Customer Reviews

Kodak Batteries 1578921 Ni-Mh Aa Card 4pk

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The Kodak Pre-Charged AA NiMH belongs to the latest generation of low-self-discharge NiMH cells. It may not be as well-known as other brands (SANYO eneloop, Rayovac Hybrid, Duracell Pre Charged) but it is just as good according to my own testing:

1. The battery capacity is specified as 2100mAh. But the average capacity I have measured (using my La Crosse BC-900) is actually closer to 2200mAh!

2. After three months in storage, the capacity lost is only around 10%. This is even better than the results I got from eneloop and Hybrid (both close to 15%). Note that the difference could be due to measurement error and different ambient temperature, since those cells were not tested during the same period.

I have used more than a dozen of those Kodak Pre-Charged AA cells in digital camera (Canon S5), external flash (Canon 420EX), plus various toys and gadgets with great satisfaction. This Kodak 4-pack is an excellent buy, especially since it can be found at lower prices than other brands of pre-charged cells. If you are also looking for a fast and compact travel charger, then I highly recommend buying it with the KODAK K6200.

However, there are a few caveats when buying or using those Kodak Pre-Charged cells:

1. Make sure those cells are in WHITE cases. Avoid other Kodak rechargeable cells that come in green or grey cases, as those are not "Pre-Charged".

2. Those cells are slightly fatter than ordinary alkaline cells. Most appliances have no problem accepting them, except for my Microsoft wireless keyboard which has a very tight battery compartment. In this particular case, I have to use Hybrid AA cells since they are slimmer than others.

3. Many vendors here offer this product at a low price, but then charge you ridiculous amount in shipping and handling. If possible, wait for it to be available directly from Amazon, and order it with free "super-saver" delivery.

[Update on Nov 28, 2010]
I have confirmed that 'Kodak Pre-Charged' cells are in fact rebranded GP ReCyko+ Pre-Charged Batteries. The latter can now be found at about 50% lower cost!

I found these at Wal-Mart for $8.47 in the camera section, if you happen to want some of these new pre-charged batteries right away.

If you are not familiar with the pre-charged batteries, these little things actually hold their charge similar to an alkaline battery, in fact they come charged right out of the package!

The problem with normal rechargeable batteries is that while they have a great capacity to store power, they lose most of their charge in manner of weeks. You really must have a freshly charged pair ready to go in your camera. A normal rechargeable is not suitable for things like remote controls, clocks, etc.

You can charge these batteries up and leave them charged for a year and still know that they will be charged and ready to go. You don't get this option with regular NiMH batteries. There really is no reason not to replace all your alkalines with these batteries now.

Update: (5/21/2008)
It's been over 1 1/2 months since I purchased these batteries, and they are still going strong in my Nikon SB-600 external flash. I haven't had to recharge them once, and this was right out of the package! I've probably gotten at least 200 flashes out of it and I'm very satisfied with the long life these batteries are going to provide me! I even hear these batteries get better the more you use them, yahoo! Again, I highly recommend these "Pre-charged" batteries for your high-demand digital equipment, and/or any device really!

Another Update (7/18/2008):
I continue to be amazed with these batteries. I am still using the same 4 batteries I purchased months ago in my high-drain flash unit for my camera. I haven't recharged or changed them yet! They are still going strong, and believe me, I've probably used this flash at least 1000 times since I put the batteries in. I'm beginning to wonder if these ever need recharging! :-)

Final Update (9/20/2008):
Ok so the batteries died the day after my last review, but they still lasted a LONG time!

I definitely have to agree with the another review posted here. The plastic label that surrounds the battery appears like it can easily be peeled away/loose. Nothing a dab of super glue can't fix, but definitely something you should consider.

Standard NIMH batteries have a nasty habit of self-discharging themselves. If you charge them up and leave them alone, they could be dead by the time you actually use them a few days or weeks later. This is especially true in hot climates. I've had NIMH batteries totally self-discharge in as little as three days in hot weather!

These Kodak pre-charged NIMH AA's are not like that. They keep their charge so you don't have to worry about whether the batteries you charged a few days or weeks ago will be dead when you need them. This also makes them suitable for low drain or intermittently used devices like remote controls, clocks, wireless keyboard and mice, and the like, where the self-discharge of a standard NIMH forces the user to charge more frequently than should be necessary.

There are a few issues with these batteries. One is they are slightly fatter than a typical AA battery, which makes it a tight fit in some devices. They also have less capacity than the highest capacity standard AA NIMH batteries. However these issues are pretty minor compared to the huge benefit of not having NIMH batteries which drain themselves flat in as little as a few days.

I purchased these Kodak batteries based on NLee's review and have been impressed by them. They actually clock in at over 2300 mAh on my LaCrosse charger. They beat the Imedion 2100s (which clocked in around 2200) and are the cheapest of the bunch too!
I've used them for 3 years without any issues and they still test at over 2300 mAh.

I use these batteries in the Kodak zi6. After getting burned quite badly by the Energizer e2 batteries I was skeptical as to whether these batteries would be any better. Research but not actual practice on my part had stated that the precharged batteries hold the best charge and last the longest. I can now say without a doubt that these Kodak rechargeables are among the best investment I have made in a while. I have recorded nearly an hour give about 10 minutes or more while recording at vga mode. And the battery had not died. I don't like running a set until they die. Even at HD the recording time had to run to nearly an hour without having to change out. I use a Rayovac charger to charge them, which does require a 13.5 hour charge but with the way these batteries hold their charge it's not a big deal. If you're a zi6 user, pick these up. Or do what I did and pick up 2 packs of them. But only open one, even at an event where I'm shooting a lot of footage, I haven't had to come close to using beyond four of them.

I have 32 of these batteries. I put a "born-on" date on each set as soon as they arrive in the mail. That way I can keep them as 4-battery sets and monitor how old each battery (and also set) are becoming.

They tend to last me quite a long time and hold their stand-by charge much longer than my other non-pre-charged (aka "hybrid") rechargables. I use them in "speedlight" flash units for photography and they do an excellent job.

I own 4 identical Kodak chargers too, so I can do a batch-recharge of 16 at once.

Great product. Fast shipping. Excellent quality.

I bought the batteries for my digital camera and they work fine. They came pre-charged, last about as long as my other rechargeable batteries (Rayovac hybrid) and work well with my camera.

Mechanically,however, they are less impressive. After only two weeks all four batteries have begun to fall apart. The outside seam of the battery starts peeling and I wonder how long they will last. I will return them.

These batteries are the best.
I've used them for over a year on my canon 3IS and now I've bought more for my canon 10IS.

I don't how other people are saying these batteries hold a charge, because they don't for me.

I bought 2 sets of these less than 2 months ago. I put one set in my camera, and kept the other set for spares. I topped them off in my automatic charger before doing this because when I tested them with a voltmeter after taking them out of the package they were low. I guess that should have been my first clue.

I went to use the camera today, and it wouldn't start up. It said "Change Batteries". I didn't take that many pictures since I put them in. So, ok- I change to the spare set and they're down to 50% already and dropping fast. In 6 weeks.

I never ever any problems with the Rayovac batteries I use. The Rayovacs never went dead like this. They really hold their charge.

These things? Forget it. Maybe I got 2 bad packages?

I would never buy these again. They're good for small flashlights, that's about it. I certainly won't use them in a camera and wind up running out of juice at at a crucial moment.

Back to my trusty Rayovacs.

The battery is 1.2 V as opposed to the more standard 1.5 V. It works but the charge does not last long.