CR123A Lithium Battery

[aclarkusa]

Can I use LIR 123A NI-MH 3.6V rechargeable batteries in my Olympus 35mm point and shoot camera to replace using the expensive CR123A Lithium 3.0V battery. Will the extra .6v damage my camera. Beginner here! Thanks
aclarkusa

[another view]

Doesn't sound like a good idea. Personally I buy my CR123's on ebay, they're some brand I've never heard of before but last as good as anything else (silver and blue case). I've been buying them in groups of 20 for about $30 including shipping - compared to $10 or more locally for TWO!

[aclarkusa]

Doesn't sound like a good idea. Personally I buy my CR123's on ebay, they're some brand I've never heard of before but last as good as anything else (silver and blue case). I've been buying them in groups of 20 for about $30 including shipping - compared to $10 or more locally for TWO!

Thanks, I've been looking at those on eBay but since I am not using my camera daily but rather as a family outing type thing I wondered about the shelf life buying in such quantity?

[another view]

I'm sure you can buy in smaller quantities, but mine have an exp date of 2010 so it shouldn't be too much of a problem!

[Clemmie]

Lithiums characteristically have a shelf life of 10 years or longer - so Brand ain't that big a concern.

20% overvoltage is definitely sufficient to cause permanent damage - and Olympus in particular is known for having little tolerance for such experiments. At the very least, the higher voltage will result in erroneous readings - most likely resulting in serious underexposure.

Lithium batteries (any brand) are designed to supply the full voltage for 98-99% of their service life, followed by an almost instantaneous dropoff to 'insufficient voltage" at the end - so you ALWAYS want to have a spare set in your bag.

Let me give you my two favorite discounters for quality CR123A's (my Maxxum 7 loves 'em!):

For small quantities in name brands: www.batteriesinaflash.com Currently shipping 2013 expiration dates, at $2.95 each or $4.50 per 2-pack. Also offers flat-rate Priority Mail shipping at $4, regardless of order size. Can choose from Panasonic, Sanyo, Varta, etc.

For bulk shrink-wrapped 'brick packs' of quality 'off brand' (Golston): eBay seller 'onlinestore_redirectme_net' - currently listing a 10-pack at a delivered price (including shipping) of $12.98 US. (Also lists a 20-pack at $23 delivered, and a 50-pack at $56 delivered.) This seller ships via China Post Airmail, direct from Hong Kong - and my delivery experience in the US has been 7-8 days after sending payment via PayPal. They also carry Panasonic, at about 40 cents per battery additional cost, if you prefer a dated 'name brand'.