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Cheapo battery question

PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 5:49 pm
by The Egg Man
I have lots of remote controls for TVs, DVDs,VCRs etc + I have a very basic Sony digital camera.

Whilst in Poundland last week I 'invested' in a pack of 11 Kodak AA batteries for £1.00 marked as Heavy Duty for Low Power Products. As far as I can tell they work fine in the remote controls but when I try them in the camera, the camera is sluggish to switch on and when I press the shutter it just switches off.

If I take the Kodak batteries out of the camera and replace them with the nearly knackered Duracell PLUS that were in it, it works OK.

Are the Kodak batteries simply not up to the job or am I doing something obviously stupid? I don't mind chucking* all the Kodak batteries if I'm risking the gadgets by using them.

*of course I mean dispose of in an environmentally sensible way.

Thanks in anticipation.

Re: Cheapo battery question

PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:50 pm
by tobester
I tried them too on my old compact and found the same they were crap, so i have to agree, i just use them on remotes etc

I ended up buying a charger and rechargeable batteries, worked ok, until i broke the camera ::):

New compact now has a camera specific battery

Re: Cheapo battery question

PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:29 pm
by Lucky Poet
Heavy duty is a bit of a misnomer there, I guess. Digital cameras tend to be very high drain, i.e. demanding high power, if only for short bursts, so I'd suppose the batteries can't supply the current the camera needs - hence, sadly, no action. And hence the need for alkaline batteries, etc, I'm afraid

Re: Cheapo battery question

PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:24 am
by Delmont St Xavier
Kodak's bargain pack are no good for heavy duty use. I normally use a Duracell Ultra/Advanced or rechargeable batteries. It really must be some type of alkaline, as akaline drains slowly otherwise normal batteries just suddenly slump and they do not provide enough power.

The cheap batteries are quite good for certain remote controls but I don't use them in my Sky control, as I've found they drain quite quickly in comparison to others.

Re: Cheapo battery question

PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:12 am
by The Egg Man
Thanks all. I'll get some decent batteries later.

I missed a pic yesterday of an elderly Hillman Imp Californian on an elderly recovery truck 'cos my camera died.