Customer Reviews

Digipower DPS-9000 Univerasl Power Pack for Digital Cameras & Camcorders

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This pack is one of the most important accessories to get for power hungry digital cameras such as my Minolta Dimage 7. It is lightweight (only 120 grams) and well balanced on the camera. The power is awsome, easily enough for a full day of heavy shooting. Considering that it is the equivalent of at least three or four sets of nimh AAs, there is a big weight saving, in addition to the convenience of not having to change batteries frequently. Even its charger is very lightweight, and it's ideal for travelling since it handles both 110 and 220 volts.

I bought this pack for use with my Olympus C3000z and almost two years later I'm on my second camera and this pack is still going great. I keep regular NiMH's in my bag just in case but have only needed them once. I love shooting fireworks and close up items and almost always have to use the LCD which eats batteries like I eat candy. Great that it comes with chargers especially the car adapter. Only problem I've had is when I screw my mono-pod to it I sometimes can't get it off without removing the camera and all but don't know of any way this could be addressed.

If your even contemplating this PowerPack DO IT! You won't be sorry.

I bought the DPS 9000 for my Fuji Finepix S602. I had added an external flash to the camera which left it a little top heavy, so I thought I'd attach the DPS unit below (it screws into the tripod mount below) and get the center of gravity of my camera a little lower.

The unit shipped well by Ritz. Basically, it wasn't heavy enough to lower the center of gravity much. However, I do now manage to get about 350 shots to a charge, even with heavy reviewing of shots. Keep in mind, I review shots through the viewfinder and almost never use the LCD screen. Also, I'm using an external flash with its own battery power so the 350 shots are being taken without powering a flash.

All told, I heard the DPS-9000 packs 1850 maH which is pretty respectable for a lithium battery.

1850mah doesn't sound like a lot of juice in comparison to a NimH battery, but keep in mind the DPS voltage level stays fairly constant -- usable to the last drop!

Minor quibble is the Fuji uses 4.5 volts so I had to use a connector cord with a little "step down" box on it, which I had to duct tape to the side of the actual battery.

Also, the cord end that connects to the camera 4.5 volt input kept slipping out, so I used duct tape to hold it in place.

The DPS 9000, for most cameras, uses a simple little cord (with no voltage stepdown box) to connect the battery unit to the AC input of the camera. Be prepared to use a little duct tape to hold down the cord so it doesnt stick out and start lassoing small objects in your camera case.

The charger has an eye that starts red and glows green (and flashes??) when the battery is charged. The manual that comes with the unit is pretty woeful so you won't get any additional information about what the flashing green light means. Also, if you reposition the charger in any way, the light goes from green to red: obviously a little sensitive and flimsy.

However, don't let the above comments put you off. For $40, you get a lot of juice in a very small little unit. Forget the double "A" batteries and go for the DPS-9000.

Besides, when other photographers see your duct-taped camerea with that extra battery unit attached to the bottom --- they'll know you mean business!

The real value, however, is having the confidence to go out and take a couple hundred shots and know you won't have to replace the batteries half way through your day (although take along a spare set of AA rechargeables, or better yet, a second DPS-9000!)

I purchased the DigiPower DPS 9000 originally for an Olympus C2100 Ultra Zoom camera. I recently upgraded to a Nikon Coolpix 5700 but wouldn't buy it until I knew the DPS 9000 would work with it. This is a must-have for digital photographers. It completely eliminates the need for batteries without adding a lot of weight and unlike other higher-end external packs, the cord connecting it to the camera is not attached to a waist unit, constantly getting in the way. I started with one and added a second pack. The first time I used it, it lasted as long as four sets of rechargeable batteries had on a previous ocassion. Easy to use, and in the long run easy on the wallet, with no need to ever buy another battery/battery charger. It has a "fuel gauge" on the side, letting you know how much power you have left. It includes four different connecting cables (and a chart letting you know which one matches your camera) and a car charging unit as well.

Performs extremely well on my Panasonic DMC FZ20 camera. Practical, it screws on bottom of the camera, yet it provides additional thread for tripod mounting.

Slightly disappointed that this unit appears to be losing power faster than my other DPS-9000 Power Pack which lasts longer when used under similar conditions.

I ordered this unit based on my positive experience from the previous one. It turned out to be somewhat less enduring. Nevertheless, I remain strongly affirmative about the DPS-9000 Power Pack.

I purchased a used camera and it came with one of these battery packs. As I already had a smaller digital camera that ate batteries, I was curious as to whether or not this battery pack would stand up. It didn't take long to find out that this is one item every camera owner should have. It is easy to charge up and has the test lights on the side to let you know how much battery life remains. The unit that came with my original purchase finally wore out so I ordered another. This time, however, it came with all the attachments and cables that was lacking on my used unit.
It charged up in a few hours and was ready to use in no time. It is best to remove the individual batteries that would normally be used in your camera and just use this pack.
It is a great item and easy to transport. It stays on the camera at the base where a tripod attaches and on the unit is another place to attach a tripod. It doesn't add much weight to the camera and is not clumsy to operate the camera.
It gets a big thumbs up from me.

Imagine opening a package and finding no fewer than eight (8!) pieces of electronics - a battery pack, various cables and adaptors - and no instructions at all. None. Zero. What plugs into what? And why? And how does one charge the battery - when during its cycle, for how long, etc.? No help, no advice provided. Still, I think I got this to work with my Panasonic DMC-FZ20 camera. I don't know how long this new battery will last. I do know that the battery-camera combination is a bit clumsy - a fair amount of added weight, which will take some getting used to, and now, a cable, albeit short, dangling about and waiting to get inadvertently pulled on - or lost. And the pack itself extends back beyond the camera body about 3/8 inch - though this does provide a new edge by which to grip the camera. Plus, I have to keep the camera's little side door open when this battery's plugged in, and I can imagine it getting snapped off its hinge.
The moral of the story is that there oughta be a way for these digital cameras to pack more power internally. The last Brand X OEM batteries I bought for this camera - at $20 each, or so - have turned out to be duds. Somehow, Panasonic's own batteries can't be topped, but they list for $75!! Oh for the days of the all-manual Leica, when batteries were D cells and used mainly in flashlights!

Battery works as advertised and always ready to go
when needed. Would buy another.

The unit arrived in good time and works well with the item I bought it for.

It's not as universal as I'd hoped. Voltage is compatible, but the the DIN jack which outputs 3V only comes in one size, and does not fit Kodak Easyshare ZD710 camera, nor will it fit my old backup Fuji Finepix 4700. I cut off the power jack from an AC adapter for the camera, cut off the power output jack to the 3V adapter cable (which destroyed warranty on both the camera AC adapter and the battery at the same time!), soldered them up, and kludged it together. Now, instead of only 10 pictures with brand new high end alkaline batteries at 7.1 megapixels, I can take about 35 before it croaks, not the hundreds foretold by other reviews. The Kodak has a really big and sharp viewing screen, and jams a lot of power into the flash unit to take nice pictures, but it's a powerhog supreme. I've got some more experimentation with the camera to do (set the resolution down, take a bunch of pictures without the flash, take a bunch of pictures using only the viewfinder) to see if I can get the number of pictures it takes up, but all told, I'm a bit disappointed. Last but not least, I've experienced two problems with the battery, one is that it never charges so that all of the little lights actually light up, always gets all but one lit. The other is that an LED on the 3V adapter is always on when plugged in, so if left plugged in, it happily sucks all the juice out of the battery after a few days. I wish I'd taken the camera back to Walmart now instead of investing in this battery.