Sony Quick Battery Charger with 4 AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries by Sony Batteries
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List Price: Category: CE See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Sony Quick Battery Charger with 4 AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries
Digital camera Review: After 7 months and various uses, still going strong!
Summary: 5 Stars
For the bargain shoppers out there that are viewing this item and wondering if it is worth the higher price to get this charger over the Panny's or no-name brands, take my word for it, it is. After spending much more in total with other chargers and batteries, I had pretty much resigned myself to the thought that these things are somewhat disposable. This unit changed my mind.
I have had this charger for a little over 7 months now and have put the 2500 mAh AA Ni-MH Sony batteries to the test in everything that takes AA's that I own! My digital camera, wireless laser mouse, Xbox 360 controllers, A/V remotes, Maglight flashlights, Logitech PS3 controllers... whatever you throw these batteries into you will easily get 3-4 times more life than with alkalines, with each charge.
And it is true that it takes about 4 1/2 hours for this Sony "quick" battery charger to fully refresh the batteries as other reviews have written, but it is well worth the extra time. I have owned a few of the "dumb" chargers that will really perform a quick charge, but they destroy the life of your rechargeables by just burning them to what the charger thinks is the right amount of time, not the right amount of voltage! With the temperature/voltage protection in this unit, you will get a much longer life out of your batteries.
Bottom line: rechargeable batteries and chargers is one of those cases where you get what you pay for. This one is worth it.
Digital camera Review: Allright product
Summary: 3 Stars
I charged 1 time with included battery took about 3.5 hrs ,battery stored in Camera less than a month, off and on used camera, the juice seem to be holding good no need to recharge yet.
A little hot after charging. The main reason lead me to buy this charger is :
- Compact size
- Universal voltage accepting for travel.
I am happy with this unit so far, I donot know the battery performance until later. I would post about this combi package if I find bad thing about it.
Digital camera Review: Am buying more of these
Summary: 5 Stars
Great product. I use the batteries mostly in a digital camera. The over the counter batteries were dying at rate almost unaffordable to me, so I thought I would try these. Wonderful. I do reccommend that when you do buy, buy the top rated(most powerful) batteries. They tend to last much ,much, much longer....and then you can recharge them..I have already save the cost of the total unit and shipping at least three times over.Digital camera Review: Amazing difference in my digital camera!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been feeling guilty about chewing up AA batteries every since I got a digital camera and so ordered this little gem. WOW! What a difference!! The batteries last and last. The charger is fast (relatively - 5-6 hours) and easy to use. Highly recommend!Digital camera Review: An important (un-advertised) feature you must know
Summary: 5 Stars
There is an important feature for this charger (Sony BCG-34HE) that makes it an excellent buy: it charges each cell individualy.
Most low-cost slow chargers force you to charge cells in pairs. That is, either 2 or 4 cells. This smart charger allows you to put in 1, 2, 3 or 4 cells at any time. Each cell is charged individually and stopped whenever it gets full. The only problem is that the indicator lamp only changes color when ALL cells are fully charged. So even if three out of four cells are ready, you cannot start using any of them until the last one is done.
Why is charging NiMH cells in pairs a very bad idea? Beacuse no two cells have identical capacities. Even if you start with two new cells of the same brand, their capacities will drift apart after several cycles. When you charge two cells in series, the one with lower capacity will be over-charged, and this will only accelerate the disparity in capacity next time. Eventually you'll end up with cells that can only deliver a fraction of their rated capacities.
Then there's always the problem when your application requires either one or three cells. Now you are left with one drained cell that you cannot charge. If you try to charge a drained cell in series with a full one, the latter will be badly over-charged and may even be damaged from over-heating.
While I'm at it: here are the charging currents for this charger:
- One to two AA cells: 1050mA each
- Four AA cells: 525mA each
- One to two AAA cells: 640mA each
[Update on Nov 22, 2008]
I need to clear up a possible source of confusion here. SONY makes several AA/AAA battery chargers, and their names all start with "BCG-34H". My review above refers to the "BCG-34HE". If you are looking for a compact charger for both home and travel, this one is your best choice. Be careful when ordering because SONY also makes a "BCG-34HVE" which looks almost identical, but it is not suitable as a travel charger since it only accepts 110V AC input. Then there is the "BCG-34HRMF" which is larger and more expensive, but added four LCD battery status indicators. Finally, there is the "BCG-34HUE" 15-minute charger which you should avoid, because it is very bad for battery lifespan.
In case you like to consider chargers from other makers, I highly recommend the Kodak '1-hour' charger K6200 and the Duracell Mobile Charger CEF23DX4N.
[Update on Dec 9, 2010]
SONY has released a new BCG-34HRE charger. It is similar (in terms of size and speed) to the old BCG-34HE reviewed above, but added several important features. Check my review on the new charger for details.