NIKON EN-EL9 for D40 Review
Camcorder-battery-shop.com 2007-03-06
The D40 and its new battery EN-EL9 turn in above average battery life numbers. I suppose I should mention my usual list of "gotchas" about proprietary batteries like the EN-EL9. First, at $45 each, they're expensive. Secondly, unlike with cameras that use AA batteries, you can't use an off-the-shelf battery when your rechargeable dies. As you can see in the chart above, there's only one camera in this class that uses AAs.
The D40 does not support a battery grip, nor would I really expect it to.
*Battery life (CIPA standard) 470 shots
*Battery grip supported? No
Nikon came up with a new battery when they created D40, and it's called the battery EN-EL9. This battery has 7.4 Wh of energy, which is pretty good these days. How does this translate into battery life? When it's time to charge the battery just snap it into the included charger. It takes just ninety minutes to fully charge battery EN-EL9. This isn't one of those handy chargers that plugs right into the wall -- you must use a power cable.
The majority of the reduction in size has been achieved by the introduction of a new battery, the EN-EL9 which looses the humps of the older EN-EL3 variations although the height and width are similar. To charge it, a new MH-23 charger is included in the kit.
New compact rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL9 and MH-23 battery charger developed specifically for the Nikon D40 digital SLR
Nikon also improved the battery door and its retention spring. The Nikon D70 and D80 had weak, mushy springs on their latches, and could open if you pressed in the just the wrong way on the bottom of the camera. Not so with D40. The spring is firm. Once that door is open, the battery seems to slide right out. But it emerges to about 3/8 inch where it stops. This is just enough for you to grab the battery and pull it out the rest of the way. I noticed that the battery of the D70 and D80 were halted in the same way, but it was a thin wire that did the arresting. I wondered how long that would last. On the Nikon D40, the arresting is done by a wide bit of spring steel. That should last longer.
I've also found the battery life to be quite good, enduring several days of regular shooting. According to CIPA standards, the Nikon D40's 1,000 mAh EN-EL9 is good for about 470 shots on a single charge, and the manual says it'll recharge from empty in 90 minutes. Still, I recommend a second battery. It's a drag to be without your camera while you wait for the battery to charge; and it usually dies when you need it most. The best news, though, is that most Lithium ion batteries can sit charged for a long time (often a month or so) and still be good when you need them.
Discount Camcorder Batteries
| Discount Camcorder Batteries | ||
|---|---|---|
CANON Camcorder Battery BP-310 CANON BP-310 $17.95 Only $14.36 |
JVC Camcorder Battery BN-V11U JVC BN-V11U $21.50 Only $17.20 |
SONY Camcorder Battery NP-F970 SONY NP-F970 $36.95 Only $29.56 |
| CANON Camcorder Battery BP-315 CANON BP-315 $17.95 Only $14.36 |
SAMSUNG Camcorder Battery SB-L110 SAMSUNG SB-L110 $20.95 Only $16.76 |
SAMSUNG Camcorder Battery SB-LSM80 SAMSUNG SB-LSM80 $23.50 Only $18.80 |
SHARP Camcorder Battery BT-L225U SHARP BT-L225U $23.58 Only $18.86 |
SONY Camcorder Battery NP-55 SONY NP-55 $28.86 Only $23.09 |
SONY Camcorder Battery NP-77 SONY NP-77 $28.86 Only $23.09 |
| SONY Camcorder Battery NP-98 SONY NP-98 $28.86 Only $23.09 |
SONY Camcorder Battery NP-F530 SONY NP-F530 $21.58 Only $17.26 |
NIKON Digital Camera Battery EN-EL9 NIKON EN-EL9 $28.85 Only $23.08 |
