Battery Basics: Knowledge is Power (page 3)
Up-and-coming Batteries
Not as widely available as lead-acid or nicad batteries, two newer contenders offer some promising features. Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries run the same 1.2 volts per cell as nicad batteries but supply 20% more power. They're good for about 500 charge/discharge cycles. NiMH batteries will lose about 25% of their charge if you leave them sitting idle for a month. So far, they cost slightly more than nicads; Duracell sells their NiMH batteries for around $65.
Lithium-ion batteries generate 3.6 volts per cell. They recharge in an hour, a quantum improvement over some of the 12-hour varieties. And voltage depression is not an issue with these batteries. Their self-discharge rate of only about 10 percent per month is the lowest of any rechargeable battery available. Problem is, not all camcorders will accept them. Sony and Canon sell accessory lithium-ion batteries for their newer camcorders. Like the NiMH batteries, lithium-ion batteries are still quite expensive--ranging from about $80 for the smaller models to about $200 for the l…
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