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I had it in my pocket to keep it warm but when I took it out and tried
using shutter delay a couple of times in succession it died, or at
least the AAA alkaline battery died. Do other people have this
proble? What is the effective temperature range for digital cameras?
Thanks.

On Dec 7, 10:02 am, Wm Watt <ag38...@fastmail.fm> wrote:
> I had it in my pocket to keep it warm but when I took it out and tried
> using shutter delay a couple of times in succession it died, or at
> least the AAA alkaline battery died. Do other people have this
> proble? What is the effective temperature range for digital cameras?
> Thanks.

I don't know if such a thing exists for all cameras, all I know is
what I've done. I've never taken it much below -15F or -20F, but I
would guess it could go down a few more degrees.

Wm Watt <> wrote:
>I had it in my pocket to keep it warm but when I took it out and tried
>using shutter delay a couple of times in succession it died, or at
>least the AAA alkaline battery died. Do other people have this
>proble? What is the effective temperature range for digital cameras?
>Thanks.

The batteries got cold. They are less able to provide
energy when cold, compared to warm (a fully charged
battery might be able to give you only a fraction of its
energy if it is at -40F, and most of its energy if it is
at +40F).

If your batteries get cold, the camera stops working
until either 1) you supply fresh batteries, or 2) warm
up your cold batteries.

Different types of batteries lose more faster than
others.

The trick is indeed keeping the camera in a warm pocket.
Note that an outside pocket isn't warm, but an inside
one is... which might be what bit you batteries.

--
Floyd L. Davidson <http://www.apaflo.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska)

Alkaline batteries don't do well in the cold. I believe that lithium
does better, but not all cameras work well with lithium.

"Wm Watt" <> wrote in message
news:a13dae40-6d2b-42b6-86d7-...
> I had it in my pocket to keep it warm but when I took it out and tried
> using shutter delay a couple of times in succession it died, or at
> least the AAA alkaline battery died. Do other people have this
> proble? What is the effective temperature range for digital cameras?
> Thanks.


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 07:02:48 -0800 (PST), Wm Watt wrote:

> I had it in my pocket to keep it warm but when I took it out and tried
> using shutter delay a couple of times in succession it died, or at
> least the AAA alkaline battery died. Do other people have this
> proble? What is the effective temperature range for digital cameras?

What camera is this? Just wondering if it's a typo because not
many cameras use AAA batteries. Most cameras that use alkalines use
AA batteries. Not that this really matters . . .

All of the camera manuals I've seen so far have stated the
operating temperature range but if you don't have yours, it's
probably not much different than the ones I've seen. Canon's old
Powershots (S10, S20 from 2000/2001) is 32° to 104° F (0° to 40° C),
but it shouldn't have a problem in slightly colder weather. It uses
a NiMH battery pack, though, not alkalines, but this is a typical
range. Canon's Powershots A610 and A620 and some of Fuji's cameras
that use AA alkaline batteries all have the same 0° to 40° C
operating temperature range. If you'll be shooting in much colder
temperatures, NiMH batteries will be slightly better, but lithium
AAA and AA batteries should be much, much better. Most cameras
designed to use alkalines can also use lithium batteries, but a few
have manufacturer's warnings in the manuals to avoid using them.
The reason is that in older cameras that use a lot more power than
newer models, especially if many shots are taken in quick succession
using the flash, lithium batteries can get too hot for smaller
cameras that don't have good heat dissipation. Lithium AA and AAA
batteries can operate down to -40° C (which is also -40° F), which
is likely to be much colder than you or your cameras will ever see,
so even if your camera is one of the few that don't recommend the
use of lithium batteries, it probably won't hurt them if they're
used outdoors in frigid weather, or indoors if the flash isn't
heavily used. Lithium batteries are more expensive than alkalines,
but they have an another advantage in that they last much longer,
usually providing from 200% to 400% more shots per set.

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 07:02:48 -0800, Wm Watt wrote:

> I had it in my pocket to keep it warm but when I took it out and tried
> using shutter delay a couple of times in succession it died, or at
> least the AAA alkaline battery died. Do other people have this
> proble? What is the effective temperature range for digital cameras?
> Thanks.

A link was published in a recent thread. Try www.batterydata.com and
scroll about a third of the way down the page for a nice graph.

ASAAR wrote:

<heavily edited for brevity>

> Lithium batteries are more expensive than alkalines, but they have an
> another advantage in that they last much longer, usually providing from
> 200% to 400% more shots per set.


Hello, ASAAR:

I wonder whether these lithiums would be useful, in devices other than
digital cameras? Neither of my cordless mouses - Microsoft "IntelliPoint
Explorer" and A4 Tech "Office 8K" - has ever given me much more than
a couple of weeks, on a set of AA cells. (The former can't even take
rechargeables, in fact.)

Hence, though I'm able to put Ni-MH batteries in the Office 8K, needing
to swap them in and out, so often, gets to be a real drag!


Cordially,
John Turco <>

On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 08:33:52 -0600, John Turco wrote:

> I wonder whether these lithiums would be useful, in devices other than
> digital cameras? Neither of my cordless mouses - Microsoft "IntelliPoint
> Explorer" and A4 Tech "Office 8K" - has ever given me much more than
> a couple of weeks, on a set of AA cells. (The former can't even take
> rechargeables, in fact.)

They'd probably work, but as the mice are low power devices, they
won't last substantially longer than alkaline batteries. If I
recall correctly, lithium AAA batteries didn't quite provide double
the battery life of alkalines used in Palm III PDAs, where alkalines
generally lasted between 40 and 50 hours per pair.


> Hence, though I'm able to put Ni-MH batteries in the Office 8K, needing
> to swap them in and out, so often, gets to be a real drag!

Here's a "get rich" idea for you to patent - a slow charging dock
for cordless mice!

ASAAR wrote:

> Here's a "get rich" idea for you to patent - a slow charging dock
> for cordless mice!
>

Logitech has that already. At least they did because I had a mouse of
theirs that had a charging dock. I went back to a corded mouse though
because they never need charging and are lighter. Nothing worse than a
mouse or keyboard that needs charging while I am in the middle of a game.

On Dec 7, 10:02 am, Wm Watt <ag38...@fastmail.fm> wrote:
> I had it in my pocket to keep it warm but when I took it out and tried
> using shutter delay a couple of times in succession it died, or at
> least the AAA alkaline battery died. Do other people have this
> proble? What is the effective temperature range for digital cameras?
> Thanks.

Batteries tend to fail below freezing, their energy drops fast. They
suggest keeping the battery in your pocket and putting it into the
camera when you need it. Carry two sets.
Also, cameras exposed to sub-freezing temps and brought inside
uncovered can develop condensation on the inside, sometimes right on
the sensor.