Can post all related question about FZ5 here?

[dominator]

I feel there are too many threads flying around...and hence to difficult to keep track. Especially the recent FZ5 topic.
How about everyone asking their questions here instead of starting so many others for every single question?


Ok, something to share with everyone. About battery issue, no only for FZ5, but all others because I noticed there will always be argument for battery

To my limited knowledge, higher amp not necessary mean longer battery life but instead maybe can harm your camera.

How about testing original 680(Panasonic) against 3rd Party battery?
Let's say a 680 batt average 300 shots, meaning 1200 can take more than 500 shots? or it gives you almost the same output?

My own test. Both at full charge but left on shelf for weeks.
a panasonic batt spec is 7.2V/680mah but measured to be 8.29V
a 3rd party batt of mine with spec 7.4V/980mah but only measured 7.66V
spec of FZ5 is 8.4Vdc and the original batt which gives 8.29V to me is better.
So any comments from expert out there?

[huggable]

Judging from the many posts on the FZ5, maybe the mods can consider creating sub-sections for the various models as well.

Huggable has an original FZ5 battery and a compatible one from yahoo auctions. From my estimate, the compatible can only last about 1/3 the number of shots. Have yet to measure the battery supply voltage. But it's the capacity that counts if you're talking about battery life.

Perhaps you'd like to do a simple test cum write-up on comparision of battery performance?

[dominator]

how about the formula..
P=V I

our camera average comsumes 1.1w to 2.1w depending on usage.
I believe 8.?V and 7.?V makes alot of difference if you multiply it by MILIamp

let's say original batt P = 8.29V * 680MILIamp?
and 3rd party batt P = 7.66V * 980MILIamp?
which one give more power?

or still any expert out there? i may be wrong too.

[unseen]

the 680/980mAh refers to the storage capacity, nothing else?

you left out an unit when you did
P = IV...
the capacity is I/H

[unseen]

from what i found..
http://science.howstuffworks.com/battery9.htm

Quote: Normally, when you buy a pack of batteries, the package will tell you the voltage and current rating for the battery. For example, my digital camera uses four nickel-cadmium batteries that are rated at 1.25 volts and 500 milliamp-hours for each cell. The milliamp-hour rating means, theoretically, that the cell can produce 500 milliamps for one hour. You can slice and dice the milliamp-hour rating in lots of different ways. A 500 milliamp-hour battery could produce 5 milliamps for 100 hours, or 10 milliamps for 50 hours, or 25 milliamps for 20 hours, or (theoretically) 500 milliamps for 1 hour, or even 1,000 milliamps for 30 minutes. However, batteries are not quite that linear. For one thing, all batteries have a maximum current they can produce -- a 500 milliamp-hour battery cannot produce 30,000 milliamps for 1 second, because there is no way for the battery's chemical reactions to happen that quickly. And at higher current levels, batteries can produce a lot of heat, which wastes some of their power. Also, many battery chemistries have longer or shorter than expected lives at very low current levels. But milliamp-hour ratings are somewhat linear over a normal range of use. Using the amp-hour rating, you can roughly estimate how long the battery will last under a given load.

[dominator]

good info. but still wondering how it works.
must check out with my fellow colleagues. i believe the voltage is crucial. mah rating may not be accurate for any 3rd party batt just like any cheap lelong batt selling at less than $1 but claim it's super power.

[zcf]

I believe most 3rd party batteries don't have the amount of mah as they stated, original is 680mah, but it last longer than the 1200mah I bought from AP.
I tested it using FZ5 movie recoding mode, the original battery last about 10000 seconds (or 5 x 2000 second per 1 gigabyte SD card, delete the movie then restart again, lcd on, but brightness set as -1) after fully charged, the 3rd party last about 7000 second only, which mean it may have about 70% of the original battery capacity only.
Not sure about eastgear battery, heard they are better. Anyone can try to run the recording as the setting I try and report?

[eow]

Originally Posted by zcf I believe most 3rd party batteries don't have the amount of mah as they stated, original is 680mah, but it last longer than the 1200mah I bought from AP. I tested it using FZ5 movie recoding mode, the original battery last about 10000 seconds (or 5 x 2000 second per 1 gigabyte SD card, delete the movie then restart again, lcd on, but brightness set as -1) after fully charged, the 3rd party last about 7000 second only, which mean it may have about 70% of the original battery capacity only. Not sure about eastgear battery, heard they are better. Anyone can try to run the recording as the setting I try and report?

Cool...good method will test it on my external power pack to night

[zcf]

for your external battery pact, it will take a damn long time though, I am not sure you got the patient to wait for that.
There are some different also, as my battery is new and camera is FZ5, but yours is FZ1, and the battery had been used for some time.

[JimDavis]

I can help to put the previous Q&A about FZ5 in the FAQ thread, just help to PM me with the URL, and I will get that organized.

[eow]

Originally Posted by zcf for your external battery pact, it will take a damn long time though, I am not sure you got the patient to wait for that. There are some different also, as my battery is new and camera is FZ5, but yours is FZ1, and the battery had been used for some time.

yes but at least a rough estimation of how long it can last as compare to the original batt..best of all i dun have to handle it much..just leave it on by itself

[dominator]

i suggest on the next outing if possible, owners of...let say FZ20...FZ5....etc test out their camera side by side using video mode and all with same setting but different type of batt.
Then we shall see which batt goes flat 1st.
how? you need to be very free to do it..

[seeyf]

Which eastgear battery is used by the fz5?
Is it the EastGear S002 (800mAh 7.4V)?
The page for that battery on the website only says that it can be used with FZ1.

[newbiegrapher]

Originally Posted by seeyf Which eastgear battery is used by the fz5? Is it the EastGear S002 (800mAh 7.4V)? The page for that battery on the website only says that it can be used with FZ1.

Yup thats the one, but what i bought is 900mAh and 7.2V, cost is $28.90

[seeyf]

what's the model number?

[newbiegrapher]

Originally Posted by seeyf what's the model number?

EG S002A Lithium Ion

[seeyf]

Strange.
Mine is EG-S002 Li-ion 7.2V 900mAh
I use it for my FZ1. Is there any difference between EG-S002 and EG-S002A?
Can mine be used for FZ5 too?

[newbiegrapher]

Originally Posted by seeyf Strange. Mine is EG-S002 Li-ion 7.2V 900mAh I use it for my FZ1. Is there any difference between EG-S002 and EG-S002A? Can mine be used for FZ5 too?

Mayb difference in V only since ur EG-S002 is 7.2V while V for 002A is 7.4V.
If im rite, batteries for FZ1 can be used for FZ5, they are similar. The list of compatible cameras that the batt can be used for only states that it can be used for FZ1 and didnt state that it can be used for FZ5.
Perhaps they didnt update the list
Anyway, i tried and tested this morning, it can be used .

[airconvent]

dag-nabit!
AP offered me a compatible battery for the FZ5 that actually had a lower capacity 600mAH. This is the Megapower brand , the brand one with the yellow and blue coloured box found everywhere....
Have not tried it though since up to now the primary battery has been able to meet my needs.

[dts_spawn]

Just curious, Do you people prefer the black fz5 or the sliver one?