This has been an unproductive week. Just when I thought the worst of the weather was over, it came back with a raging ferocity that literally sapped my body of its energy. I had to skip an important meeting yesterday. On the other hand, I made up for that by securing an important appointment scheduled for next weekend. I will be away for this weekend to somewhere cooler with great friends and a cute baby. Other than running away from this murderous weather, we are going there to test out our new toys respectively. More on that later. Hopefully, I will come back rejuvenated and the heat wave would have dissipated somewhat.
Category: General
Sanyo Eneloop Rechargeable Batteries
Digital camera enthusiasts are all too familiar with the “replace batteries” sign that pops out on the screen at the most inopportune moments. Many point and shoot cameras such as my Canon Powershot A 610 and Wuan’s Canon A95 uses four AA batteries. We opted for the rechargeable AA batteries. Nickel-metal hydride rechargeable batteries or more commonly known by it abbreviation NiMH are not exactly cheap but are cost efficient in the long run as they can be recharged up to 500 times. We have been using Sanyo NiMH because it is one of the more reliable brand of rechargeable batteries available.
Although NiMH is said to last 500 recharging cycles, that is usually not the case. Ours would usually die out at around 300 cycles. The one thing I dislike about NiMH is that it self discharges over a period of time. A single charge will last between three to seven days. We have to remember to charge the batteries one day before we need to use it. Most times we forget. That is one of the reasons why I have a spare set of alkaline batteries in my knapsack at all times.
A set of four fully-charged 2700 mAh NiMH will provide enough power to shoot 200 to 300 shots with 50% flash usage and zoom. The 2700 mAh batteries are supposed to hold the charge longer. I have progressively used 1800 mAh, 2100 mAh, 2300 mAh and 2700 mAh since I first stared using a digital camera in 2003. All have been Sanyo NiMH.
When I was in Tokyo, I first saw the Sanyo Eneloop batteries. The sales staff in his broken English told me that these batteries will last up to 1000 recharging cycles.The best thing was that they came fully charged. Normal NiMH batteries have to be charged first before they can be used. I was skeptical but bought a set anyway for Wuan and bought the Sanyo NC-MR58 refresh charger that came with four 2700 mAh NiMH betteries and another set of four 2700 mAh NiMH batteries.
The refresh function of the Sanyo NC-MR58 is supposedly to keep the lifespan of the batteries longer. This is achieved by the discharging the batteries first with the press of a button on the charger and then it will automatically recharge the batteries to full to prevent the memory effect that is prevalent with NiMH batteries. The memory effect prevents NiMH batteries from being fully charged.
The performance of the Eneloop batteries was tested to the full when Wuan and I went to Kota Kinabalu. I filled up my 512 Mb SD and a quarter of my 2 Gb micro SD over a period of four days without having to recharge the batteries. And it still had enough power for me to shoot occasionally over the next few weeks. Having been convrted to Eneloop, will never use the normal NiMH batteries again. The low self-discharge ability and the fast that it can last 1000 recharging cycles justifies its cost.
A set of four Eneloop batteries is currently selling for around RM67. Eneloop batteries are rated at 2000 mAh. I have seen them displayed at IT Hypermarket in Low Yat Plaza and Best Denki at 1-Utama. AAA size are avalable too. There is also a Eneloop charger set with two batteries. According to the sales staff I spoke to in Japan, the Eneloop batteries can be charged using the normal chargers. I have three of those already. Besides the Eneloop charger can only hold two batteries.
I have no qualms in recommending the Sanyo Eneloop batteries to digital camera enthusiasts and people who are looking for AA sized NiMH rechargeable batteries. It is reliable, gives the best bang for the buck and comes pre-charged. GP has also come out with its pre-charged NiMH batteries called the Recyko+. I do not know how good they are. I have never used that brand as I am happy with Sanyo. Perhaps when it is time to get another set of rechageable batteries, I will consider getting the GP Recyko+ just to see if it measures up to the Eneloop.
Related entry:
Sanyo Chargers And Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries
Nokia 2600 Classic
One of the dial buttons for the Nokia 3120 broke off after I dropped it for the umpteenth time. I have had this mobile phone since 2004 when Wuan gave it to me as a present. It was subjected to abuse throughout as I constantly dropped it. I have taken it with me when I went to Tokyo, Bangkok and Seoul although it could only be used in Bangkok. It was seldom turned off. Its battery used to be able to last quite a while. Now it can only last two days at the most.
I have been looking for a replacement to this phone for quite a while but none caught my fancy until that dial button broke off. I need a phone just to make and receive calls. i do not need fancy functions. I was not willing to fork out more than RM500. Then Wuan saw the Nokia 2600 Classic advertisement in the newspaper. The phone had basic features. That was what I had been looking for. We checked around at 1-Utama. The best price that we could get was RM420, I wanted one with a black cover. The shop only had other colours.
We went to Low Yat Plaza last Thursday. The parallel import set was going for RM320 while the “legitimate” set was RM350. According to the sales staff, the only difference is that the warranty for the built-in camera for the parallel import set is one month while the “legitimate” set is twelve months. I got the “legitimate” set. The sales staff threw in the screen protector for free. It normally costs RM8 per sheet.
The Nokia 2600 Classic comes with a spare cover. Black sets come with orange covers. It has 10 Mb built-in memory but no slot for memory card. Other features include GPRS and EDGE, Bluetooth, stereo FM radio, and VGA still and video camera. I have no complaints. It is affordable. The menu easy to navigate. I hope it will be able to stand up to the same abuse that I subjected the Nokia 3120 to.