Searching for Epson battery for R-D1

[Sean Reid]

Hi all,

I've got third-party 1300 mHa Powerex batteries for the camera but they don't last nearly as long as the actual Epson battery. I've heard they're now in the USA but the Epson store is out of stock and B&H is closed for the week. I'd like to pick up 1-2 more proper batts. for the camera for an assignment this weekend. Any leads? Barring that, has anyone found a 1500 mHa version of the NP-80 that works just like the stocker?

Thanks,

Sean

[mtokue]

If you are really stuck I can send a couple out from overhere!
Mike.

[LCT]

Originally Posted by Sean Reid

...has anyone found a 1500 mHa version of the NP-80 that works just like the stocker?

Hi Sean.
Compatible 3.7V 1500mAh batteries may be found out on eBay.
See http://tinyurl.com/92j5t
I use two of them that last longer than my Hahnel HL-80 batteries (3.7V - 1350mAh) but i could not tell if they work just like the Epson ones.
Best,
LCT

[Sean Reid]

Hi LCT,

Thanks very much for that link. I looked at his E-Bay auctions and at his web site. In the auctions he lists NP-80 batts that are 3.7 volt and 1500 mHa. On his site he lists NP-80 batts that are 3.6 volt and 1500 mHa. Obviously the former would be better if the ratings are correct. Which ones did you get? Do you charge them on the Epson charger and, if yes, for how long? When you first put a charged one in the camera does the battery meter show full or just below?

Thanks,

Sean

[Benjamin Marks]

Sean: I've got two original Epson batteries I could loan you for the weekend if you are going to be in Burlington this week. You can e-mail me off list at benjaminmarks-at-verizon-dot-net.

[LCT]

Originally Posted by Sean Reid

...Which ones did you get? Do you charge them on the Epson charger and, if yes, for how long? When you first put a charged one in the camera does the battery meter show full or just below?

Hi Sean, those are generic batteries so i can't tell you if my ones are the same of course but i chose 3.7V, 1500mAh and the more raw pics i've shot with a single battery were 876 during a same assignment but i very seldom use the LCD monitor.
The battery meter shows full, the Epson charger works fine as well as a generic one i've got, but i've never tested how long the batteries take for charging sorry.
Best,
LCT

[LCT]

Sean, my seller was NOT the same as in the link above.
He was from the Netherlands but i don't know if he sells batteries any more.
See http://tinyurl.com/dc7n9
Best,
LCT

[Sean Reid]

Anyone else have leads on batteries that work? I have two Maha/Powerex batts (3.7 volt) that (when fully charged) register just under full on the battery meter and then register near empty perhaps 15 minutes into shooting. I'm going to test to see how long each one actually lasts but I'd much rather have batteries that behave normally.

Thanks,

Sean

[Jim Watts]

Sean,
Don't know how many frames your shooting in the 15 minutes, but unless its a lot these sound defective to me.
I have Uniross 3.7 volt but only 1200 mAh (highest I could find at the time)and these seem to last for about 75% of the time of the Epson. About 150 shots from full charge with only a little LCD use.

[Sean Reid]

Hi Jim,

The strange thing is that they both do it but perhaps they're both from the same batch of defective batteries. They do then seem to last quite awhile even when the battery indicator shows them as near empty but I can't be playing russian roulette with them during an assignment. Maybe they aren't really putting out 3.7 volts. I'll order some different generics today and see if they work better. Has anyone got a brand suggestions for a reliable 3.7/1500? With my Epson battery the power dial works normally.

Thanks,

Sean

[Sean Reid]

Well, following LCT's link I called Sterlingtek and ordered two of these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

They aren't the same ones he bought but the lady on the phone confirmed that they are 3.7/1500 so I'll see how they do.

Thanks for the responses,

Sean

[Jim Watts]

Sean,
I see you have ordered some other generics but do the Maha/Powerex also show the low battery icon on the LCD screen as well as nearly empty on the dial? When this comes up I only get about 3 more shots, although switching the camera off then on can give my a couple more.

[Sean Reid]

Hi Jim,

Actually, I don't know. I don't use the LCD screen very much but now that you asked, I'll check.

Cheers,

Sean

[Sean Reid]

Jim,

I have one of those batteries in now and after shooting about 50 frames yesterday (with some LCD usage actually because I'm still trying to figure out the "surprise dead shutter button" thing) it shows near empty on the dial and a bit under 1/4 charge on the LCD. They must just be defective batteries...?

Sean

[sevres_babylone]

I am wondering how much variation might be caused by different SD cards. I have been using ATP cards and have never come close to the 150 shots mentioned above, even with the original battery. My recollection is that when I shot 65 frames at the Tropicana, the battery was nearly empty.

The worst battery I have used is the Optex generic sold at Future Shop. Granted, it is only 1000 mAH, but at around $30 or $39 Cdn, it is a terrible value. On the other hand, as a third battery, for emergency use, I guess it was cheap insurance. I decided I needed a third one the day before my trip to Cuba/El Salvador, and it did get occasional use. The 1500 mAH Optex was around $70 Cdn!

[Jim Watts]

Hi Sean,
I don't use the LCD much either but sometimes use it as a further check on the battery state when the dial indicator is showing low. I think when when the icon shows up it looks at about a quater charge which means low and i only get a few frames from there.

If you are only getting about 55 frames from a fully charged 1300 mAh my guess is they are faulty or poor quality. Hpoefully your new ones will be better.

[Jim Watts]

Originally Posted by sevres_babylone

I am wondering how much variation might be caused by different SD cards. I have been using ATP cards and have never come close to the 150 shots mentioned above, even with the original battery. My recollection is that when I shot 65 frames at the Tropicana, the battery was nearly empty.

The speed that cards write at and the power they use may play a part in this. I think LCD use is a major factor. I don't use mine much at all when shooting, but when I have used it to review shots I notice battery life plumets, so even a occassional use will make a fairly big difference in the number of frames obtainable.

Maybe the camera power saving function also has more effect than I would expect. I have mine set at 5 minutes (although I tap the shutter button fairly frequently to keep it live) but I know Sean has his set to 20 minutes. After 30 minutes of non use the camera powers down into a "deeper sleep" anyway.

[Sean Reid]

Well, today my two batteries (3.7/1500) from SterlingTek arrived and I'm cautiously optimistic about them. I charged both up and so far they seem to work just like the Epson battery. I'll know more when I use them for hours at a time. Sterlingtek is just the USA seller, the actual batteries are so generic they have no manufacturer name anywhere on them (or on their boxes)....but if they work.

Thanks for the suggestions. Seems like I had two bum batteries from Powerex.

Cheers,

Sean

[Sean Reid]

Regarding the power usage question...I haven't ever kept track but it seems to me that my stock battery normally lasts for at least a couple hundred exposures, maybe more. The thing is that when I'm working like that I have too many things to concentrate on to count exposures per battery so actually I'm not sure what that number is. I do know that if these new batteries last nearly as long as the Epson batt., I'll be all set.

Cheers,

Sean

[pfogle]

FWIW I have two Epson batts, and get a full 1GB card (100 RAWs) on about 1/2 of a battery. I'm using a Lexar 32x card.
cheers
Phil

[Sean Reid]

Phil,

That sounds about like what I'm getting with the Epson batteries. If these new ones do as well on the assignment I'm doing this weekend, I'll let people know.

Cheers,

Sean

[Jim Watts]

Sean & Phil,
Seems like we all agree that about 200 exposures is what one should expect out of the Epson battery or a good 1500 mAh equivalent with LCD use kept to an absolute minimum.

[jlw]

Originally Posted by Sean Reid

Regarding the power usage question...I haven't ever kept track but it seems to me that my stock battery normally lasts for at least a couple hundred exposures, maybe more. The thing is that when I'm working like that I have too many things to concentrate on to count exposures per battery so actually I'm not sure what that number is. I do know that if these new batteries last nearly as long as the Epson batt., I'll be all set.

I remember pretty clearly that a couple of weeks ago when I was shooting back-to-back theater rehearsals, I got through all of the first rehearsal and the first quarter or so of the second rehearsal before I had to change batteries. Looking back over the original files from that session, this would be a total of about 350-400 shots (on the Epson battery.)

This is clearly a lot more than some other people here are getting, so I wonder if there are any variables involved other than LCD use (I don't use mine a lot, but do check it several times per session to see how exposures are looking.)

In the example above, I was shooting JPEG files, so whaddaya think of the idea that shooting in raw consumes more battery power than shooting in JPEG? It would make some sense, since it takes significantly longer to write a raw image to the card than it does to write a JPEG image, and that writing has to be consuming battery power (and so does flashing the little red LED.)

[Sean Reid]

That sounds like a distinct possibility.

Cheers,

Sean

[mtokue]

Sean,
How were the Sterlingtek batteries? any good?
Mike.