mercury battery replacements

[Big Jay]

I am in the process of purchasing a Nizo model S560. My only hesitation is the fact that mercury batteries (PX625 or PX13 needed for the exposure meter) are no longer available. I have read a bit about various replacement suggestions. What is the best? Any hints / tips? Any first hand knowledge with Nizos?

Regards,
Big Jay

[David M. Leugers]

I learned that the hearing aid batteries sold at every drug store and grocery store in the USA work great. Find the ones with 625 somewhere in the battery # and they should work fine. You will have to put something like a #74 o-ring available at hardware stores (I got some at Sears) around the batteries to make up for the difference in diameter, but that is no big deal. They are air-zinc batteries that are activated when you pull the paper tab off one side of the battery exposing it to air. Once activated they take about 3 hours to come up to full voltage and last about a month. They are cheap and usually can be bought in a nice dispenser of six or more for a few bucks. The Nizo is a great camera, good luck.

[Billbot]

What you want are " Wein-cell " zinc-air batteries. These are specifically replacements for mercury batteries. They output 1.35 volt, which is compatable with the old 1.3v mercury batteries. There are a few sizes. These are available at high end photo shops and on-line.
The downside, they can be expensive and have a total useful life of about 6-12 months.

Good luck!

[digvid]

Here are a couple of places you can order these batteries online:

1) B&H Photo (http://www.bhphoto.com)
2) Adorama (http://www.adorama.com)

Note that you can also buy Super8 film and mailers at Adorama.

Just search for Wein batteries, and you can find the above-mentioned zinc-air batteries that replace the original mercury batteries required by the Nizo. The Wein batteries are the correct size also, so you do not have to place a sizing ring around them as you would the hearing aid batteries.

I use the Wein batteries in my Nizo S56, and they work well.

- digvid

[tim]

If these guys don't have them ...

http://www.photobattery.com/index.html#Btable

forget it!

Their service has been great, even across the Atlantic.

Tim.

[Pedro]

short time ago, I read a modification instruction for that Nizo cameras, to completly substitute the meter batteries and using the main batteries and a electronic voltage stabilzer. I think it was in a "Schmalfilm" of the last year.
Pedro