Varta batteries.

[Mike Kennedy]

My local camera shop has started to stock these batteries. Opinions??

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Nick Zentena]

Which batteries do you need? You might want to search ebay if it's something common. I picked up 50 LR44 with shipping to Canada for around $7. Plenty of other sizes and shapes to. When you compare what one battery costs at a local shop it doesn't make sense to buy one at a time. They seem fresh. The brands vary. Ranging from the big names to ones I've never heard of.

Don't just search the camera area. Some are hidden all over ebay.

 

[raucousimages]

Varta ia a major battery producer. Many battery packs are built on raw cells made by Varta and marketed under different names. If you buy lets say a Sony TV and the remote has Sony batteries or a Nokia phone with a Nokia battery pack the raw cells could have been made by Varta. They meet industry standards.

 

[BruceN]

I use 'em all the time - they're fine.

Bruce

 

[resummerfield]

What's the story on those 1.35v Mercury batteries by Varta I see advertised on Ebay for the Pentax Spotmatic? Are they still be manufactured? Does anyone have any recent experience with these?

 

[Mike Kennedy]

Eric, they might be available at my local camera shop. I will check it out if you give me the battery information.

Mike

 

[resummerfield]

Thanks, Mike, but I just wanted some information…… I thought EPA regulations of about 10 years ago prohibited the sale of mercury batteries in the US, and so I thought they were no longer produced anywhere in the world. But I see Varta 1.35v PX400 mercury batteries advertised on ebay all the time, and I wondered if they were new, or just very old stock? Looking at the EPA regulations, I guess it is OK to import them for personal use, but not for sale. So I’ve had friends looking in Europe and China, without success. Are mercury batteries available in Canada?

 

[Whiteymorange]

Until recently, I believe that Mercedes came with Varta batteries in them. Varta is a major player in the battery world, manufacturing cells in many different countries, not all of which have the same regulations the US and Europe do about pollutants. If you see mercury batteries for sale, my own humble opinion is that you should stay away from them. 1. they are banned for a reason, 2. they are illegal - to have them in this country is against the law. You wouldn't be likely to get stuck in any type of sting but why bother? I find that the zinc/air cells are often to be found very inexpensively priced (just bought two sixpacks for under $4) and if you have to replace them more often... at least you know the new one is fresh

 

[Petzi]

I have used Varta batteries for 30 years. They have always been top quality.

 

[Nick Zentena]

But I see Varta 1.35v PX400 mercury batteries advertised on ebay all the time, and I wondered if they were new, or just very old stock? Looking at the EPA regulations, I guess it is OK to import them for personal use, but not for sale. So I’ve had friends looking in Europe and China, without success. Are mercury batteries available in Canada?

Are you sure those are mercury? They sound like hearing aid batteries. To the best of my knowledge they haven't made mercury for a few years now. Selling them isn't the issue. It's the requirement for disposal. No mercury batteries in Canada that I know of.

 

[Petzi]

Mercury batteries should have a shelf life of at least 10 years. They are still needed for certain classic cameras where the exposure meter depends on the precise voltage of the battery. Zinc-air cells work most of the time, but are not a perfect replacement. Alkaline or other cells definitely don't work right in these cameras.