8 Hours of Fun
Written: Jun 13 '02 (Updated Jun 14 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Long Life; Quick Charge
Cons: It is HUGE
The Bottom Line: This is a big battery that provides hours of service for my camcorder. For peace of mind, and a quick charge through the camcorder, it can't be beat.
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| sdspearsjd's Full Review: Sony InfoLithium M Series Battery with SQ NPQM91 |
I recently purchased the Sony DCR-TRV 340 Digital 8 camcorder, which Sony elected to equip with a woefully inadequate battery. I knew right away that I would need a longer life battery to make the camcorder worth the investment. While shopping around, I noticed that this battery, currently the largest "M" series battery that Sony makes, seemed the most economical choice.
The battery takes between 3 and 4 hours to fully charge with my camcorder. Given this short recharge period, I didn't find it necessary to buy Sony's quick-charge machine.
InfoLithium Batteries
Sony's proprietary line of InfoLithium batteries are a nice feature on their electronics. My Mavica also uses an InfoLithium battery. it is my understanding that these batteries contain chips that communicate with the Sony device to give a fairly accurate representation of available battery life. In addition, this same chip keeps the battery from developing the memory effect that is fatal to other rechargable batteries. Sony, in its infinite, profit-driven wisdom, has created different series of these batteries. As a result, the battery I use on my Mavica, an "L" series, cannot be used with my camcorder, which requires an "M" series battery. Nonetheless, these batteries are a great development and a good selling point for Sony electronics. And using any other type of battery will void your Sony device's warranty ($$$$).
How We Use The Battery
My wife and I use our camcorder for strictly recreational purposes, primarily being the dance recitals for her students this Spring. Often the camera would get hours of use from filming rehearsals for student review, and filming the performances themselves. This filming would take place away from electrical outlets, so the battery was the sole source of power.
Performance
Under the conditions listed above, with frequent starts and stops, continuous use of the LCD, and zooms, the battery lasted an entire 6 hour day, and still had about 90 minutes of indicated time left. This actually exceeds the specifications contained in the packaging, and I am very pleased with this result.
Downers
The only complaint I have about this battery is its size, and I knew how big it was when I bought it. Once installed on the camera, however, I found that the camera's balance was not severely impacted. The viewfinder on the camera can be pulled out away from the camera to accommodate this battery, so there is no interference with looking through that. This, however, is a small bone of contention for an otherwise excellent product.
Conclusion
Shop around - don't buy this battery at Best Buy. I saved $75 by ordering through Etronics.com, and had no problems with the transaction whatsoever. The best part of this battery to me is the peace of mind it gives me - on a full charge I know it can run for many hours before battery life even becomes a consideration.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
sdspearsjd
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Location: Chicago, IL
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 1 member
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