How long do batteries last?

[keepright]

A fresh pair of LR44 batteries weren't enough for nine rolls of film on a warm day last weekend.

I've never had the patience to wear out a 1/3N.

How long do the batteries last in your Zeiss Ikon?

 

[kxl]

SR44's just seem to go on and on... when I remember to turn off the power

 

[Joerg]

Hi,

really dont know, but I only swapped them once out of precaution before a trip.

Joerg

 

[Tom A]

I usually get 40-45 rolls with a set of SR-44's in the Zeiss. Sounds like you got some dud batteries .

 

[keepright]

Keith, now that I've been (lightly) burned I've learned a bit more of the difference between the types. SR44's sound much better. In my case I blew through the LR44's about 24 hours after putting the cells in the camera.

Joerg, I'm with you – I never have the patience to wear a set out. In this case I did swap out the power before a trip, but I went from a 1/3N to 2x LR44.

Tom A, that's good to hear and I strongly suspect that you're correct about my batteries. They're a reputable brand from a reliable source, but I won't be using them again if I can help it.

(My day did have a happy ending, though, since a local convenience store had more LR44s for me to use. They were reasonably priced, and I stopped for a beverage that I otherwise wouldn't have enjoyed.)

 

[Leigh Youdale]

Avoid alkaline batteries if you can. They have a progressive discharge rate that lowers the voltage as they age - something the silver oxide ones don't do. However, the silver ones tend to "fall off the cliff" when they do reach exhaustion.
My solution is only use SR44 and to change the batteries regardless on set anniversary dates such as my birthday, Xmas or something else easy to link to the task.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I use LR44s only if I can't get SR 44s -- I have found the life to be impressively different, though never (as far as I recall) quite as low as 9 rolls.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Chinasaur]

The power button was not on and nothing was pressing on the shutter release? Like in a bag? If so, that would drain them.

 

[keepright]

Good thought. It is possible that the shutter button was lightly depressed from the side of the camera bag, but I doubt it. I'm used to digital cameras, and I turn the Ikon off without even thinking about it. (I frequently wonder why the camera's not taking pictures after I change lenses – it's a very ingrained habit.) Also, I've finally finished scanning all of the film, and didn't come away with any camera-bag photos.

Naturally, because the LR44 batteries that I bought were cheap, I have another half-dozen of them. I'm 99.5% certain that they're the source of the problem that I had, but there's only one way to find out for sure.

 

[monopix]

I've always used CR-1/3N lithium and never worn one out yet. Just changed it once before a trip just in case.

 

[monopix]

Just did a quick search of battery capacities. Silver and Lithium seem all around the same at between 160 to 190mAH while the alkalines are around 100 to 115mAH. So not as big a difference as I thought. But, as already pointed out, the alkaline's output decreases while the silver and lithium are more constant. I don't know how critical the voltage is on the ZMs.