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[OM] Re: SR44s

Subject: [OM] Re: SR44s
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2004 03:20:20 -0700
A 357 battery has a stated energy capacity of 175 mAH. At 10ua, that is 
17,500 hours, 729 days or almost exactly 2 years. As the sainted Walt, 
curmudgeon extraordinaire, has said:
--------------------------------------------------------
"And if there's anybody who hasn’t heard -- a newbie maybe -- these 
Bunny 357s are the way to go. My newest OM-4Ti, if it makes it until 
mid-August, will have gone TWO YEARS on one set, and it's
had a fair number of 36-exp. rolls run through it. Plus, I don't bother 
with such questionable measures as setting to the red or taking the 
batteries out. I figure my battery cost is about 1% of my film 
expenditure, not counting processing. Even my oldest OM-4, circa 1983, 
an alleged battery-eater whose beep goes on forever, goes 6-8 months on 
a pair.

This is probably the single most useful thing I have learned in my time 
on this list!"
Walt Wayman
--------------------------------------------------------
John Hermanson has said about the 'red' modes and current drain.:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"That'll keep the meter from turning on if the release is accidentally
pressed but it unfortunately, won't eliminate the baseline drain (around 5
micro amps)."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I do know that later OM4/4T(i) bodies had lower current drain that 
earlier ones. There has also been considerable research and experience 
which suggests that the Energizer 357 is, as Walt says above, the best 
overall battery for these cameras. As John H. put it:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Yes, there are a lot of equivalent silver oxides which can be used in 
the 2S thru 4Ti (SR44, G13, MS76, S76, KS76). 357s will have the longest 
life in high drain cameras. They often test as high as 1.59V."
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, all 357s can replace SR44 and SR44W batteries, but not all 
batteries marked SR44 seem to be up to the job. Sony marks their 357s 
also as SR44W. Although I can't pin it down, I think some or all SR44 
batteries may be the low drain design and SR44Ws high drain. For more 
detail on high/low drain and related battery stuff, look at my post "Re: 
Battery Question" 5/1/04. Joe Gwinn puts forward a method for testing 
the condition of 357s i his post "Re: [OM] Battery Eaters (testing 357s 
with a DMM and a 100-ohm resistor)" of 9/11/02.

Most simply, just buy a bunch of Energizer 357s, cheap on the 'Bay, at 
<http://www.twincitysupply.net/catalog/> or the other guy one of us 
keeps touting and I keep forgetting. Put fresh ones in the cameras, 
spares in the bag, replace when they die and be relaxed and happy 
knowing you are doing the best with the least effort and worry and the 
least cost. I always have at least 10 of them in the fridge.

Moose

Matt Boland wrote:

>What is the average current drain in an OM4Ti when it's just lying 
>around? Mine sits at around 10uA whether in the manual 60/bulb modes or 
>in any other mode. I checked because I put in some new SR44's and they 
>lasted about a month. I reckon they were flat. Does anybody know how low 
>the voltage is that the shutter voltage check must see before the 
>shutter won't open?
>
>  
>



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