nimh battery source for rolleiflex slx & 6002

[smiling gecko]

hoping to find a source to have some ni-cads rebuilt for my rolleiflex slx & 6002. i would like to have them rebuilt using nickel metal hydride technology...also wondering if my 'n' and/or 'g' rollei chargers will be compatible with them.

i had found some info "somewhere" and did not bookmark it, aarrgghh!!

i would greatly appreciate any information on this and would like to hear from someone who may have already had their ni-cads converted.

thanks,
_____________________________________

breathe, relax, smile and enjoy
_____________________________________

kenneth lockerman
NEVER FORGET BESLAN
www.neverforgetbeslan.com

 

[Greg_E]

NiMH are normally just fine with the NiCad chargers.

You might have to open up the old batteries and find out what cells they use and do the replacement yourself.

Any idea what size cells it uses (A, AA, AAA, 1/2A, 4/3A, etc.)?

 

[GoGo]

http://www.batterystore.com/

TNR, call these people they have rebuilt many ni/cad battery packs for me and they are reasonably priced!

Good luck,
G

 

[TimVermont]

Smiling Gecko, you may want to look at this thread:
http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00IJ9F
Maybe there are some electrical engineers on APUG who can confirm that the Rolleis have a very high initial draw, apparently too much for anything but nicad.

 

[Greg_E]

You could change to Lithium Polymer or Lithium Ion batteries, these both have insane amounts of initial draw. I would still use NiMh without much concern. I've used the AA cells in motor winders and no problems. I can't really believe that the Rollei winders/cameras have that much higher draw than any other medium format camera.

I'd have the measure the current draw to believe what was said in that thread, it just doesn't make sense. If the battery check draws that much current, then you would be shortening the life of your packs each time you used it. That post makes it sound like the camera basically shorts the connections together, and that just doesn't sound right. If I had one of those cameras, I'd put an ammeter on it tonight just to find out.

 

[smiling gecko]

thank you all for your suggestions!!

greg e, i think you're right about the charger and perhaps lithium polymer or lithium ion might be a better alternative.

giorgio, i'll start with the batterystore link you listed & go from there.

timvermont, thanks for the techo link...i'm not sure i want to swim too deeply into the diy end of the pool. i remember zapping myself almost out a chair while i fumbled around the innards of a honeywell strobonar flash...i discovered the wild world of capacitors!!! yowweeeeee!!!

meanwhile, i have my four spare batteries, a car charger and a power inverter...looking into a portable solar panel as well.

thanks again.
_____________________________________

breathe, relax, smile and enjoy
_____________________________________
kenneth lockerman
NEVER FORGET BESLAN
www.neverforgetbeslan.com
www.neverforgetbeslan.org (under construction)

 

[Greg_E]

A solar panel suggests that you spend extended amounts of time away from electricity. A Lithium battery will cut your weight and increase the capacity so you might be able to take fewer batteries with you. Definitely worth looking into.

 

[smiling gecko]

greg e,

i am a would-be woodsman...i "would like" to have extended time away from electricity...depending upon the season and locale : )

i would like to have the solar option as a back-up. due to the ease of use of these cameras and the terrific results i've had, i don't consider their battery dependence an insurmountable problem. i am just trying to see if some of the newer battery technology would be worth trying.

out of curiousity, i wonder how many other slx/6000 series users are in the forum...also, what about those using the sl 2000 & 3000 series (35mm). i have been curious about these cameras, but most of the prices for gently used units scare me off.

thanks again,
_____________________________________

breathe, relax, smile and enjoy
_____________________________________
kenneth lockerman
NEVER FORGET BESLAN
Dead Link Removed
Dead Link Removed (under construction)

 

[Michael W]

I have a 6008 Professional that I haven't used for awhile.
Has 2 batteries but they are both dead. I'll probably sell it as it doesn't suit my shooting style anymore. I would like to get a working battery so I can sell it as a functioning unit.

 

[Mike Kovacs]

I prefer my SL66 battery personally

I know we're talking about a different camera but my attempts at building a NiMH pack for my Nikon MD-4 motor drive for my Nikon F3 camera was a failure. Performance was way down compared to the NiCd. If you have a charger that only uses time for the quick charge phase rather than a "smart" charger, you will need to charge 2-3x longer since the NiMH are higher capacity.

Also, the higher the capacity of the NiMH cells you chose, the lower the peak current they can supply. You'd be best off with the lower capacity variety if you go this route. Also, you should consider that NiMH cells self discharge quite quickly - not so great if they spend any time on the shelf or in a pack for a week or two.

Li polymer sounds exciting but its going to require a fair bit of engineering unless you can find a commercially available battery pack (probably the wrong physical size and shape), and somehow rig it to your camera with an adapter. These cells (used in laptops) have to be designed very carefully with regards to charging. These safe charging designs are probably beyond the realm of most do-it-yourselfers IMO.

 

[TimVermont]

greg e,

....
out of curiousity, i wonder how many other slx/6000 series users are in the forum...also, what about those using the sl 2000 & 3000 series (35mm). i have been curious about these cameras, but most of the prices for gently used units scare me off.

...

Well, I'm a long-term user of 6001/3/8's and very pleased with them. I use and enjoy some PQS lenses which are incompatible with earlier cameras. For battery rebuilding, try: Welcome to Battery Specialties Website

I also use this charger (MAHA / POWEREX MH-C777PLUS-II Universal LCD Charger / Analyzer / Conditioner) in place of the Rollei Charger N and will say that it's ability to condition the batteries significantly extends their already good performance.

As you may have gathered from my earlier post, I'm not qualified to comment on the idea of switching to Li-ion batteries. But it can be very cold where I live, and all I do is put the battery in an inside pocket until I'm ready to meter and expose.

 

[Mike Kovacs]

I'd sure like to try a 6008 to see whether the lenses are worth the battery hassles over my trusty SL66.

Can't see it happening anytime soon though.

 

[eddym]

out of curiousity, i wonder how many other slx/6000 series users are in the forum...also, what about those using the sl 2000 & 3000 series (35mm). i have been curious about these cameras, but most of the prices for gently used units scare me off.

I have a 6003 (and a 2.8F TLR) and like it very much. In 1983, on a vacation in Germany, I bought one of the early SL2000F bodies. I already had a full set of the Zeiss lenses for the SL35E, so used them with the camera. The lenses were wonderful, but the camera was problematic. It had a defective film roller that left a row of holes in the emulsion, ruining every shot that I so eagerly made in Germany, Austria, and Italy. I managed to correct that by sanding the roller with emery cloth. But there were chronic problems with the motordrive clutch. It would reach the end of the roll and just keep on shooting images on the last frame on the roll. I had it repaired several times, but the problem always returned. After it ruined the film of a particularly important shoot, I sold it and all the lenses, and switched to NIkons. I miss the Zeiss lenses, but not the SL2000F.

 

[Greg_E]

Lithium Polymer is not that scary. I found a company in China that lists some many different shapes and capacities that it sould be easy to build up a pack. There are a couple of RC hobby chargers that will allow you to charge self built multi cell packs with relative safety. I say relative because LiPo cells have a tendency to burn when you over charge them, or give them enough physical damage. There are videos all over youtube of this. Any way the company was IBT battery, but they never got back to me about a question that I had, so I don't know if they really even exist.

LiPo also tends to burn if you short them long enough, or just about any other mistreatment, so use them with respect.

 

[smiling gecko]

wowser!! so many helpful responses!!

thanks for all the additional information & insights greg e, timvermont, mike kovacs, & eddym.

as a fairly competent techno-klutz, i will probably look at completed battery units. as mentioned, in cold weather, it helps to keep the battery(s) in a warm pocket while composing and/or tramping around in the cold stuff.
then installing & making the exposure(s).

thanks again all

breathe, relax, smile and enjoy
_____________________________________
kenneth lockerman
NEVER FORGET BESLAN
www.neverforgetbeslan.com
www.neverforgetbeslan.org (under construction)

 

[Karl K]

Contact Empire Scientic. I'm fairly certain that they will make almost any kind of battery for any type of camera.
http://www.empirescientific.com/

 

[nocrop]

6006 user here

....
out of curiousity, i wonder how many other slx/6000 series users are in the forum...

Hi Tim,

I am a very happy 6006 80/2.8 owner. I bought an extra battery by the way, though paying B&H $129 was tough to swallow. I'm looking for a used 40 or 50mm Distagon or Schneider. I'm envious of your slew of Rolleis and lenses.

I find that the heavy Rollei suits my deliberate style just fine. It's usually perched on a tripod.

--Alan

 

[smiling gecko]

alan,

i find the weight (and bulk) of my slx and/or 6002 to generally work to my advantage handheld.

making exposures at really slow shutter speeds the weight seems to make hand held exposures a bit more steady...and in a pinch i can lean or rest it against something solid and that works well also.

whenever i try the same approach with my minolta autocord the camera seems too light and unstable...could just be me : )

oh, thank you for the battery source link.

take care,

____________________________________
breathe, relax, smile and enjoy
____________________________________

kenneth lockerman
NEVER FORGET BESLAN
www.neverforgetbeslan.com
www.neverforgetbeslan.org (under construction)