I have a pentax optio 33wr. Great camera, and it took a lot to finally break it. Unfortunately, I broke it.
I love that it is waterproof and takes AA batteries. Now, it seems, I must choose between these features. I am leaning toward waterproof.
My problem in the past is that while the Nickle-Metal Hydride rechargables I used had lots of power, they lost their charge in a week or two of storage, so I had to take disposables for the later parts of longer trips.
Do the Lithium Ion batteries Olympus and Pentax use have this same problem? What is the solution?
Thanks.
My Pentax hasn;t been charged in
in about 3 weeks and stills shows a full charge. Battery life is not an issue. I have a spare battery, but don’t carry it while kayaking. Mine is the W20
Battery Info Source
Here is a website with a great deal of info about various types of batteries, the pros and cons and how to best use/maintain them.
http://batteryuniversity.com
Bottom Line: All things equal a LiION battery is better than a Nickel Hydrate battery for this type of application. However, LiION batteries have a definite lifespan whether used or not.
Sounds like you have nearly reached the end of life for the batteries you have as they can only be cycled around 300 times max.
my Canon
with NMH battery has performed great. Took a couple hundred pictures and a couple short videos and still had life in it after. Bad thing is the battery is a little flat thing which will probably cost about $50 to replace when it does go.
More Battery Info
Here’s another good link for info on the care and feeding of Li-Ion batteries, as commonly used in digital cameras:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion
One thing I had trouble getting used to when switching from Ni-Cad and NiMh batteries was no longer needing to re-charge them after extended storage periods; Li-Ions hold their charge better.
I have noticed that the battery indicator on my Optio W20 is not very accurate, so on the second day of a trip I’ll hit the water with a full charge and after taking maybe a dozen photos, the yellow alert light comes on and the battery almost immediately takes a dump, requiring me to put ashore and swap batteries. Grrrr!!
I’ve gotten better at estimating the ACTUAL life of a charge now, and swap batteries preemptively. And I also now carry spare batteries and memory cards in a tiny waterproof case in my hydropack or a deck bag, so I can reload while still on the water, if necessary.
Olympus battery meters
are pretty innacurate as well. I wouuld prefer seeing a % meter, but now carry charged spares. It seems to me that the OEM LiOn batteries hold charge better than the aftermarket ones, at least in my Oly WP.
But the champ is still my Canon with 4xAA in the grip.
Jim
Pentax Optio 6.0
I have never had problems with the camera draining the battery when not in use.
I take large file pictures and can take 179 pics before the fully charged battery goes dead. I always carry an extra battery when I go kayaking.
Thanks all
Thanks for the info.
I went with another pentax. The Olympus might be a better camera, but I am used to the pentax interface, have extra sd cards, and the shop threw in a spare battery.
Just playing with it now. Looks like the high speed continuous shoot mode will be fun in rapids.
thanks again.