3v vs 6v batteries

JBoontje · Nov 24, 2009

I just bought a Canon AE-1 in great condition.
One thing is lacking: Batteries. I read that a common battery for this camera is a 6v PX28 alkaline battery, but I cant find it anywhere in my city.

However, there are lots of 3v batteries available which are the same size as the 6v PX28 alkaline. Could I get the 3v instead of the 6v? Will it matter?

I hope it will work with a 3v battery, if not, I have to get a 6v somewhere online

wildbill · Nov 24, 2009

That's 3v short of what you need. The px28 is used for light meters and bronica cameras too. If you can't find a px28, let me know. I've got a bunch.

JBoontje · Nov 24, 2009

wildbill said:
That's 3v short of what you need. The px28 is used for light meters and bronica cameras too. If you can't find a px28, let me know. I've got a bunch.

Hmm..
That means I have to buy a battery which is worth half as much as the camera (with a 28,50,60-200mm lens).

I have already found a px28 online, thanks for the offer

AgX · Nov 24, 2009

You should pay more for your cameras, so to bring running costs into good relation to the basic investment...

Steve Smith · Nov 24, 2009

The PX28 is also known as 4LR44 - That is 4 x LR44 1.5v cells stacked up in one package. If you cant find a PX28, you could fit four separate LR44 cells or a couple of the 3 volt double height batteries which my Nikon uses but I can't recall the number of. It's not 2LR44 although that would be logical.

Steve.

WolfTales · Nov 24, 2009

Technically you should be able to use 4 1.5v LR44s or 4 76s stacked together plus to minus. That will give you 6 volts. Or you can use 2 3v 1/3Ns stacked together. This would be a very similar form factor to fit inside the battery compartment.

Steve Smith · Nov 24, 2009

WolfTales said:
Or you can use 2 3v 1/3Ns stacked together.

That's the number I was looking for!

Steve.

JBoontje · Nov 24, 2009

Thanks alot, that seems like a much better alternative. Will write all the names down, getting them tomorrow

BetterSense · Nov 24, 2009

In my Canon AT-1, I shrink-tubed together 4 stacked up silver-oxide 357 (LR44 equivalent) cells and used the end caps off my old 6v battery to take up the rest of the space.

MattKing · Nov 24, 2009

If you are looking for these batteries, they are apparently used in a lot of dog collars (???).

Here is an eBay listing from a seller I have used in the past, and who ships the alkaline version of these batteries to the Netherlands at reasonable cost:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/5pk-4LR44-A544-K28A-A28PX-537-28A-Alkaline-6V-BATTERIES_W0QQitemZ250335069163QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item3a492203eb#shId

Matt

elekm · Nov 24, 2009

For cameras, avoid using alkaline batteries and instead try to get either lithium or silver oxide. They provide a flatter voltage over their useful life, while alkalines steadily decline in voltage, which at some point could affect meter readings, depending on the camera.

MattKing · Nov 24, 2009

elekm said:
For cameras, avoid using alkaline batteries and instead try to get either lithium or silver oxide. They provide a flatter voltage over their useful life, while alkalines steadily decline in voltage, which at some point could affect meter readings, depending on the camera.

Mike:

I agree with you with respect to most of my cameras, but there are some exceptions.

In the case of my Mamiya 645s, and the Canon A series cameras that I worked with a long time ago, the circuitry seems to be quite tolerant of voltage variation. They are also included among the batteries recommended by the manufacturer.

The alkaline batteries certainly have less capacity than silver oxide or lithium versions, but the lower cost makes carrying a couple of backups much more palatable.

Matt

Steve Smith · Nov 24, 2009

Generally, if your camera uses a match needle system. i.e. you adjust the aperture and shutter speed so one needle lines up with the meter needle, then you need a stable voltage which is what silver oxide (and mercury) can supply. If the meter is one where the correct exposure is indicated by the meter needle centralising (and it also goes to that position when switched off) then your meter is in a bridge circuit and will not be affected by voltage variations.

Steve.

JBoontje · Nov 25, 2009

WolfTales said:
Technically you should be able to use 4 1.5v LR44s or 4 76s stacked together plus to minus. That will give you 6 volts. Or you can use 2 3v 1/3Ns stacked together. This would be a very similar form factor to fit inside the battery compartment.

I bought 2 1/3N batteries, I couldnt find the other batteries even though the shop had a massive battery-arsenal.

Turns out there are still some millimeters inside the battery compartment, so nothing happens... is there anything I could do?

I will try to fill the room in between the batteries in order to make them work. Lets see if it works.

jeffreyg · Nov 25, 2009

Check out BatteriesPlus on line. I'm not sure about shipping but I needed a hard to find battery and if you can find your camera on their website it will list the batteries they carry for it. They shipped immediately. In the US they also have stores in many cities.

jeffreyg · Nov 25, 2009

I just checked their website and they have listed for the Canon AE1 a Duracell lithium PX28LBPK. Hope that helps.

John Koehrer · Nov 25, 2009

JBoontje said:
I bought 2 1/3N batteries, I couldnt find the other batteries even though the shop had a massive battery-arsenal.

Turns out there are still some millimeters inside the battery compartment, so nothing happens... is there anything I could do?

I will try to fill the room in between the batteries in order to make them work. Lets see if it works.

Just a thin metal shim or washer or aluminum foil or....

Rol_Lei Nut · Nov 25, 2009

JBoontje said:
Turns out there are still some millimeters inside the battery compartment, so nothing happens... is there anything I could do?

I've successfully used a ball of aluminium foil to correct various battery size mismatches...

JBoontje · Nov 26, 2009

I got it to work, finally

I was clueless when I saw the needle responding to pressing the shutter, but the advance lever itself was stuck.
Maybe I bought it with a locked shutter?
I tried cleaning the contacts, didnt work, then I made the aluminium foil bigger. This worked, and the bottom contact that looks like a button
has to be completely pushed down. This got the advance lever working

Uncle Goose · Nov 27, 2009

Since you are in the Netherlands I would suggest you look at stores like Saturn or Mediamarkt (if they exist in the Netherlands, I don't know that). I know they sell them there because I buy my 6v's there for my Bronica ETRSi.

Greetz From Belgium.

JBoontje · Nov 27, 2009

Uncle Goose said:
Since you are in the Netherlands I would suggest you look at stores like Saturn or Mediamarkt (if they exist in the Netherlands, I don't know that). I know they sell them there because I buy my 6v's there for my Bronica ETRSi.

Greetz From Belgium.

Yes, I went to the MediaMarkt. They had a wall full of batteries, hunderds of them but no 6v's. They did have the biggest offer of batteries I had ever seen though.

Uncle Goose · Nov 27, 2009

JBoontje said:
Yes, I went to the MediaMarkt. They had a wall full of batteries, hunderds of them but no 6v's. They did have the biggest offer of batteries I had ever seen though.

that's strange, here in Ghent they have 1 variety of 6v that would fit yours nicely, did you ask at the info desk? At first they didn't have them but recently they added them to the inventory (In Ghent at least). Since it's a chain store their stock should be the same everywhere. Might worth the trouble to ask if you didn't already.

JBoontje · Nov 27, 2009

Uncle Goose said:
that's strange, here in Ghent they have 1 variety of 6v that would fit yours nicely, did you ask at the info desk? At first they didn't have them but recently they added them to the inventory (In Ghent at least). Since it's a chain store their stock should be the same everywhere. Might worth the trouble to ask if you didn't already.

I asked them, and they referred to the photo-area. So I went there, but there were only the normal AA batteries and all that.

They did have the 3v kind that looked exactly like the 6v ones, but they didnt have the 6v's I needed.

Uncle Goose · Dec 1, 2009

That's a shame. It took a while before they had them here and they are cheap (something like 4.99€), that's cheap because I used to buy those that Kodak makes and those range from around 10€ to 14€ (depending where you buy them). Maybe they were out of stock?? I don't think they order vast quantities of these anyhow.

3v vs 6v batteries

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3v vs 6v batteries

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