Sony Batteries In Rajasthan

OceanTragic

What is the chance of me being able to buy a new camera battery in major towns (Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur) if I find I need one?

The new battery in my Sony Alpha 300 is supposed to last between 400 and 700 shots depending on whether you use Live View or the OVF. Will the heat - i'm going in March/April - affect the battery life?

I've only got one battery and figure that 400 shots in a day should be more than enough. But what if it's not and I need to buy a new one?

At between £50-£65 for a new battery I don't want to buy one if I'm not going to need it. Bu I'd be happy to buy one out there if it's possible.

OceanTragic

Anyone?

crvlvr

Heat does not really affect battery life But cold does as it slows down the chemical reaction within the battery. I assume the batteries are rechargable? If so, you could charge it at the end of the day. If you really need a spare battery, take one with you.

hellogoodbye

Are they not rechargeable?

I didn't even know they still made cameras that use those.

You can easily buy electrical adapters and recharge as much as you need.

The heat does not affect the batteries.

Hal

I don't get it. You're paying 10p a click for the battery?

OceanTragic

Thanks all for your replies.

Thanks, that's good to hear, I had no idea.

Sorry for the confusion, I had implied but not actually stated that the battery was recharge ("400 shots in a day", i.e. recharge at the end of the day).
My battery is definately rechargeable and I think that the lower end figure of 400 shots a day should be enough.

The most shots I've ever taken in a day (with a film camera) was 7 rolls (252 shots) but with digital I generally take way more than I did with with film as effectively each shot is free. The 7 rolls was a bit of a one off, first ever safari, just got carried away

If heat did affect Lithium Ion batteries to the tune of 50% lower life before charge then 200 shots a day would not be enough and I'd have to buy another battery.

If the replacement battery was only £10-20 (600-1200 rupees) I would buy one now. But I'd rather not get one if I don't need it. I had thought that if it was possible to buy a new battery in a Sony/camera shop in Rajasthan I could always buy one if I had the need.

I did a battery test last, admittedly in my house with autofocus off, flash off, shooting in 10mp JPG only at 1/4000 with no image checking. I got bored after 1000 shots when the battery life had dropped by 1%.
So I'll think I'll get away with just the one battery, I'm not going to buy a battery, although it would still be nice to know about Sony shops though.

hellogoodbye

I'm still a little confused. If you say it's rechargeable then why would you buy another one?

In any case, I think you'll be fine. How long are you going for? For a month's travel, I only had to fully recharge once.

Hal

If it was me, I think I'd take a spare. If you lose it or there's 3 days when there's no power to recharge it, or some dodgy electrical plug fries up your charger, you may be sorry.

OceanTragic

See Hal's response below...but basically I could easily end up taking 300 or more photos in a days outing - especially at the Taj Mahal and at Ranthambhore.

I thought so so until I read something...See Hal's response below.

I guess you're a digicam user which probably won't use as much juice as my DSLR, which up to now has been fine, it doesn't need much recharging at all. But I hardly go out sightseeing as much as I will in India.

Hope all this makes sense

OceanTragic

Note for Hal: when buying your new Nikon, get a spare battery









Hal, has anyone ever called you the 'Prophet of Doom'?

Hal

I'm a project manager. My job is to anticipate problems before they happen

I had a damn monkey knock my camera out of my hands in Hampi. It hit a rock, the batteries spilled and went down a crack where I couldn't get them. Fortunately, I had 2 spare sets back at my lodging, but the rest of that day I couldn't take pictures.

Enjoy your trip. And keep an eye out for monkeys.

OceanTragic

I think all wildlife will scatter when my two kids are anywhere nearby

hellogoodbye

Ah yes, I didn't even remember those blackouts and the shady electrical outlets. I closed my eyes and crossed my toes as I plugged my recharger in...luckily I've never been fried to bits.


I guess I'm not much of a photographer. I think I came away with 500 photos in total. And even still, I thought I was overdoing it.

Can't wait to see your pictures.

Hal

Underestimate the brazenness of monkeys at your peril. Especially don't let your children near them if they have any food.

One of the highlights of my visit to Araku was watching families play tug of war with monkeys stealing their lunch.

OceanTragic

I know what you're saying Hal, if those monkeys had any food in their hands my kids would steal it when the monkeys got distracted