Panasonic BQ3904K Ni-MH Charger Bundle Review
Have you ever used a digital camera with so called “high-powered” alkaline batteries or rechargeable alkaline batteries? I have and from my experience they both stink. I had one incident where I used alkaline batteries on the Polaroid PDC3350 and it didn’t even start up. Notice that these were new batteries. They just didn’t have enough power. I had another incident where the batteries tool about four photos and it died out. What a waste of money. Enter the Panasonic BQ3904K Ni-MH Charger Bundle.
NiMH or Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are a relatively new battery type that has been catching on very quickly for digital devices, however some people still don’t know much about them. Without going into specifics, NiMH batteries are true high-powered batteries designed for digital products. Aside from lasting longer than traditional batteries, NiMH has many benefits such as being more environmentally safe when disposing, and charges are faster.
The Panasonic BQ3904K Ni-MH Charger Bundle we are looking at today comes bundled with four 1950mAh Panasonic NiMH batteries. Basically, the more mAh the battery contains, the more power it has. However, that does decrease the charge time depending on what charger you are using.
The Panasonic BQ3904K Ni-MH Charger that is bundled with the specific 1950mAh batteries claims a full charge time of only 2-hours for all four. A chart of estimated charge times for different mAh levels are provided in the small manual. This charger can charge anywhere in the world as it automatically chooses the right voltages to use. The plug even folds in and out to keep the unit slim and small as possible. The portable charger unit measures 4.5”x 2” (HxW) and has room to charge 4AA or 2AAA batteries.
Testing
Testing will consist of seeing if the claimed charge time is correct and also a comparison of showing how many shots without flash at a resolution of 1024x768 I could take with these batteries compared to standard AA Duracell’s (the basic copper top one).
Results
- Charge Time: 7:54pm - 9:51pm = 3 minutes under than the claimed 2 full hours.
Number of shots
| Panasonic NiMH Batteries = 47 shots |
| Duracell (Copper Top) = 22 shots |
Conclusion
As you can see, the Panasonic BQ3904K Ni-MH Charger Bundle just finished 3 minutes under the stated charge time and was long lasting in taking pictures. You can say it owned the Duracells. It actually surprised me on how much it could take. I have never used a battery that could last that long. With the Panasonic BQ3904K Ni-MH Charger Bundle being small sized, portable, and long lasting what is not to like with these? The only thing that is a bit bad is the price. You will pay a bit for NiMH batteries and I picked up this at a local Future Shop for $69.99Cdn. Plus if you want more batteries then they can range from 10-30 bucks for a bundle of four. That’s pricey. But then again, you get what you pay for; long lasting batteries and they are a must for digital photography.
I rate the Panasonic BQ3904K Ni-MH Charger Bundle a…
8.5/10!
Pros and Cons
+
Fast Charger of only 2 hours and met claims
+ Long lasting performance
+ 1950mAh performs great
- Price
Hope you enjoyed the review.
