[Fatdaz]

Hi guy's,

I have read many a post on here and on other site's and people rave about eneloop batteries.

So I went onto Amazon.co.uk and found copious amounts of batteries. I am currently using Duracell but fancy getting hold of these eneloop's but which one's for my K-x?

Shall I go for 2500 mah XX or the standard 2000 mah ones?

Apologies if this has already been discussed.

[photolady95]

I use these in my K-x.. And just bought a new package of eight from Adorama:

Sanyo "New" 1500 Eneloop AA Pre-Charged Rechargeable NiMH (1900 mAh) Batteries (8 Pack)- (HR-3UTGA)

[jatrax]

I have a mix of 2,000mAh and 1,900mAh ones and honestly see no difference. I've never tried the 2,500 ones. The 2,000 last long enough for me, even a full day out and about shooting and I usually get through the day 300-400 pictures easily. I have two sets and always carry both, when I come in I put the used ones in the charger and swap in the other set to the camera.

No reason to not go for the 2500 if they are too much more expensive though.

[Kobayashi.K]

What I have seen is that the higher capacity types have a shorter lifespan (less life cycles). For example the regular eneloops with 2000 mAh have a lifespan of 1800 cycles, the eneloops XX (professional use, 2550 mAh) have a lifespan of 500 cycles.
You can check the specs on the Panasonic web site. eneloop - SANYO Component Europe GmbH

[Fatdaz]

Thanks guy's, just seen x4 AA 2000 mah eneloops and Sanyo charger on Amazon UK for £13.00 that's about $19.00 US or there about's, Just ordered them

[Jamfke]

I've got two sets of the XXs, and I love them. I typically shoot between 200 to 300 shots per day (no flash, viewfinder only) and the batteries last through three days of shooting. They do have a shorter lifespan than the 2000s, but they last at least two to three times longer between charges so for me they are worth it.

[Allison]

I saw rave reviews about using these in your flash, so I bought a set of 12. I have the 2000mah ones. I have never been more disappointed. They greatly reduced my recycle time and only lasted for about an hour at a reception. I had previously used energizer lithium (ultimate version) and they would last all day in my flash at a wedding. They are more cost effective, but I was missing shots I didn't want to miss waiting for the flash to recharge.

I moved the eneloops to my bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and they don't last too long in there either. I feel like I am recharging and replacing batteries about every 2-3 days, if not earlier when editing. They last a little less than a standard AA battery in my wireless devices.

I wish I had the same wonderful experiences as everyone else with these batteries!

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Last edited by Allison; 06-09-2013 at 09:04 PM. Reason: Typo

[jatrax]

I wish I had the same wonderful experiences as everyone else with these batteries!

Maybe it is your charger? I use them in my Metz flash and they have no trouble keeping up. Very odd anyway, sorry they did not work out.

[Allison]

Maybe it is your charger? I use them in my Metz flash and they have no trouble keeping up. Very odd anyway, sorry they did not work out.

I did wonder about the charger. It is one that came packages with the batteries, but it takes forever. We are talking at least 8 hours for the lights to stop blinking. I bought this whole kit that had 12 of them, some C converters, a storage case and the charger and if it worked I was going to get another set. Maybe I should invest in another charger first.

[jatrax]

I have a Maha 801D, have had it for years. Does slow charge, fast charge and reconditioning. There are others, but I've never had much faith in the cheapo ones that come with the batteries. Which seems odd as they should make a charger to work best with their batteries but I guess it is built to a price point.

A couple other thoughts: it was recommended to me to keep them in 'sets' and never mix. Not 100% sure why but I've always done that, even numbered the sets to keep track. And lastly, one bad cell in the set can make it look like the whole set is bad. I hope not, but it is possible you have a bad cell. They can be tested if you have a battery tester.

Anyway, yes I would recommend a good charger. The Maha takes about 2 hours on regular charge and on fast charge it is less than an hour but I never use that, it makes the batteries too hot. I have a plug in travel charger, Radio shack I think, that I take on trips and it takes overnight to charge a set.

[Jan178]

I did wonder about the charger. It is one that came packages with the batteries, but it takes forever. We are talking at least 8 hours for the lights to stop blinking. I bought this whole kit that had 12 of them, some C converters, a storage case and the charger and if it worked I was going to get another set. Maybe I should invest in another charger first.

Hi! I also recommend to invest in good charger, Maha is said to be good, i use Nitecore i2. You can find reviews from web. You might want to look the charging current of your device and compare it to the capacity of your batteries. Let´s say the charging current is 500mA and the capacity is 2000mAh, it should take about 4 hours to charge from empty. Note that the charger may split the current if many batteries are charged simultaneously and that state of charge may vary, but if it take 2 hours or 8 hours for only one battery at the charger at time, then one can suspect that something not right.
Multimeter is handy to have to check the batteries from time to time.

It might be that NiMH-batteries are not "good enough" to use in your flash devise; Li-Ion batteries are able to discharge at higher current, so the flash unit may be ready faster than if using NiMH´s. BUT, this just came to me from somewhere around the web when searching which brand of NiMH´s to use in my k200d. Allthough seems correct.
And i leaned to 2000mAh Eneloops, they worked great out of the box; about 400 pics before recharge.

Also, is it possible that your set of batteries were fake?

Hope you find your way around the difficulties!

[JimJohnson]

The cheap Sanyo charger bundled with eneloops in the U.S. performs no real analysis of current battery state and charges the batteries in pairs.
I've seen many recommendations here for the better MAHA chargers, but have no experience with them. Besides they are far from inexpensive.

I like the size and portability of the bundled Sanyo charger, so I ordered the far superior model NC-MQR06W. This model individually charges 1-4 AA or AAA eneloop batteries, and independently monitors the status of each battery. This is also what makes the recommended MAHA chargers better.

You cannot obtain the Sanyo NC-MQR06W from a U.S. retailer. Sanyo submitted this unit to Asian and European certification agencies, but not U.S. or Canadian agencies. However, you can import it to the U.S. from retailers outside the U.S. The cost including shipping is just a bit over US$20.

The NC-MQR06W is rated for worldwide use and supports 100-240vac at 50-60Hz.. It ships with a European style plug attached, however this adapter can be removed to reveal a folding North American style 120v blade style plug. Here is a thread on how to remove the 220v European adapter: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-30/221163-battery-life-bh109-aa-...ml#post2378190

Now as for charging time.... slow is better than fast as it heats the batteries less, so there is less stress. The NC-MQR06W consumes a maximum of 7 watts. If you simultaneously charge 4 depleted batteries (any mix of AA or AAA), it will take 6-8 hours for all cells to be charged. Again, each battery is individually charged. The 7 watts is split 4 ways. However if you charge no more than 2 batteries, the NC-MQR06W supports 2 'quick-charge' positions and each of these positions will charge twice as fast.

If anyone is interested in ordering this better Sanyo charger, do an eBay search for "NC-MQR06W".

[jatrax]

the far superior model NC-MQR06W.

Thanks for posting this Jim, this might be a better travel charger than what I am using.

[Class A]

I wish I had the same wonderful experiences as everyone else with these batteries!

Very sorry to hear about your trouble.

My Eneloops have been working perfect for me. In camera and in flash units. No problems.

I'd recommend a good charger like a Maha or LaCrosse. I use an Ansmann myself.
Definitely get one that monitors individual cells, rather than charging them in pairs.

[Jan178]

I like the size and portability of the bundled Sanyo charger, so I ordered the far superior model NC-MQR06W. This model individually charges 1-4 AA or AAA eneloop batteries, and independently monitors the status of each battery. This is also what makes the recommended MAHA chargers better.

Now as for charging time.... slow is better than fast as it heats the batteries less, so there is less stress. The NC-MQR06W consumes a maximum of 7 watts. If you simultaneously charge 4 depleted batteries (any mix of AA or AAA), it will take 6-8 hours for all cells to be charged. Again, each battery is individually charged. The 7 watts is split 4 ways. However if you charge no more than 2 batteries, the NC-MQR06W supports 2 'quick-charge' positions and each of these positions will charge twice as fast.

If anyone is interested in ordering this better Sanyo charger, do an eBay search for "NC-MQR06W".

Thanks for the tip, Jim, that would be a nice travelcharger since it is quite small. However, i still give my vote for Nitecore i4. It´s an intelligent charger with output currents 375mA x4 / 750mA x2. What seals the deal for me is versatility: It takes Li-ions 26650, 22650, 18650, 17670, 18490, 17500, 17335, 16340(RCR123), 14500, 10440 and Ni-MH / Ni-Cd: AA, AAA, C.
That is really nice, well, since i´m in vaping too... Too bad i only have the i2 (basicly same, but takes only 2 batteries), but gonna buy this one too. I just have too much batteries...
Price seems to be about 20$ on eBay.