DPR Forum

Welcome to the Friendly Aisles!
DPRF is a photography forum with people from all over the world freely sharing their knowledge and love of photography. Everybody is welcome, from beginners to the experienced professional. Whether it is Medium Format, fullframe, APS-C, MFT or smaller formats. Digital or film. DPRF is a forum for everybody and for every format.
Enjoy this modern, easy to use software. Look also at our Reviews & Gallery!

New Battery Charger

Starstrider

Member
Greetings,

It's been a while since I've posted anything here. I've been busy getting ready for my twin boys who are due to be born in about a month, so it has been rather hectic around my household. Still been tinkering though.

When I first got my SD14, I read about the less than stellar performance from the BP-21 battery. Then I read on a forum that the supplied charger would not charge the battery to 100%. (Sorry it's been a while I can't remember the site, maybe dpreview?) Since then I purchased some generic version which came with their own chargers and they all seemed to work well enough so I never worried too much about it. The battery grip always gives plenty of power.

I had, at the time sought an answer with a charger called the Twin V Pro by Hahnel. Well after nearly a year my local supplier here finally got them in and I got it just yesterday. I immediately started draining batteries and checking comparing the Sigma Charger, the Generic Charger, and the V Pro.
All the batteries are the same approximate age.

Results: First off the V Pro is fast, it charged two batteries in half the time it took the others to charge just one. And curiously the batteries charged with the Sigma charger did indeed read at only 80% when checked with the V Pro. The generic charger would charge to 100% as read on the V Pro, but took much longer to charge. As this was only a preliminary test I will try to measure times more accurately next time. A curious note, two of the generic batteries would only charge to 60% and 40% respectively.

Here is the link to a description of the charger.
http://www.hahnel.ie/index.cfm?page=chargers&id=6&pId=6
 
New Charger ...

Looking forward to your complete results with the new charger, Bob.

And I also sincerely wish you and yours all the very best wishes for the imminent arrival of that very special delivery!

Sincere regards, JR

All are welcome to visit my humble gallery @ www.pbase.com/jrdigitalart
 
Looks like the forum needs a new photo category - Baby Pic's ;)

Wishing you and your family all the best
 
Many thanks to you both. We have been trying for quite some time, eight years in fact, and had about given up. Looked into adoption and then this blessing happened.
If there isn't a baby category, there soon will be when they arrive!

Thanks again,
Bob
 
Batteries

Hi Bob

First, wish you the best with your twins. I got twins nearly five years ago - fantastic.

Getting a good Sigma battery feels like winning in a lottery. I have kept track of battery reports for some years on dpreview, and the results varies from 60 shots per charge, to 1000+. Mine has given 425+ per charge at best, now, two years old still more than 300. I think they skipped quality control completely on the BP-21.

That Hahnel charger has got good reports before, and I think I have to include it in the next version of my compendium: http://www.foto.nordjylland.biz/SD14/SD-usertips.htm

kind regards
Øyvind Strøm
 
Hey Oyvind,

Thanks for your kind words, I may ask you a pointer or two about the twins when they get here. Which is pretty much any day.

I have two good Sigma Batteries and one good generic. I do not get as many shots out of them as you do, maybe 300 out of the Sigmas and the generic, all my others run about 120, and one a dismal 80 or so.

I unfortunately haven't been able to run my "official" test with the Hahnel charger, too much going on, but it's speed is amazing in how fast it charges those batteries.

While I have the opportunity let me offer a heart felt thank you for the work you did on the SD14 compendium. I had the good fortune of finding it not long after I got my 14 and it has been a wonderful resource in the understanding and utilization of it.

Thanks again,
Bob
 
Back
Top