External battery adapters

I just received an external battery cord for my Pentax LX that I previously never knew existed. I suppose it's main purpose is so you can keep the batteries in your pocket to keep it warm in extremely cold weather.



Are there any others for other cameras - different models or brands?

Nikon's "anti cold battery pack"cold weather battery adapter for F3 and FM2 cameras.
Uses 2 AA batteries.

I am very surprised that you don't know Les. Nikon made one for the F3 as John's said and every magazine at the time had that information. The reason that Nikon was so afraid of people saying the F3 would be dead in the cold and leaving you with only the 1/60 shutter instead of the full range shutter speed as in the F2. So they made the battery pack as well as made the MD-4 power the F3 with its AA or MN-2 battery pack which would take the cold well.

Most versions of the Olympus OM power winders and motor winders had jacks for connecting to external battery packs and AC power. I don't believe that the external power sources powered the cameras' metering or shutter.

Yes we have to distinguish between external battery packs, where also weight and volume is a reason to carry them seperately, and external boxes for just one cell/battery.

Chan Tran said:

I am very surprised that you don't know Les.

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If you mean the Pentax battery cord I was surprised to learn about it to. Of course I live in areas with moderate climates but I never saw this in all my LX searches.

I forgot that I also have the Nikon DB-2 stashed away so thanks for the reminder. Again, moderate climate . . .

Are there others?

Rolleiflex 6000 series (shown) and the 3003 series had something similar. Yes, to keep the NiCad batteries in you pocket in the cold.

Les Sarile said:

If you mean the Pentax battery cord I was surprised to learn about it to. Of course I live in areas with moderate climates but I never saw this in all my LX searches.

I forgot that I also have the Nikon DB-2 stashed away so thanks for the reminder. Again, moderate climate . . .

Are there others?

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Actually for me I think I would be dead before the batteries so I wouldn't be out in the cold taking pictures.

You just need the right gloves...
https://media.gettyimages.com/photo...=KRcp227uGPdfqbAj_WQkh6nbHcPMOIVFoSvMuK1H0Kg=

While I live in a moderate climate, officially, a temperate climate, I have the Nikon DB-2 cold battery pack unit. I picked this up in Germany on a very cold January day when I visited a camera shop to buy new batteries for my Nikon F3 body. I had been out in a forest around 1,000m high for a couple of days in temperatures down to -20ºC taking pictures of frozen trees which were covered in a layer of ice a few millimetres thick, due to an unusual weather phenonom that caused rain to happen between 1,000m and 1,500m which instantly turned to ice when it came into contact with the very cold trees. Sounded like a crystal chandelier tinkling in the wind.
The extra battery pack worked a treat and on the odd occasion I have ventured into quite cool environs since, I've always ensured I have it.

The only issue I have is that the lead could be a bit longer, allowing me to have it inside my down jacket and coming out of my sleeve. It isn't long enough for that, so it comes out in the middle of my torso. With extreme cold and a lowish battery set in the camera body, I found that vertical shots worked one way, but were audibly slower the other way, horizontal shots were not seemingly changed. It was only a short time after noticing this shutter difference, that the batteries would die.

I tried Lithium batteries, but they died instantly, I prefer the more normal battery type that starts to die in a controlled and noticeable manner, this allows one to seek shelter to somehow replace batteries. As for dropping button batteries in the snow; best excuse for getting an external battery pack.

Mick.

ic-racer said:

Rolleiflex 6000 series (shown) and the 3003 series had something similar. Yes, to keep the NiCad batteries in you pocket in the cold.

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I wasn't even thinking of other camera formats but clearly those can be affected just like the smaller formats.

Chan Tran said:

Actually for me I think I would be dead before the batteries so I wouldn't be out in the cold taking pictures.

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I hardly get a chance to get in extreme cold conditions. A few years ago Atlanta had an ice storm and I took the LX out to get some shots on Kodak TMAX 100.



I didn't have this battery cord then but I wasn't out there for too long anyway!

Mick Fagan said:

The only issue I have is that the lead could be a bit longer, allowing me to have it inside my down jacket and coming out of my sleeve. It isn't long enough for that, so it comes out in the middle of my torso.

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You easily should be able to set elongate such cable. Either by splicing-in or substituting.

Advanced tinkerers should be able to make a external solution for any model.

Mick Fagan said:

I tried Lithium batteries, but they died instantly, I prefer the more normal battery type that starts to die in a controlled and noticeable manner, this allows one to seek shelter to somehow replace batteries.

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Lithium metal cells should withstand cold better, but your experience of a sudden fall-off might disqualify them nonetheless.