Batteries for my Bessa R

[CCCPcamera]

What batteries are the best to purchase for my Bessa R? Are they at all difficult to find or can I just pick one up at my local camera store? Thanks.

 

[chris00nj]

Local camera store should have them.

 

[pvdhaar]

The Bessa R uses two common 1.5 Volt SR44 or LR44 batteries. In principle, it doesn't matter which you get, but if the store offers a choice, get the LR variant.

The SR type has higher max. current, but shorter shelf life (typically 2years). The LR's have 5 to 10 years shelf life. You don't need the higher current, as the Bessa R only uses the battery for the light meter. In practice, this means the SR's last two years and the LR's last five years in your camera.

 

[ElrodCod]

I got into a p---ing contest with a kid at the local Radio Shack today about these very batteries. They only had #357 's which technically are replacements for SR44's. He just didn't get the difference so I went to Staples & got Duracell 76A "medical" batteries which are a direct equivalent to the LR44's. They cost $1.69 each which is less than half the price of the silver oxide ones.

 

[Seele]

Like the previous correspondents said, the Bessa requires two 1.5V button cells, and there are variations, but the choice depends on your needs.

For a little more money you can get silver oxide cells, normally called SR44; they hold more charge per cell, and would be good if you take lots of pictures and exhaust the batteries from use.

The same form factor can also be had as alkaline, normally called LR44; they hold less charge but cheaper. For most people they would be the best choice, as on a cost per shot basis.

Since the cells are stacked, rather than side-by-side when fitted into the camera, there is also a lithium cell which mimics the size of this "two-up" configuration and a voltage of 3V. Some people report poor performance when using this kind of lithium cell, meant to be a direct replacement; from what I can tell it depends on the design of the individual camera; some can take it and some cannot take it at all, while some can only give a very small number of shots per battery.

I have experienced that with some other cameras and came to the conclusion that they are not really worth the bother, besides, alkaline batteries are inexpensive enough, so I can carry a pair of spare ones all the time, although the Bessa R uses so little power that the need for battery replacement on the job has never happened.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I've found that LR44s exhaust a lot faster than SR44. Shelf like doesn't seem to be the issue to me: exhaustion does. This applies to all cameras that my wife and I own or have used with these batteries. We buy LR44 only as short-term emergency replacements.

Cheers,

R.

 

[payasam]

This may not be relevant here; but while the silver oxide cell gives an almost constant voltage output throughout its life, the output of the alkaline cell drops with use.

 

[Seele]

Roger,

I think the alkaline ones vary a fair bit too: while the "generic" ones are less dependable, the name-brand ones such as Varta, Panasonic, Maxell all work very well for me; like most things, YMMV.

Payasam,

If the camera was designed to be compatible with alkaline cells, its circuit would have taken voltage drop into account, for instance incorporating a bridge circuit or something. I cannot think of a camera which relies on the near-constant output of a silver cell, as in those designed specificially for the mercury cell.

 

[ElrodCod]

A single CR1/3n 3V lithium battery can also be used instead of the two "button" cell.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I think the alkaline ones vary a fair bit too: while the "generic" ones are less dependable, the name-brand ones such as Varta, Panasonic, Maxell all work very well for me; like most things, YMMV.

Point well taken, and I've noticed the same thing; but I've mostly used Varta, the most widely available where I live, and I have still found silver cells last a good bit longer. In the cameras we use most, battery life is usually under a year, often well under, and always under 2 years. But we shoot a lot.

The cameras my wife and I have that take them are Leica MP, Voigtländer Bessa-R2 and -T, and (as far as I recall -- it's my wife's camera) ZI SW, so we get through a fair amount of batteries. We also have or have had over the years other Bessas (R, S, L) and a ZI, though we don't use them as much as the cameras above.

Cheers,

R.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

I use cheap as chips generic LR44's (aka AG13's) from a local general store, not photo store, and find they last fine.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

I've found that LR44s exhaust a lot faster than SR44. Shelf like doesn't seem to be the issue to me: exhaustion does. This applies to all cameras that my wife and I own or have used with these batteries. We buy LR44 only as short-term emergency replacements.

Cheers,

R.

Roger, (and others) I came across a very interesting document today whilst looking for a solution to the mercury battery I need for my old Nikkormat FTn exposure meter. There's quite a bit of useful data in it regarding mercury, silver oxide, zinc oxide and alkaline type batteries. Anyone else with an older camera might find it useful to. here's the link - http://www.buhla.de/Foto/batt-adapt-US.pdf

It reinforces what I suspected, that store employees pass off LR44's as "equivalent" to SR44's but don't really know that of which they speak. The drop-off of voltage in the alkaline types (compared to the silver oxide types) means that there is most likely a slow but undetected shift in the exposure meter readings towards the latter part of the alkaline battery life.

 

[paulfish4570]

I buy the Energizer silver oxide 357s in three-packs. most major drug stores carry them. The cost is maybe $8 for the three. My Fujic ST605s also use these batteries in the stacked arrangement ...

 

[sig]

It reinforces what I suspected, that store employees pass off LR44's as "equivalent" to SR44's but don't really know that of which they speak. The drop-off of voltage in the alkaline types (compared to the silver oxide types) means that there is most likely a slow but undetected shift in the exposure meter readings towards the latter part of the alkaline battery life.

New cameras have been designed to handle this drop in voltage, if the instruction guide says use LR or SR you can use LR or SR.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

New cameras have been designed to handle this drop in voltage, if the instruction guide says use LR or SR you can use LR or SR.

You're probably right. I have used LR44's in my Bessa without a problem although I prefer SR44's for better life, but the Nikkormat is a different situation as it requires mercury batteries and as I'm on my last one I had to find a substitute - hence the search that found the document I linked to in my earlier post.

 

[sig]

You're probably right. I have used LR44's in my Bessa without a problem although I prefer SR44's for better life, but the Nikkormat is a different situation as it requires mercury batteries and as I'm on my last one I had to find a substitute - hence the search that found the document I linked to in my earlier post.

Agree, mercury batteries are a different story. Silver oxide batteries has the same flat discharge curve as the mercury ones, but different voltage (and some cameras can handle that and some not)