Lithium AA juice in Nikon Cameras?

ssloansjca · Dec 21, 2008

I use the Energizer Lithium AA in my F5 and they work great. How about other Nikon Cameras? I have two FM2/MD12 combination cameras. I know the camera gets its power from the MS76 batteries so it should not throw that off. I know a company called Fastpac used to make external battery packs that juiced MD12s so I figure they will be okay. How about my F3/MD4? That gets its power from the motor, will the 1.7 volt lithiums hurt that?

I have found the extra voltage makes them unusable in a Vivitar 283, it just will not power up with them. I have not tried them in Nikon Speedlights or my F2/MD3/MB-2.

I have had a few experiences with Alkalines leaking and that's a bummer. Anybody have opinions or much better personal experience ot knowlege on this? Input is greatly appreciated.

~Steve

bdial · Dec 21, 2008

The Energizer Lithium AA's I have are labeled as 1.5 V. I've not measured them, but I use them in my F3 and several other AA using devices with no problems. They make the F3 noticably lighter which is nice.

John_Nikon_F · Dec 21, 2008

They're labelled 1.5V, but with a Fluke 23 multimeter, I measured them @ 1.7 volts. Since there is the option of the MN-2 NiCad pack for the MD-4, there won't be any metering issues, since 13.6 volts is less than 16.8 volts. So, I wouldn't be worried. When I had a MD-4 on my F3P, I used them all the time. Now use them in the F4s, F5, and my FM2n's MD-12.

In the FM2n's, I'd switch to the CR 1/3N batteries for the meters, since, like the lithium AA's, they last longer.

-J

ssloansjca · Dec 22, 2008

Thanks for the tips. I will switch over as the batteries come up for replacement.

John Koehrer · Dec 22, 2008

They may measure 1.7V on the Fluke but the meter doesn't load the batteries. Most inexpensive testers will give a more accurate reading because they do. Been there done that.

PhotoJim · Dec 22, 2008

Nikon doesn't recommend them in older bodies, probably because of a lack of testing on their suitability. The F90, e.g., is not to be used with them but the F90x can be. The F5 is fine.

I think they re-evaluated the F4 and decided it was safe with them, but I'm going by memory.

Experience seems to have shown that lithium AA cells seem safe in all Nikons, even if they aren't suggested for use with lithium AAs. Also, at the price of some of these older bodies, the risk of damage is no longer very costly. If you fry an F801s with lithium AAs, a replacement body is barely more than the batteries cost.

Poohblah · Dec 22, 2008

John Koehrer said:
They may measure 1.7V on the Fluke but the meter doesn't load the batteries. Most inexpensive testers will give a more accurate reading because they do. Been there done that.

The voltage of lithium batteries shouldn't change with the load. Different story for alkaline and nickel-based batteries.

PhotoJim · Dec 22, 2008

I always understood that lithium batteries did have a voltage drop under load (from 1.7 to 1.5 volts) but nickel cadmium and nickel metal-hydride batteries didn't (constant 1.2 volts).

Poisson Du Jour · Dec 22, 2008

Research suitability of lithium batteries with Nikon.
I have had lithium AA batteries (8) in my EOS 1Ns since 2004 and over that time there have been inumerable bulb exposures of over 14 hours. Sometimes camera manufacturers will recommend that lithium batteries not be used in such and such bodies, for whatever reason. My chief gripe is they are expensive and have a very sudden 'death dive' which is much sharper than, for instance, alkalines.

John_Nikon_F · Dec 23, 2008

Jim,

I don't think they do. Reason being is that you can usually squeeze an extra .5 fps or so out of a motor drive with the Energizer e^2's... With my MD-12, it sounds like my FM2n is doing somewhere between 3.7 fps and 4 fps, instead of the 3.2-3.5 fps that's stock. The AF is also snappier in my F4s, compared to normal. It's also useable if said F4s is downgraded to a basic F4 with the MB-20, whereas, with the alkaline AA's, it can get painfully slow.

With respect to Nikon not recommending them, they didn't have enough evidence @ the time, since the original red/gold Energizer lithiums came out around the time the N90 did, so most earlier bodies were untested. In my experience, all my F3's have been fine on the e^2 lithiums, my N8008 was fine, and, of course, every F4 and F5 I've owned has been fine with them. Meters were always accurate. The motor drives also seemed to always have a little extra power, compared to alkalines.

Lithiums aren't cheap, but they do last a long time. They do, however have the sudden death issue mentioned in the previous post. They either work, or they don't.

-J

PhotoJim · Dec 23, 2008

I certainly noticed that the motor drive and AF speed is slower in an F90 with NiCd cells than it is with fresh alkaline cells, on account of the voltage difference.

Alkaline batteries do fade in voltage with use. Still, if fresh lithium cells provide faster motor drive or autofocus activity, then perhaps the voltage does stay higher.

I've only used lithium AAs in my F100 and F5 (primarily because of weight, partly because of the extended life).

mawz · Dec 25, 2008

Some bodies have averse reactions to Lithiums. I know my F801s appeared to be completely broken (no response to controls, but LCD on even with the off switch on Off) with Lithiums, but a set of Alkalines cured the issues immediately.

John_Nikon_F · Dec 25, 2008

Interesting, since my old N8008 worked perfectly fine with them.

-J

Russ - SVP · Dec 26, 2008

I use lithiums in all of my Nikon cameras and motor drives. And I've found that my Viv 283's and 285's recycle much quicker with them.

Kiron Kid

Lithium AA juice in Nikon Cameras?

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