confused again!!!

[Delij]

I'm going to try to explain, using the best analogy I can, why you can read 1.2V on a cell that is too dead to run the camera:

A cell is like a water tank up on a tower. (edit)....

Great analogy. I hope you are a teacher. For the sake of the kids like me who needed things put in terms that are understandable to the most thick headed! LOL

Seriously...very good explanation. Thanks!

If the NMH batteries are 2500mah, and the hybrids being ~2000mah, and they both came off the charger at the same time and placed in the "bunnies" right afterwards, then the 2500mah NMH's would win. If all the batteries sat unused for 3 months or more, and then installed in the "bunnies" then the hybrids would win.

Thanks...that's what I figured and what seems simple even to me. What got me a bit confused was the mixture of comments that seemed to imply that the mAh number was not as significant (or straightforward) as I believed.

Seems almost too simple!!! LOL

It's funny...the more I ask, sometimes the answers prove to me how little I know. The good news is that in a practical sense most of it doesn't really matter (but curiosity is an insatiable itch). I've had battery operated flash units since they first became available. Before that I had units that had to be plugged into a wall socket (and still had to cycle between flashes). Yet someone asked me if my flash units are direct drive or have voltage regulators. I never thought about it and don't know and never did. (I'd guess they are regulated since they fire very consistently or not at all...I've seen plenty of flashlights dim as the batteries get weak, but I've never seen a flash go off at less than full power). Of course in one millisecond (typical duration of a flash) it's impossible to see with the naked eye how bright or "less than bright" anything is...all you see is spots in front of your eyes as we all know.

Only the results of the film (or digital sensor can "see" any difference). Yet 40 years of using artificial lights and I'd bet everything I have that any photos I had that were underexposed using lights was "pilot error" (not uncommon.....at least it's cheap now unlike using Polaroid backs on large format cameras...(aging myself big time now) :sigh:


Peace,
D.

 

[Mr Happy]

Yet someone asked me if my flash units are direct drive or have voltage regulators. I never thought about it and don't know and never did. (I'd guess they are regulated since they fire very consistently or not at all...I've seen plenty of flashlights dim as the batteries get weak, but I've never seen a flash go off at less than full power).

You have it right. Electronic flashes work by charging up a capacitor to a predetermined voltage, and then releasing some or all of the energy through the flash under electronic control. When the batteries are weak the capacitor takes longer to charge up to the required voltage, but it eventually gets there and the flash then has the expected power.

 

[Delij]

Sorry to say, you won't quite get professional pictures from the SX10 IS since it has a point-and-shoot sensor design and it also lacks an uncompressed (raw) image format. For professional quality images you really need a camera from the EOS range.

Image quality from a digital camera depends first on the sensor -- you need the large sensors that only DSLR cameras have to get the kind of contrast, dynamic range, sharpness and tonal balance that film can offer. Second, once you have a good sensor, the image quality depends on the lens. Just as with film cameras, the best lenses make much better pictures than the poorer lenses.

However, depending on your application, you might get acceptable semi-professional results from the SX10. It really depends what the pictures will be used for.

LOL...believe me, I know...I have both full size sensor and "apc" size sensor DSLR bodies and MANY pounds of lenses. The purpose of the "experiment" with the SX10 is for taking photos of fraternity and sororities exclusively. They are the typical yearly "montage" sheets in which every member is represented on a separate photo on one page with their "Greek" logo in the center. For the quality needed to print a portrait that is less than 2" squared, I'm hoping the image quality should be sufficient. If not, then as I said, the camera goes on Ebay and it's back to the CMOS sensors and DSLRs.

For the more demanding shoots (the company I work for deals exclusively with college "greeks") I use a full frame camera (usually a Nikon D700 because I have a lot of old Nikon lenses that work manually). I have a Canon 1D but hate carrying it - it's about as heavy as a three year old (and sadly I only have a limited assortment of Canon lenses....the company doesn't pay for equipment, and doesn't pay ME enough to buy all new Canon lenses I want - which would be every "L" series lens).

link to the company: http://greekyearbook.com/newsite/about.htm

But yeah, you are correct. The apc sized CCD sensors are not up to the task of "professional results" in normal circumstances. And other than the tiny portraits for the yearly montages I DO have to submit RAW images. This is really just an experiment. I'll be using both the "point and shoot" SX10 along with either a full frame (usually the Nikon 700) or an apc format size EOS (40D) for the next upcoming montage. If the SX does not pass muster, well, hello Ebay and I'll take the money and get the new 17-85 EFS lens since I'm sick of the 28-135 that sounds like a meat grinder when it focuses (and slips if the camera is pointed down).

Now that we are completely off topic....LOL

Well at least I'll have my new hybrid AA batteries for the flash units no matter what. (although for the montage portraits i don't use flash at all...just reflective or diffusion umbrellas...indoors or out).




Peace,
D.

 

[Mr Happy]

LOL...believe me, I know

Oh well then, back to the original topic...

 

[mdocod]

.... I hope you are a teacher...

Pizza delivery driver

 

[Marduke]

One thing to keep in mind. Some brands maintain a higher voltage under load. Eneloops for example, while being LSD, also maintain a higher voltage under load than most other brands, including high capacity NiMH cells. This means things like flash recharge time is shorter.

Lithium primaries are still better, but they are still $$$