CAMERA BATTERY COST ANALYSIS

  THE MOST ACCURATE METHOD TO USE  TO COMPARE CAMERA BATTERIES FROM DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS IS TO CALCULATE THE COST  TO OUTFIT A CAMERAMAN FOR THE LIFESPANS OF THE DIFFERENT BATTERIES.

  EX:  A STATION MAY FEEL IT APPROPRIATE TO PROVIDE A CAMERAMAN WITH 4 NICAD OR NIMH 60 TO 100 WH BRICKS TO PROVIDE THE POWER FOR THE DAY’S POTENTIAL SHOOTING. THIS EQUATES TO $1500 OR MORE PLUS THE COST OF THE CHARGER. THE LIFE OF THE BATTERIES HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE CLOSE TO 500 CYCLES OF CHARGE AND  DISCHARGE (ABOUT  2  YEARS). THEN IT IS  TIME  TO RE-CELL OR REPLACE.

  THE STATION COULD REPLACE THE EXHAUSTED NICKEL BRICKS WITH
1/2 AS MANY VIPERS, AND YIELD THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS:

1.  AN IMMEDIATE REDUCTION IN COST TO RE-OUTFIT THE CAMERAMAN BECAUSE 2 OF THE VIPERS HAVE AS MUCH OR MORE RUN TIME AS THE 4 NICKEL BRICKS, AND THERE ARE NO CHARGER COSTS.

2.   ONE HALF THE WEIGHT ON THE SHOULDER OF THE SHOOTER.

3.   IN 2 YEARS, WHEN THE NICKEL IS NEEDING HELP, THE VIPERS WILL BE ONLY HALF WAY THROUGH THEIR CYCLES, SO THE NICKEL BATTERIES WILL INCUR AN ADDITIONAL COST, BUT NOT THE VIPER.

4.   FINALLY: IT IS A STEP TOWARD UPGRADING A SYSTEM, NOT ALONG CONTINUING A DOWNWARD SPIRAL.

  THE NUMBERS ARE:

  NICKEL COSTS:   $1,500 DIVIDED BY 2 YEARS (700 + DAYS) PER
           PHOTOG = $2+ PER DAY.

  VIPER COSTS:   $1,100 DIVIDED BY 4 YEARS (1400+ DAYS) PER
           PHOTOG =$0. 70 PER DAY.