All day (8hrs) battery pack for Minolta 7hi

[emaxxman]

I'm considering getting the 7hi but the AA battery consumption rate

really worries me. I see that Minolta sells rechargeable battery

packs. Does anyone know how long they last? They're quite expensive

at B&H and would really suck if they don't last a good 8 hours.

 

Any third party party battery packs? The local camera shop says I

can get a Quantum pack. I've heard/read good things about them for

flashes. My concern with Quantum is that I would lose the capability

to use the pack and a tripod at the same time. Clipping the pack to

my belt is not a good option because there are many occasions where I

would be sharing the camera with my wife, i.e. day trips to the

flower gardens with kids.

 

Thanks in advance for you help.

[gary_berg]

I've read mostly good things about the DPS-9000 pack and the Dimage 7 series. I believe from what I've read on DPReview that it is primarily available through Ritz Camera (or Wolf, I assume).

 

The people who use it and like it seem to equate it with about 3 sets of AAs...

[manuel_franz]

For all who also have this question: The 7Hi is actually not too bad when it comes to

consuming precious battery power. One exception, of course, is when you use the built-in

flash which seems to suck the power out of just about anything. Personally, I tend to carry

at least two additional sets of AA rechargeables with me whenever I leave the house with

the camera. Doing so gets me through pretty much any amount of shooting. Note,

however, that you should probably only take batteries that hold 2100 or 2400 mA as they

will last you longer. A much cheaper solution that an all-day pack and not too much of an

inconvenience.