Battery charging indication on the 2100
 

I just got mine out of the box an hour ago. Checking charging progress is going to be a hassle. It seems that I have to unplug the charger, fire up the cam and wait for it to sense the charge level. Am I missing anything?

When you first charge a battery or one that has been discharged down to the camera shutoff level, you may have to leave it in the charge mode for several minutes, before any number of recording minutes appears on the display. After that, the growing number of minutes should show, without having to disconnect and start the camera.

I almost never use the in-camera charger, preferring to use my $45. Sima SPM-13 L-ion fast charger. It's twice as fast as the built-in charger and doesn't tie-up the camera when you want to shoot or do playback with it. It works with most brands and models of 3.6V and 7.2V lithium batteries.

Steve, I would ultimately buy the charger, but I do want things to work as they should. Are you saying that an indication should appear in the display even though the cam is turned off? That's what the manual implies too, but neither it nor you said that explicitly.

I get no charge level indication unless the cam is on and the adaptor cable is unplugged even with a battery that is 70% charged.

Fred, I just plugged in my VX2100 to make sure. The small LED battery display on the outside of the viewscreen door does indeed light up when the camera is off and the external DC power plug is in and a battery is inserted. It shows the number of recording minutes in the accumulating charge. I installed an NP-F570 that was previously charged and in the time I've typed this, it's gone from 212 to 214 minutes.

I recommend that when the charge gets close to the maximum possible charge, that you stop the charging. When it's near full capacity, the charging rate will slow to a crawl and it
will take 10 minutes to add just one more minute on the meter. It may not be good for the battery to ram that extra little bit into it and it certainly isn't time-efficient.

Steve, thanks for you patience. I didn't notice that that window was there, I thought the "display" references were to the LCD or viewfinder.

VX2100... can I use my old VX1000 batteries in it?
 

The VX1000 had PD 720 and the VX2100 has PD 750.

My vx2100 did not come with an external charger but I have one from my vx1000... is it ok to charge the PD720s on it, and use the older batts in my vx2100 if I need be?

This is an easy question but I can't find any info about this and I would hate to ruin one of the batteries.

Thanks in advance!

I'm not familiar with the "PD" series of batteries... are you sure this is correct? The PD-150, PD-170, VX-2000, VX-2100, FX1 and Z1 all use the Sony Infolithium series L batteries which should have a big letter "L" on them in a gold square. The model numbers should all be in the form NP-Fxxx. When the VX-2100 was introduced the largest available batter was the NP-F960 but a larger NP-F970 was introduced recently with the FX1 camera. The batteries are 7.2 volts.

On the AC-VQ850 external charger that came with my Z1 the specs say that output voltage is 8.4V 1.4A. Sorry, I'm not familiar with the VX-1000 so I can't provide a definitive answer to your question, but perhaps these specs will help.

I'm sorry, I meant to type NP-720 for the old batteries (vx1000) and NP-F750 for the new ones (vx2100).

Both are Li-ion and are exact shape and size.

Should work, just less capacity. Are the voltages the same? Of course I've never actually *tried* it :-)

PD170 problem reading battery charge: help!
 

I thought my battery wasn´t working well, but then I tested other battery and the problem remained: the camera is not reading well the battery charge left. Sometimes it shows I have 420 minutes left. Then I take a look again and it shows 485 minutes, some minutes later 387 minutes, and it goes on. One day it was showing 147 minutes and then turned off, as the battery was completely discharged. What might be causing it?

note: 420 minutes, 485 minutes and 387 minutes are just examples.

Are these Sony batteries or generic ones?
Also the time remaining will change depending on whether you are using the LCD screen and doing alot of zooming or not.

I'd repeat Jeff's question. What brand of batteries are you using?

Assuming they are compatible with the Sony system, it is recommended to occasionally (about every 30 charges) completely drain the battery by allowing the camera to drain it unitl shutdown. This calibrates the electronics in the battery to work with the elecronics in the cam.

If that doesn't work it lools lik a defect, probably in the cam if it's happens with mulitiple batteries.

All three of my Sony cameras show some degree of what you describe, but probably not that extreme. The camera constantly recalculates how much time remains on the battery based on current power use, so if it says 420 and then several minutes later says 387 I don't know that anything is wrong. However if it says 147 minutes and then suddenly goes dead, that's not right...

Guys, thanks a lot! At first I suspected (almost sure) the problem was happening ´cause of my batteries, that are from a brand I never heard of (ENERGIA). But, last week, when I was working with 2 other PD´s, I changed the battery and used a Sony one. The problem happened exactly as I described.

In fact I was really was zooming A LOT and was using the LCD. I don´t know if it could explain such variations. Anyway, I will do some new tests. One thing I´m almost sure: there is a problem. Nothing could explain the camera turning off at 147minutes. Hope it´s only the battery. Have you heard of a PD-150/170 with this kind of problem?

When i complete new tests I´ll come back here.

A failing battery will do as you describe. I can send you an old sony LiON battery that will do the same thing.

LiON batteries are particularly long-life devices. So they do go bad and usually abruptly. One day OK, the next day functionally dead. They may even charge but they won't run a camera very long.

Thank you for your response, Mike. The problem is: my battery is only 9 months! Anyway, I´ll do some tests and then I´ll tell ya

FWIW, I had a genuine Sony NP-F960 battery completely fail after about two years of light use. Would not take any charge or operate the camera. The second identical battery, bought at the same time, still works fine two years later. Go figure...

Yup, got some the same age and some are going strong and the others are paper weights. The local college has VX-1000 cameras that are 8 years old and the original batteries are still working fine.

Dual charger for VX2100 batteries
 

Hello,

I'm looking to buy a dual battery charger for NP-F970, 960 and 570 type Sony InfoLithium batteries, but I am not able to find a genuine one. Is there any at all?

I found this from Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AC-DC-Dual-Cha...QQcmdZViewItem

Is it any good and how do such non-genuine chargers treat the InfoLithium batteries? I've heard that it's quite important that the carger (camera itself in my current situation) communicates with the battery's InfoLithium system to ensure safe operation during charging. Will the 3rd party ones treat the batteries correctly?

Thanks a lot.

B&H has Sony dual battery charger for those batteries.
Sony BCV-500 Portable Dual AC Charger - for L Series Lithium-Ion Batteries
Mfr# BCV500 • B&H# SOBCV500
Our Price: $ 82.95

Don

I have a three-battery charger (actually 2 of them) that was made by Sony for the DSR-200 cameras that use the 3 large batteries. It will also power the camera if you have the normal charger to camera cable. I"ve used them for all the Sony batteries with no problems.

I could be persuaded to sell one or both if you are interested.

e-mail me if you are interested.

Thanks for the replies! The one at BH is probably exactly what I've been looking for, but unfortunately I wasn't able to find it from Ebay :( I will have to see if there are any shops selling it in Europe.

Battery Charger & Battery Question
 

Hello.

Is this battery charger acceptable to use with the pd170 batteries? I am planning on buying a NP-F970 and this particular battery is not mentioned in the add. Would it still work?

http://cgi.ebay.com/AC-DC-Dual-Charg...QQcmdZViewItem

What makes me worried is the charger is for Sony F828 F717 F707 S85.


I think one of my sony batteries for the pd170 is about to die soon. The battery is fine for the 2hrs or so but when it read 30 minutes it suddenly dies. Is this a sign that the battery is old and should be replaced? The battery is a NP F950 that I bought 9 years ago for my Hi8 but since have been using with the pd170.

is this a record?

i reckon most of my batteries die (or rather, become unreliable) after a couple of years or so generally.

leslie

if I got 9 years from a battery I would not only retire it I would put it in the old batterys home and treat it like royalty.

It soulds like one of the cells is going (gone) put that battery aside and buy a new one.

Don

Sorry for sounding like a record. I will retire the battery and give it props.

Does anyone have any opinions on the charger in the link?

Odd, I searched the forums and a definitive answer to the charger question was never given.

Someone did post the charger question but it was never answered. Someone wrote an article about another battery charger but the link to buy that charger doesn't work.

So Leslie, I don't understand the sarcasm because yes the battery life question has been asked before but the charger question was never answered in my search.

I have problems with a Sony Battery
 

I have a "near new" Sony NP-F970 Info-Lithium Battery that I let about one year without use....Now it can't get charge at all...It looks like totally dead....

Is there a way to recovery it?

Thanks

F

I doubt that it can be saved. I had an NP-F960 which I also didn't use for a long time that did the exact same thing. But a second NPF-960 bought at the same time (2002) and treated similarly is still going strong today. But now I try to make it a point to rotate my batteries and fully discharge/recharge them on a regular basis. No problems since then, but it's probably more about blind luck than anything else :-)

Hello Boyd:

I was affraid about...hehehehehehe....well, like the Zep blues There's nothing I can do....From now I will be more carefully with the batt....Like ever, thanks a lot for your support.....

warm regards

Federico

Im curios...

Do you guys leave your batteries at full charge or completely empty when you don't have any plans to used them in the near future?

Fully charged and I recharge them every 30 days. I have LiOn batteries that are almost 10 years old and still can do a good day's work.

Well this is the tip of the day....indeed....Thanks a lot Mike

F

And there again, Sony's words from the Z1's book is to leave them discharged and only charge them when needed. I never do this though, prefering to know that I can grab kit and leg it at a moment's notice.

Sounds like you have a dead cell Federico, in the battery of cells that make up your 970. I'd be tempted to send it back to Sony - they know even the oldest 970s are only 13 months old so should happily replace it. Tell 'em I said so.

tom.

I read on a general battery-oriented site that LiIon batteries should not be stored fully charged. I don't remember the physics, but I distinctly remember that they were somewhat like the opposite of lead-acid batteries. Keep lead batteries fully charged and keep lithium partially discharged. There didn't seem to be a problem bringing them to full charge, but they said not to leave them that way. NiCads are neither. They need to be cycled to remove the "memory" effect.

Federico, if you have a voltmeter or a multimeter, check this NP-970 to see what its voltage level is. Many chargers require a battery to be at a certain minimum voltage, before they will start the charging cycle. If it has been unused for a year, its voltage may have dropped below the level that your charger requires. Do you have an external charger or are you using the camcorder's built-in charger? I have an external charger that won't work on 7.2 volt batteries that have dropped below the 5 volt level. However, if I put them in a camcorder and set it to internally charge, it will bring a battery up from below 5 volts.

It's important to know that with a battery that has run down very low, for the first 10 to 15 minutes of charging, nothing will show in the "time-remaining" display. It has to slowly build up the charge from its low level, for anything to show in the display. I think that many people with low batteries may put them into a camcorder and when 5 minutes goes by, with no charge showing, they give up and assume the battery is ruined. The chargers in these camcorders are "smart" and are programmed to charge extra-low batteries very slowly at first. This is a safety precaution, as a lithium battery with a very low voltage level may react badly if too high a charging current is sent into it. I've heard rumors about such batteries exploding when too high a charge is applied, but I know of no specific cases. This might be the reason that my external charger is programmed to not charge extra-low batteries at all. If this battery of yours won't respond to the camcorder's charger after 15 or 20 minutes, then it might be best to send it to the recyclers and buy a new one.

Use, charge, rotate
 

your batteries. I have a couple of 960's that are 5 years old and still work well. I use and charge them in rotation. For example if I use a battery for a half day (970's last a long time), I put in it the charger and still might an hour or two of power. I will do the same thing for each battery. I rarely run them all the way down. It should be said I am not a tech type, but a producer/editor who shoots a lot of tape. But my batteries seem to last a long time. And I use them to run lights, decks and cameras.

battery issue
 

hopping someone can help me out here

i bought a used vx 2000

i just also bought a generek brand battery off ebay on teh bakc side of the battery it specifies that its for sony NP - F960

same as the other battery that came with the camera

the problem im having is when i turn the camera on about 10 seconds latter a blue screen apears that says for info lithium battery system

does this simply mean my new cheap battery wont work ?
or is there something im not doing rite

thanks for any input

MEKHAEL

It does mean your battery is not compatible.

thank you
not the answer i was hopping for but i guess thats life

time to find a real sony battery for the camera

thanks for your reply