Are you positive?
By Eddie Lopez. Tuesday, 17. October 2006, 03:03:39
(sorry about the blurry picture... but my camera phone doesn't have macro)
Look. I know why we do it this way....but that doesn't make it any more user friendly when there's low light and you can't make out what that little diagram on the inside of the battery compartment is telling you. So you peer down in there and hope that you can make out the springs that give you a visual clue as to the correct way to insert the battery.
I realize its great for the manfacturer to have the negative in close proximity to the positive to minimize the circuit's effort to connect them, but I'd just like to have a universal way that is pretty easy to figure out in the dark. Something like the 9V battery casing.
I'm positive (pun intended) the user will never win this battle though. The "AA"-style and it's clumsy insertion operation is so ubiquitous anyway that my concerns for my fellow battery inserters throughout the world will fall on deaf ears.
Look. I know why we do it this way....but that doesn't make it any more user friendly when there's low light and you can't make out what that little diagram on the inside of the battery compartment is telling you. So you peer down in there and hope that you can make out the springs that give you a visual clue as to the correct way to insert the battery.
I realize its great for the manfacturer to have the negative in close proximity to the positive to minimize the circuit's effort to connect them, but I'd just like to have a universal way that is pretty easy to figure out in the dark. Something like the 9V battery casing.
I'm positive (pun intended) the user will never win this battle though. The "AA"-style and it's clumsy insertion operation is so ubiquitous anyway that my concerns for my fellow battery inserters throughout the world will fall on deaf ears.
WIDGETIZE
Dan Alexandru # 17. October 2006, 04:20
It's then just a question of inserting the first battery right.
A tip: if you hold the camera the usual (only?) way (i.e. with the left hand, upside down, with the lens facing you), the gesture for that first (upper left) battery is always insert-bullet-like: with the plus polarity down.
Dan Alexandru # 17. October 2006, 04:26
My workaround was to use the batteries that offered a way to check the power level by pressing the outside (e.g Duracell's Power Check). However, I get different readings for all batteries. But hey, analog something is better than digital nothing.
Eddie Lopez # 17. October 2006, 13:27
Mine just has three states: 1)full charge 2)half 3)red/dying
None of them are very useful. I use rechargeable batteries and try to get them recharged before every outing and carry a fresh spare set of regular batteries.