EN-EL3 Battery compatibility

[chad_goldman]

<p>I recently upgraded to a D90 from a D50. The D90 battery is a Nikon EN-EL3e Lithium-Ion battery, D50 is a Nikon EN-EL3a Lithium-Ion battery. The chargers are identical. Are the batteries compatible between models?</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>One battery has 2 electric contacts, and perhaps the other newer type battery has 3 electric contacts. Instect your batteries carefully.<br />The charger uses only two contacts and will charge both batteries. Perhaps both batteries will work in the older camera, but the newer camera may need the newer battery and will not work with the older battery.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>You can use the EN-EL3e from the D90 inside the D50.</p>

<p>But you cannot use the EN-EL3a inside the D90; you won't be able to insert it all the way into the camera.</p>

[ed_farmer]

<p>Shun is right . . . the batteries are "backwards compatible". You can use newer batteries in old bodies, but not the other way around.</p>

[joseph_wisniewski]

<p>So, as Frank and Shun said, you can't use an old 3 or 3a battery in a D90. But you can use a new 3e battery in either camera, D50 or D90.</p>

<p>It's not much of an issue because the normal life of a lithium battery tends to be about 3-4 years, even if lightly used. That's about when the 3a was discontinued, so any 3 or 3a batteries you have kicking around are near the end of their useful lives. Get an extra 3e or two, and use them in everything, get ready to recycle the 3a.</p>

[chad_goldman]

<p>Thanks everyone for the responses. I did notice the different number of contacts on the two batteries, but was cursious because the charger being the same. I have two 3a's already now I guess I'll have to pick up an extra 3e. thanks for the help!<br>

cg</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>As it has already been pointed out, the EN-EL3e has 3 electronic contacts and the groove next to the contacts is wider. If you attempt to insert an EN-EL3 or EN-EL3a without the wider groove into a Nikon DSLR that requires the EN-EL3e, e.g. the D80, D90, D200, D300, D300S and D700, it is going to block near the end and you won't be able to close the battery compartment door.</p>

<p>The EN-EL3e is easy to identify since it is gray instead of black.</p><div></div>

[chad_goldman]

<p>The Charger will work with both models correct? had the same model number and contact points.</p>

[joseph_wisniewski]

<p>Yes. For these small packs, the charger is basically a power supply, the chip in the battery pack takes care of the hard part of charging.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>The charger for the EN-EL3 is MH-18 and the one for the EN-EL3e is MH-18a, which is a bit smaller. The chargers are practically interchangeable. However, I have charged some EN-EL3e on the old MH-18; after they are "fully charged," I inserted them on an MH-18a, which somehow continues to charge them for a little longer. I wouldn't worry about that difference, though.</p>