Nikon F5 and Nicads

I just bought an F5, and I'm curious about using Ni-Cads with this camera. In the manual, the power sources mentioned are alkalines, Lithiums, and Nikons Ni-MH Battery pack MN-30. Since the manual doesn't mention anything about Ni-Cads, is it safe to use it on this camera?

 

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Rodger

Be careful. Nicads are usually rated a little below the voltage for

comparable alkaline batteries. This may or may not be a problem. In

addition, they don't last very long and when they die, they die very

quickly. Personally, I would stay away from them.

Hi Rodger, I would agree with the previous post about Ni-cads, I've had good luck with the lithiums and even the new "ultra" from everready. My first choice being lithiums. I'd like to try the Ni-MH but that's an expensive experiment. If you haven't found out already, running the auto focus on a steady basis with a big lens will eat up your batteries. Once you learn to run the F5 conservatively I believe you'll love how versatile it is and I think you'll find that batteries don't have to be a problem. Enjoy it!

Nikon does not recommend any rechargeables for the F5 except for the

MN-30 NiMH packs.These packs have the correct open-circuit voltage

because they have the equivalent of 10 cells.

 

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Use either AA lithiums of the MN-30's if you want the best performance

(I use MN-30 backed up by lithiums, but two MN-30's do 50-60 rolls, so

I rarely need the lithiums). If you use lithiums, get a few extra MS-

30 battery holders and keep them filled with fresh batteries, so

you're always ready with spare power. Expect about 40 rolls per set of

lithiums, although it can vary quite a bit depending on temperature,

lens and your own shooting habits..

Thanks to everyone for answering my question. I'll stay away from the

nicads and try lithiums (right now i'm using alkaline cells). At

first, I was reluctant to try lithiums because I heard that they had

a high initial current that could affect the cameras electronics. I

guess that doesn't apply to the newer cameras. Maybe later, when

funds permit, I'll purchase the MN-30 battery pack and charger.

One other thing to add. After I got my F5 I called Nikon and asked

one of the service techs if I could use lithiums in my F4. He said

it would not be safe as the voltage was too high. He said lithiums

in an F4 would work for a while, maybe, and then the motors would

burn out and if I was real "lucky" the surge from the motor burning

out would fry the rest. He also said flashes were different and

could handle the excess voltage with no problems.

Nikon officially approves the use of AA lithiums in the N90s, F5, F100

and SB-26/7/8 flashes.

 

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Everready says that they will replace or repair any device that is

damaged by their AA lithiums, but I never tried them in my F4S either.