Sony AC-VQ900AM AC/DC Adapter and Battery Charger for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera
by Sony
(Click here)
Customers in the UK,
buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: SonyRelease Date: 2006-08-01
Model: ACVQ900AM
Product features:
- Quick charger for two InfoLithium M batteries quickly
- Intelligent Display LCD
- Fully charge in approximately 130 minutes
- Normal charge in approximately 70 minutes
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sony AC-VQ900AM AC/DC Adapter and Battery Charger for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera
Customer Review: Almost Essential
Summary: 5 Stars
As others have stated, the AC-VO900AM will charge batteries about twice as fast as the stock charger; it will hold two batteries and charge them sequentially; and it also serves as a camera power supply. One key benfit is often overlooked: you can leave batteries in it indefinitely. With the stock charger, you are supposed to charge until the light goes off, then charge for an hour more, and then remove the battery without delay so that you don't shorten the battery's life! Could that be any more inconvenient? With the AC-VO900AM, you can just insert two batteries and leave them indefinitely with the charger plugged in. How would you like to put a battery in the stock charger at night and set an alarm to wake yourself up in 5 hours, only to remember that your battery was already half charged when you started??? How would you like sitting and watching your charger to see when the light goes out so you can start a one-hour timer???? I'm sure you don't do that, but if you took Sony literally, that's exactly what you'd do with the stock charger. Also, Sony doesn't explain what they mean by "shorten the battery's life." Does that mean it runs down faster or that it will be ready for the recycle bin sooner?
Another important feature is the power supply to your camera. When you have to clean your sensor, you must have a fully charged battery on hand, or you need a power supply (i.e., an AC adapter). The AC-VO900AM fills the bill. As over priced as the AC-VO900AM seems to be, it isn't that much more than the price of a power supply without the charger.
One reason for the high price of this charger is the elaborate sequence of readouts that it offers. Frankly, I'm not a big fan, because I find it annoyingly complex. We're just trying to charge batteries, for gosh sake! It shouldn't be rocket science! For example, you have to wait a minute before you get access to much information. This may be necessary, but we don't have to like it.
The Infolithium batteries contain an internal chip that attempts to do a better job of predicting when a battery will run down. (This is a problem on Li-ion batteries because they hold near-constant voltage until close to exhaustion.) I've concluded that the much cheaper batteries produced by third parties don't get this chip function right, because they don't work well with either the stock charger or the AC-VO900AM. On one such battery, the AC-VO900AM refuses to display any status info. Neither of my two third-party batteries charges up all the way in either the AC-VO900AM or the stock charger. Neither lasts long at all either. If you rely on third-party batteries, expect problems with this charger.
I gave the AC-VO900AM five stars, because, for me it is essential. I need to be able to leave batteries to charge overnight, and I'm likely to forget them and leave the in the charger indefinitely. With this charger, I'm covered, and life is good. Also, the function as an external power supply gives me peace of mind when I need to clean my sensor.
One final note. I'm not sure what Amazon means when they say this is an AC/DC device. It will not run off of DC input. Sony has a different model that specifically has AC/DC input capabilities. The charger/adapter, of course, converts AC to DC. Like most chargers, it will run off of U.S. and foreign voltages (240V) and frequencies (50Hz) -- all you'll need is a plug converter in other countries. Unfortunately, the AC-VO900AM is big and bulky compared to the stock charger.
Good luck with it!
Tim
More Sony AC-VQ900AM AC/DC Adapter and Battery Charger for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera reviews:
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Description of Sony AC-VQ900AM AC/DC Adapter and Battery Charger for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera
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