Customer Reviews

Olympus B-50SU 4 AA NiMH Batteries and Charger

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

I have used this charger for over a year with great success. I had wasted a lot of money on other batteries and chargers in the effort to save a little bit in the short run, but when I finally broke down and purchased additional batteries for my charger (which came with my camera), the other batteries and chargers have remained unused in a draw. Which is the only real complaint I have about these batteries - they're very expensive (but worth it)!

I've used the charger in Sweden (which is on 220 volts) and all I had to purchase was a plug adapter to fit the Swedish plug system - a converter was not necessary as this charger senses the voltage coming in and automatically adjusts to it To be able to travel with this charger, and its ability to recharge batteries within just a few hours (unlike the others I'd purchased that took almost a day) are real conveniences I would not give up. If it broke for some reason, I would buy another one just like it. Another great feature it has (as compared to the other chargers that charge for a specified time) is the circuitry that detects the existing charge in the batteries; a partially charged battery will receive only the amount of charge that it needs (which also cuts down on time), which is great for topping up your batteries before a photo shoot or a trip (remember that NiMH don't suffer from the memory problems of Nicad batteries have).

It's also a pity that Amazon doesn't sell the batteries (only through ....) - only the charger with batteries. I've found them a little cheaper than the (... ) price of [$$$]P>Overall, a great product. I'd recommend it to anyone.

this is great little battery charger. It is TINY and travels pretty much anywhere in the world due to it's ability to function at different electrical outputs. All you need is a plug adapter.

The Olympus B-50SU 4 AA NiMH Batteries and Charger is the best! I used other "low cost" chargers and batteries which were completely useless after only a few months. The Olympus charger and batteries are still going strong! I would highly recommend this product for any camera which uses the AA NiMH batteries. I use them in my Minolta Dimage 5.

Rayovac has a one hour charger with 4 independeent charge circuits (can cahrge unqually used batteries or uneven capacities without over/under charging some of theM)) for the same price as this (w/ batteries). GP has 2000mah batteries. These batteriees are 1700mah. Acessories that I've had interest in that has olympus brand is 50% more expensive than generic brands of the same quality. Olympus has great cameras. Buy the accesories from another brand, cheapeer, higher quality. Oh yeah this is a dumb charger also. That means batteries get overcharged and that substantially reduces their life. You can buy rapid (4-5 hrs charge time), dumb chargers for [$$$]

I bought a Fuji 2800 digital camera, which came with regular batteries. Within 2 hours of use they started running low and my camera wouldn't flash or capture images (at a very inopportune moment). When my NiMH batteries arrived, I charged them as recommended (3 times before first use) and I'm still using them and I haven't had to recharge them yet, and it's been about 3 hours of sporatic use over 2 weeks. I only wish Amazon sold the batteries without the charger, so I can have a second set ready to go whenever. They will definately pay for themselves in a metter of months. I take LOTS of pictures.

If you are getting Olympus Bu-200, don't worry about it. Olympus Bu-200 & Sanyo NC-M54 are both OEMed by the same manufacturer, originally only for sale in the market outside of US. But probably they are imported to replace Bu-50 now. They have 4 independent circuit (very nice, cost more than 2 independent ciruit you saw in most rapid chargers), with -dv, temerature. and max time control. It is well designed, pretty safe, and also provides great performance. The only concern is the price is still a little bit high here if compared to other rapid chargers.

Great little charger. A little on the slow side. I use it with an Olympus 3000. Have three sets of batteries, one in the camera, one in the case, one in the charger. Never run out of batteries, even when filling up a 128MB card!!!