Super Duracells - Battery

Not really a problem as such, but having to make an unscheduled trip to Spain, the first thing I grabbed was my trusty LX. I knew that the batteries had been in the winder for some time, so picked up some new ones at Luton Airport. They were 4 x AA Duracell Super-Dooper "High Power" types. I can´t remember the exact name that Duracell gives them. Anyway, put them in the winder and when my first photo-opportunity came up, turned everything on. As soon as it was switched on, the winder emitted a whining noise and refused to operate at all. I paniced at first, as I assumed that having put new batteries in, the problem must be with the winder. Tried turning it off and on again but same problem, same whining noise and same unco-operative approach.

So, I bought some cheapo Spanish AA batteries from the local Supermarket. Guess what? They worked perfectly!

I was just thinking, were these super high power Duracell batteries simply too powerful for the winder? Surely a 1.5v battery can only give out 1.5v? Or did I just get unlucky and buy a faulty/old pack of batteries?

I´d love to hear anyone else´s experiences with these...

A 1.5v battery is nominally 1.5v and may well vary a bit, but I wouldn't have thought that was a problem with a winder. I have used Duracell Ultra in my 645n and they have lasted very well - they get replaced after 12 months in any case.
Duracells do have an expiry date on the pack - was this OK? Also, if the winder had not been used for some time were the contacts clean? Also, were the contacts tight on the batteries - if they were not and , for example, the Spanish batteries were physically even slightly longer then they could have contacted where the Duracells did not.

That's about all I can think of, hope it helps!

Thanks John.

Just retrieved the batteries from the bottom of my suitcase and they were indeed Duracell Ultra M3s. Don't still have the packaging, but the use by date on the battery is Mar 2009, so they'll probably be working longer than I will!

The winder had been used quite regularly up until then, which is why I thought new batteries would be a good idea. As far as I know, all contacts were clean and working.

The plot thickens!