Maha extends power on Nikon, Oly, HP digicams! By
Mike Tomkins
(Saturday, August 4, 2001 - 00:20 EDT)
New Li-Ion rechargeable battery pack promises extended battery life for 7 digicam models...
We frequently receive emails from readers asking how to extend the battery life of their digital cameras, and for a number of models with 7.2V inputs, have been short of an answer. That problem is now gone, thanks to battery and charger manufacturer Maha Energy Corp., which is now shipping its new Powerex MH-DPB140LI PowerBank, a high-capacity external rechargeable battery pack. The '140LI pack is unusual in providing the 7.2 volts required by cameras such as the Nikon Coolpix 995 and Olympus Camedia E-10 - most similar products provide 6 volts or less!
Available immediately from IR advertiser Thomas Distributing, the '140LI is compatible with Nikon's Coolpix 995, 880 and 775, Olympus' E-10 and E-100, and HP's Photosmart 618 and 912 digital cameras. The Lithium Ion pack is rated at 1400mAh, more than double the power rating of the internal EN-EL1 battery pack used in the Coolpix 995, and should provide double to triple the standard battery life on these cameras.
A built-in battery gauge shows power remaining at the press of a button. Bundled accessories include a carrying case with belt clip, a 3-hour quick charger, a cigarette lighter adapter for in-car recharging and a universal camera cable with modular connectors suitable for the cameras listed above.
The Maha Powerex MH-DPB140LI PowerBank can be purchased for $59.90 plus shipping from Thomas Distributing, with shipping costs starting at $6.90 for USPS Priority Insured delivery. NOTE that there is also a Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) version available as well - whilst it looks identical, this is not the same model, and is not suitable for the cameras mentioned previously. Be careful to order the correct model!
We hope to check a unit out ourselves soon, and will report on it with real-world figures once we've had a chance to try it out...
|