Olympus B-50SU 4 AA NiMH Batteries and Charger

by Olympus

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005YVPI
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 29, 2002

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

NiMH batteries are for more than digital cameras...use these batteries in everything from CD players to handheld video games to deliver exceptional power for a long period of time. NiMH batteries eliminate the need to discard regular batteries. Use the Olympus NiMH battery charger to recharge your NiMH batteries.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

168 of 170 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For all cameras -- not just Olympus, July 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Olympus B-50SU 4 AA NiMH Batteries and Charger (Electronics)

Time for some clarification -- on electric theory and model numbers. The 1840 is the amperage (milliamperage, to be precise), NOT the voltage. The amperage shows the storage capacity of the batteries -- the higher the number, the better (the longer the batteries last per charge). If the batteries were higher VOLTAGE, there would be the potential to damage your equipment. However, these Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeables, like all NiMH rechargeables, are actually LOWER voltage (1.2V) than alkaline batteries (1.5V), which could potentially mean some products with battery life indicators show that the batteries aren't fully charged even when they really are, but they certainly won't harm your electronics. This lower voltage, plus the fact that NiMH batteries "drain" about 10% per week, even when they're unused, makes them a poor choice for some devices (a flashlight, for example, will be dimmer than with alkalines, and will be completely dead if you've left the light unused in a drawer for a couple of months), but they're ideal for high-drain devices like digital cameras, remote control cars, photo flash units, etc. I've used these batteries in digital cameras, CD players, GPS units, and tons of other electronic devices. The Olympus batteries are well constructed and have a high capacity -- I strongly recommend them.

On another note, this product is identical to the previous B40SU model -- I learned from an Olympus rep that the only difference is the packaging. "B-50SU" refers to the whole package (charger, cord, and batteries), which is why the number on the charger is different (that's the model number for the charger itself).

Hope this helps!

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Recharging Unit with an Extension, April 21, 2002

By 

David Lindamood (Cadillac, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Olympus B-50SU 4 AA NiMH Batteries and Charger (Electronics)

This is a good recharging AA battery unit. Not too sure the exact changes/improvements this unit has over the old B-40SU system. I own both this one and the Kodak K1000 unit. ( AA battery usage in my household/business is rather common). This unit works just as fast as the Kodak unit, if not faster, and has most of the same features. But I like the Kodak unit better.

The storage space of the device is very important to me. I don't like carrying around dead weight that could be eliminated. The Olympus unit is compact, EXCEPT for the extension cord, it takes up more room than the unit itself. The Kodak K1000 is a wall mounted unit, that does not require a cord. It fits perfectly into my camera bag, without any hassle. I've never had a "loose" wall outlet attachment with the Kodak, if I did, I would tighen it by pinching the plug slightly together.

This Olympus system and the Kodak system both work very well. Both are compact, both recharge quickly. My preference is the Olympus at home, and the Kodak on the road.

64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Compact and works well, February 6, 2003

By 

Sheldon (Aspen, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Olympus B-50SU 4 AA NiMH Batteries and Charger (Electronics)

While I don't own this charger, the college I teach at has an Olympus camera that came with it. It's quite small, works well, and is a pretty good deal considering it comes with a set of batteries.

Most of the negative comments I've seen here are due to the fact many people don't understand the qualities of NiMH batteries. These batteries work well in devices that draw a lot of power, but don't work well in all devices. They lose about one percent of their charge daily, so I wouldn't use them in a flashlight unless you plan on recharging them at least once a month whether you use them or not.

NiMH batteries are only 1.2 volts, but that's not a problem in most devices since they hold that 1.2 voltage till they die. An alkaline battery drops slowly from 1.5 volts, and continues to drop slowly till it dies. Problem is, while a NiMH battery can hold a steady 1.2 volts for a long time, it drops in voltage very quickly when it does die. That means if your device has a low battery indicator, it may give you little warning. However, most digital cameras are setup to use NiMH batteries, and their battery indicator is adjusted for this.

Also, a NiMH battery must be recycled a few times before it works at full capacity. I put a brand new charged battery in an MP3 player and it ran for less than 2 hours. On the second charge it ran for over 7 hours.

So, why not five stars? There are better batteries and chargers on the market. The newer AA batteries are rated at 2000 mAh, and there are faster, better, "smarter" chargers on the market (MAHA, Rayovac, etc.)that can charge both AA and AAA batteries. Still, I've had good luck with this compact charger and the batteries, and recommend it. I also know for a fact the school has abused the heck out of both the charger and batteries and they are still working fine.

By the way, make sure and get a second set of batteries for your camera. When you come across Elvis, the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot all having a picnic, I guarantee you the batteries in your camera will be dead.