting relatively few exposures per week, a set of
Lithium disposables in the camera and one backup set in your bag is
an effective setup. It's also good setup for traveling as you don't
have to manage with power adapters, chargers, etc. (On my trip to the
UK, I brought 5 sets of CRV-3 and AA Lithium batteries. I consumed
the third set 3,600 exposures later. No maintenance, light weight,
very little extra space consumed in my luggage, no juggling of
adapters and cords, etc.)
- If you're shooting a regular amount per week (typically 200-400
exposures like I do) and want to minimize costs with light
maintenance overhead, one set of NiMH AAs in the camera and a set of
backup CRV-3 Lithiums in the bag is a very cost effective and useful
kit. I charge the NiMH AAs once a week, regardless of whether they
are showing low voltage or not. (I only used the original CRV-3s that
came with the DS when I went to the UK, as I bought the NiMH AAs with
the camera and never ran out of power in the field.)
- If you're shooting a LOT per day, a thousand or more exposures on
frequent shooting days, three-four sets of NiMH AAs and a pair of
chargers saves money in the long run at the expense of maintenance
and management time. I've not felt the need for this amount of
rechargables yet.
Pentax makes an AC adapter for the D/DS. It's a little pricey but
should work well. Others have purchased generic AC adapters with the
right voltage/current/plug polarity instead at 1/5 the price that
work well too. I haven't seen the need for one yet, it's mostly
useful if you're doing astrophotography or tethered shooting.
Godfrey
