Battery help- Canon FTB

[don0234]

I am starting my son on my old Canon FTB. The battery is dead and I do not know where to find one in Houston. I looked at Wal-Greens and could not find it.
The battery is a V625PX.

Any suggestion? I would like to work some with him this weekend.

Thanks,
Don

[jkderby]

It is a PX625 battery. ?Used to sell the FTb back in the day. B&H has them for 3.95. Might call Arlington Camera in Arlington ,TX also.

[don0234]

Thank you. I will do if I cannot find one local.

[jkderby]

Might try Batteries Plus or Radio Shack also. It can use a 625A also. "A" is for alkaline.

[don0234]

I was thinking Radio Shack. I will look tomorrow. Thanks again.

[jkderby]

Just look at Radio Shack web sight and they list the PX625 for $5.99.

[don0234]

great thanks

[venchka]

There is NO exact replacement for the mercury batteries. Alkaline batteries do not work. Don't waste your time, film and money.
Call Camera Co-op. Ask if they have Wein Cell zinc-air batteries. They work for about 6 months. The other choice is a Cris adapter and silver oxide batteries. Ask the Co-op if they have those. I am on my phone and can't do links easily. GOOGLE will find volumes on PX625 replacement solutions.

[jkderby]

I have used alkaline and they work.
Mercuric Oxide: Mercury batteries were commonly used in many classic cameras of the 1960s and 1970s for their CdS (cadmium sulfide) metering systems. Mercuric oxide batteries provide a constant and stable 1.35 volts over most of their life. This means that the camera does not have to have voltage regulation circuitry, considerably lowering the cost of production. Unfortunately, mercury batteries were outlawed in the U.S. in the 1980s and are not readily available anymore. However, all is not lost. There are several solutions below.

Alkaline (zinc/manganese dioxide; Zn/MnO2): This is the chemistry used in your standard alkaline battery (C, D, AA, AAA, etc.). New batteries give 1.5 volts which quickly declines over the life of the battery. Alkaline batteries have high internal resistance which means they will not discharge quickly. This reduces their usefulness in high-drain devices such as camera flashes or motor drives.

Standard and Heavy-Duty (zinc/carbon and zinc-chloride): This is the chemistry used in "standard" and "heavy-duty" batteres (C, D, AA, AAA, etc.). New batteries give 1.5 volts which quickly declines over the life of the battery. Zinc-Carbon batteries have less than a third of the storage capacity of "Alkaline" (ZInc-Manganese dioxide) batteries and we do not recommend their use in any situation.

Silver-Oxide: Starting in the 1970s, camera manufacturers started to move to silver-oxide "button" batteries. Silver-oxide cells provide 1.55 volts fresh out of the can, but then the voltage slowly drops over the life - not as much as alkaline batteries, but more than mercuric-oxide. This means that cameras could not depend on the voltage being stable and started to use what are called "bridge circuits" to reduce the effect of the falling voltage.

[Yasir]

Hello,

We have the Varta V625U batteries for $3.00.

We are open from 9am to 6pm: Mon-Fri, and 9am to 1pm: Saturday.

Regards,

Yasir M. Hakim
ProfessionalCameraRepair.com
713-621-3627

Originally Posted by don0234

I am starting my son on my old Canon FTB. The battery is dead and I do not know where to find one in Houston. I looked at Wal-Greens and could not find it.
The battery is a V625PX.

Any suggestion? I would like to work some with him this weekend.

Thanks,
Don

[venchka]

Buy your son an inexpensive hand meter. One that runs on readily availabe batteries or no batteries. I have 2 of each type and a lifetime supply of PX625 mercury cells.
I had a Canon FTb briefly with an alkaline battery. The meter reacted in a non-linear erractic manner. It never matched any of my meters.

[venchka]

Read this page. Make your own decison.

Favorite Classics / Mercury Battery

You could also give the Sunny 16 rule a try.