Olympus E20 & Types of Charger/Batteries Used

Michael68 · 17th October 2005

Hi all,
Just took my E20 out of my dry box to do some test shots. Popped in Sanyo batteries charged by Sanyo charger (2100 NIMH). After one shot, camera died. Tried the 2300 and 2500 type as well and all showed similar problems, even though I used batteries that were freshly charged.
Tried it on other Olympus cameras (3.2 megapixels, 4.0 megapixels) and they were ok.
Well, just would like to know what are the type of charger and batteries you used with your E20?
Thanks in advance!

tao · 17th October 2005

Hi there, the reason why you encounter that issue is because of the voltage drop of the NiMH batts which make the E-20 'think' that the battery is flat.

I recommend these for the E-10/20:
http://shop.w3cube.com/index.php?mai...roducts_id=116
No memory effect, negligible discharge and last very long on your E-20.

Michael68 · 17th October 2005

Thanks for the tip. The funny thing is that when it was tested at Olympus using 4 AA 1600 NIMH and charged on the normal Oly charger provided (with no special features like temperature protection, individual charging etc), the technician snapped easily 50 plus shots and could keep on going if not for his lunch break.
My question is, especially after reading some recent discussions on whether the so call 2500 NIMH batteries: are they really holding that amount of capacity? Are their discharge rate much faster compared to the good old 1600 NIMH batteries?
I have also been considering the CR-V3 for some time but nowadays all cells are manufactured in China. I know Cathay, W cube carries them, so are some sellers on yahoo and ebay. Which are the more reliable ones that holds the charge as promised?
Thanks again!

tao · 17th October 2005

I tried using the Sanyo 2500MAH AA batts when I had my E-20 and it was a complete disaster. You are right, these batts suffer from 2 problems, namely rapid discharge and voltage drop which makes them almost unusable in the E-20. Another issue could be the use of a quick charger... seems that using normal charger will charge the batteries better and they can last longer.

Best is still to use the CRV3s for the E-20 as they hold their voltage and charge well so the camera cab squeeze every drop of power from those cells unlike using NiMH in which the battery may be half-full and you get a dead camera due to voltage drop. I can't comment on which is better though.

Michael68 · 27th October 2005

Thanks for all your tips. I've seen numerous brands of rechargeable CRV3s in the market, but not sure which brands are good. Any recommendations? I also understand that almost all of these cells are made in China, and are given warranty by the companies selling them. Thanks for your input again!

tao · 27th October 2005

those from W3 should be alright... the folks at the Pentax forum bought them for use in their Ist D DSLRs with good results.

17th October 2005	#1
Michael68 Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 218	Olympus E20 & Types of Charger/Batteries Used Hi all, Just took my E20 out of my dry box to do some test shots. Popped in Sanyo batteries charged by Sanyo charger (2100 NIMH). After one shot, camera died. Tried the 2300 and 2500 type as well and all showed similar problems, even though I used batteries that were freshly charged. Tried it on other Olympus cameras (3.2 megapixels, 4.0 megapixels) and they were ok. Well, just would like to know what are the type of charger and batteries you used with your E20? Thanks in advance! __________________ "....it is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness...."

17th October 2005	#2
tao Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Land of the Vegetables Posts: 3,015	Re: Olympus E20 & Types of Charger/Batteries Used Hi there, the reason why you encounter that issue is because of the voltage drop of the NiMH batts which make the E-20 'think' that the battery is flat. I recommend these for the E-10/20: http://shop.w3cube.com/index.php?mai...roducts_id=116 No memory effect, negligible discharge and last very long on your E-20.

17th October 2005	#3
Michael68 Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 218	Re: Olympus E20 & Types of Charger/Batteries Used Thanks for the tip. The funny thing is that when it was tested at Olympus using 4 AA 1600 NIMH and charged on the normal Oly charger provided (with no special features like temperature protection, individual charging etc), the technician snapped easily 50 plus shots and could keep on going if not for his lunch break. My question is, especially after reading some recent discussions on whether the so call 2500 NIMH batteries: are they really holding that amount of capacity? Are their discharge rate much faster compared to the good old 1600 NIMH batteries? I have also been considering the CR-V3 for some time but nowadays all cells are manufactured in China. I know Cathay, W cube carries them, so are some sellers on yahoo and ebay. Which are the more reliable ones that holds the charge as promised? Thanks again! __________________ "....it is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness...."

17th October 2005	#4
tao Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Land of the Vegetables Posts: 3,015	Re: Olympus E20 & Types of Charger/Batteries Used I tried using the Sanyo 2500MAH AA batts when I had my E-20 and it was a complete disaster. You are right, these batts suffer from 2 problems, namely rapid discharge and voltage drop which makes them almost unusable in the E-20. Another issue could be the use of a quick charger... seems that using normal charger will charge the batteries better and they can last longer. Best is still to use the CRV3s for the E-20 as they hold their voltage and charge well so the camera cab squeeze every drop of power from those cells unlike using NiMH in which the battery may be half-full and you get a dead camera due to voltage drop. I can't comment on which is better though.

27th October 2005	#5
Michael68 Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 218	Re: Olympus E20 & Types of Charger/Batteries Used Thanks for all your tips. I've seen numerous brands of rechargeable CRV3s in the market, but not sure which brands are good. Any recommendations? I also understand that almost all of these cells are made in China, and are given warranty by the companies selling them. Thanks for your input again! __________________ "....it is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness...."