Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

I have a Minolta s414 that I rarely use anymore because the batteries
need to be recharged after 15-20 shots. I have two sets of batteries
and both are almost new. Surely this is not right. Minolta said if you
use the fine setting this could be normal. Does anyone have any
experience with this camera?
Thanks, Jim

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

On 21 Jul 2005 14:29:46 -0700, jimw075@excite.com wrote:

>I have a Minolta s414 that I rarely use anymore because the batteries
>need to be recharged after 15-20 shots. I have two sets of batteries
>and both are almost new. Surely this is not right. Minolta said if you
>use the fine setting this could be normal. Does anyone have any
>experience with this camera?
>Thanks, Jim

15-20 shots from any reasonable (1600+ mAh) set of NiMH batteries is
utterly ridiculous. You can get more w/good alkalines! You say the
batteries are "almost" new... I'd buy a "definitely" new set of good
cells, Energizer has some 2300-2500s out now -- $10 for 4 -- and try
them. If THEY produce the same issue, then the problem is within the
camera.

If so, good luck getting anywhere with Minolta. The flash died on my
S404 (the same camera) 2 months out of warranty (naturally), and I
sent it to them, they returned it, saying it was my fault I had
dropped it -- which I had, however that was 3 days after I bought it,
and the camera was unaffected. Also in the return package was a
repair sheet for $165.

Despite many calls & emails, they were wholly unwavering in their
stance -- $165 was the minimum charge to look at the camera, let alone
fix it.

So goodbye Minolta... forever.

After I got addicted to that "big" 4x zoom, I couldn't switch to a
compact. Been loving my CANON S2 IS ever since.


DIZZLE

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

<jimw075@excite.com> wrote in message
news:1121981386.640078.55360@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> I have a Minolta s414 that I rarely use anymore because the batteries
> need to be recharged after 15-20 shots. I have two sets of batteries
> and both are almost new. Surely this is not right. Minolta said if you
> use the fine setting this could be normal. Does anyone have any
> experience with this camera?
> Thanks, Jim

You don't mention what charger you are using. Any evidence that your
batteries are fully charged? Try them in another high-current appliance to
verify they perform ok. Digicams draw 1 amp or more. Many batteries perform
fine when used in low-current applications but fail when heavily loaded.
They suffer from excessive internal resistance, which can be caused by
repeated improper charging.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"Markus L" <uo9oew@lnubb.pbz> wrote in message
news:Al3Ee.111$TR2.7963@ns2.gip.net...
> <jimw075@excite.com> wrote in message
> news:1121981386.640078.55360@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>> I have a Minolta s414 that I rarely use anymore because the batteries
>> need to be recharged after 15-20 shots. I have two sets of batteries
>> and both are almost new. Surely this is not right. Minolta said if you
>> use the fine setting this could be normal. Does anyone have any
>> experience with this camera?
>> Thanks, Jim
>
> You don't mention what charger you are using. Any evidence that your
> batteries are fully charged? Try them in another high-current appliance to
> verify they perform ok. Digicams draw 1 amp or more. Many batteries
> perform
> fine when used in low-current applications but fail when heavily loaded.
> They suffer from excessive internal resistance, which can be caused by
> repeated improper charging.

I have a 7Hi. It was awful on batteries when using the 1800 mAH AAs that
came in the box. It is much, much better with 2000 mAH AAs that I bought
subsequently, and there's as much improvement again with 2300s which whave
been my latest purchase. If your batteries aren't high output, then I
recommend that you get some that are. (I suppose that the camera wouldn't
even work at all with 1600 AAs. That makes the 2000 twice as good as the
1800, a 2200 three times as good, and a 2400 four times as good ... it is
easy to look at 2400 and think it is only 1/3 better than 1800 !).

It is always possible that you have a faulty camera, batteries or charger.
Trying new batteries is always the cheapest first step. Charger second.
Spare rechargeable AAs and a spare charger always have a use somewhere,
because its a verstile battery size, and the purchase isn't wasted.

Eddie B.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

thanks for the replies. I have two sets of batteries, both new, one
2000 and one 2100 and it doesn't seem to make any difference. Very
disappointing, other than that a nice little camera. Their info sheet
said 200 shots with monitor off, but I can find no setting to turn it
off.

Edward N Bromhead wrote:
> "Markus L" <uo9oew@lnubb.pbz> wrote in message
> news:Al3Ee.111$TR2.7963@ns2.gip.net...
> > <jimw075@excite.com> wrote in message
> > news:1121981386.640078.55360@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> >> I have a Minolta s414 that I rarely use anymore because the batteries
> >> need to be recharged after 15-20 shots. I have two sets of batteries
> >> and both are almost new. Surely this is not right. Minolta said if you
> >> use the fine setting this could be normal. Does anyone have any
> >> experience with this camera?
> >> Thanks, Jim
> >
> > You don't mention what charger you are using. Any evidence that your
> > batteries are fully charged? Try them in another high-current appliance to
> > verify they perform ok. Digicams draw 1 amp or more. Many batteries
> > perform
> > fine when used in low-current applications but fail when heavily loaded.
> > They suffer from excessive internal resistance, which can be caused by
> > repeated improper charging.
>
> I have a 7Hi. It was awful on batteries when using the 1800 mAH AAs that
> came in the box. It is much, much better with 2000 mAH AAs that I bought
> subsequently, and there's as much improvement again with 2300s which whave
> been my latest purchase. If your batteries aren't high output, then I
> recommend that you get some that are. (I suppose that the camera wouldn't
> even work at all with 1600 AAs. That makes the 2000 twice as good as the
> 1800, a 2200 three times as good, and a 2400 four times as good ... it is
> easy to look at 2400 and think it is only 1/3 better than 1800 !).
>
> It is always possible that you have a faulty camera, batteries or charger.
> Trying new batteries is always the cheapest first step. Charger second.
> Spare rechargeable AAs and a spare charger always have a use somewhere,
> because its a verstile battery size, and the purchase isn't wasted.
>
> Eddie B.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

<jimw075@excite.com> wrote in message
news:1122047424.455844.191820@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> thanks for the replies. I have two sets of batteries, both new, one
> 2000 and one 2100 and it doesn't seem to make any difference.

Then I would suspect your charger. Some fast chargers don't fully charge the
batteries, and the S404/S414 models seem to require batteries that are
*really* fully charged. I have tried alkaline AAs in my S414 and even with
brand-new Duracell batteries it shows "low battery" condition. With some
brand-new cheap batteries it doesn't show any battery life on the indicator
at all.

I recommend looking for a Maha fast charger like the C204F model, which can
be had fairly cheap these days from eBay sellers and elsewhere (try Thomas
Distributing if you don't want to buy on eBay) and is an excellent unit.


> Very
> disappointing, other than that a nice little camera. Their info sheet
> said 200 shots with monitor off, but I can find no setting to turn it
> off.

The display button (sort of a TV icon) is on the back of the camera beside
the lower right corner of the monitor. It cycles the monitor through five
settings. Four give different amounts of information in the display, and the
fifth turns it off.

Do you have the user manual for the S414? If not, search Minolta's web site.
They used to have all of their recent camera manuals available for download
in PDF format, definitely including the S414. I'm not sure what they have
since they became Konica Minolta, but it's worth taking a look.

N.




>
> Edward N Bromhead wrote:
>> "Markus L" <uo9oew@lnubb.pbz> wrote in message
>> news:Al3Ee.111$TR2.7963@ns2.gip.net...
>> > <jimw075@excite.com> wrote in message
>> > news:1121981386.640078.55360@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>> >> I have a Minolta s414 that I rarely use anymore because the batteries
>> >> need to be recharged after 15-20 shots. I have two sets of batteries
>> >> and both are almost new. Surely this is not right. Minolta said if you
>> >> use the fine setting this could be normal. Does anyone have any
>> >> experience with this camera?
>> >> Thanks, Jim
>> >
>> > You don't mention what charger you are using. Any evidence that your
>> > batteries are fully charged? Try them in another high-current appliance
>> > to
>> > verify they perform ok. Digicams draw 1 amp or more. Many batteries
>> > perform
>> > fine when used in low-current applications but fail when heavily
>> > loaded.
>> > They suffer from excessive internal resistance, which can be caused by
>> > repeated improper charging.
>>
>> I have a 7Hi. It was awful on batteries when using the 1800 mAH AAs that
>> came in the box. It is much, much better with 2000 mAH AAs that I bought
>> subsequently, and there's as much improvement again with 2300s which
>> whave
>> been my latest purchase. If your batteries aren't high output, then I
>> recommend that you get some that are. (I suppose that the camera wouldn't
>> even work at all with 1600 AAs. That makes the 2000 twice as good as the
>> 1800, a 2200 three times as good, and a 2400 four times as good ... it is
>> easy to look at 2400 and think it is only 1/3 better than 1800 !).
>>
>> It is always possible that you have a faulty camera, batteries or
>> charger.
>> Trying new batteries is always the cheapest first step. Charger second.
>> Spare rechargeable AAs and a spare charger always have a use somewhere,
>> because its a verstile battery size, and the purchase isn't wasted.
>>
>> Eddie B.
>

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

<jimw075@excite.com> wrote in message
news:1122047424.455844.191820@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> thanks for the replies. I have two sets of batteries, both new, one
> 2000 and one 2100 and it doesn't seem to make any difference. Very
> disappointing, other than that a nice little camera. Their info sheet
> said 200 shots with monitor off, but I can find no setting to turn it
> off.
....

Jim:

I have the predecessor (and nearly identical) S404. Using 1850mAH
NiMH batteries, I usually get in the neighborhood of 100 shots. The
monitor is always on. Fill flash is common. And we review/delete
shots quite a bit. So, I'd guess I'm getting about the worst case
battery life.

Have you checked the contacts inside the battery compartment and
in the battery door? Are they clean? If you have some no-name
batteries, check the length to ensure they aren't a little short, or
that the +(?) end protrusion sticks out enough for a good contact.
Beyond that, I'd guess the camera has a fault causing it to drain
the batteries. Or the camera voltage monitor is somehow too
high, so the camera is prematurely declaring a low battery warning.

Still, my first guess is a physical problem with the contacts.

Good luck.


--
Dan (Woj...) [dmaster](no space)[at](no space)[lucent](no space)[dot](no
space)[com]
===============================
"One more sun comes sliding down the sky / One more shadow leans against the wall
The world begins to disappear / The worst things come from inside here
And all the king's men reappear / For an eggman, on and off the wall
Who'll never be together again"

I know this post is several years old, however, I am posting in hopes that perhaps someone else can benefit from the additional information.

I also have a Minolta DiMage S414 and I am convinced that there is something wrong with the camera concerning the battery indicator. This may be a defect that only effects a certain percentage of cameras, but mine was working fine until about 6 months ago.

Now when I put brand new batteries in the camera, the battery indicator quickly drops to zero and shuts itself off after maybe a dozen or so photos. It had been a reliable camera up until this point, however something internal to the camera has changed.

If you are experiencing similar problems you may rest assured that NO you are not crazy. It would appear that at least two other owners have documented the same problem on this forum.

As for myself, I am going to try and contact Minolta to seek a remedy. If it is truly a defect (as I now strongly suspect) then they may have documented this fact, and may possibly be open to corrective measures. I'll try and return with any results I am given, but rest assured that there is in fact a problem with the design of the camera regarding how the camera perceives battery usage.

Regards,