Lithium (Li/MnO₂) 3-volt and 6-volt batteries are used in many film cameras starting with models released in the mid-1980s up to the present day. The main four types used in film cameras are CR123 (aka CR123A); CR2; 2CR5 (aka DL245); and CR-P2 (aka DL223 or BR-P2).
They're a great design choice for cameras for several reasons:
- They're 'energy dense', meaning they hold a lot of power in a small package; i.e. they last a lot longer than conventional batteries
- They are not very prone to leakage. Dead alkaline batteries are notorious for leaking corrosive electrolytes and destroying camera circuitry. I've seen hundreds of leaky alkaline batteries but I've never encountered a lithium camera battery that leaked
- They recharge flashes more quickly*
- They have a very long shelf life (typically around 10 years depending on storage conditions)
- They are recyclable and recycling efficiency is good
But there are some pitfalls. The most obvious is the wide variation in prices found in stores. But an even bigger problem for shoppers is buying old, partially-depleted batteries and not discovering the problem until they try to go out and shoot a roll. It's often hard to tell how old they are in a store. Some brands provide an expiry date (Panasonic and Energizer for example) but many do not.
The expiry date for this Panasonic 2CR5 is clearly visible even through sealed packaging.
We offer lithium batteries as an add-on when buying a camera. This is a courtesy: we're selling them at cost. We always test our lithium batteries using a professional pulse-load tester called ZTS-MBT1. We also keep their earlier model on hand for its CR-P2 and 2CR5 test modes. In our experience, cheaper testers are mostly useless as they give false or misleading readings.
The vintage and current professional-grade ZTS pulse load battery testers
Expired or exhausted batteries might show the correct voltage on a multimeter or cheap tester. Here are a few readings on a known bad 2CR5 (it has enough juice to turn on a Canon Sure Shot Joy but it works poorly; it won't turn on a Pentax SF10):
This Fluke multimeter is showing an old 2CR5 at the correct 6.12v which could mislead you into thinking this battery is fresh.
This cheap Tenergy battery tester gives a false reading, showing the 2CR5 at nearly full power.
The professional ZTS Multi-Battery Tester correctly shows the battery is really half depleted. A battery in this state doesn't deliver enough power to switch on some cameras; other cameras will sort of work but charge their flash very slowly.
We need to be absolutely certain that batteries are good before installing them in a customer's new camera. But for most people, it's not worth paying hundreds of dollars for professional battery testers; that's why we recommend that you get your batteries from an online specialty shop that offers fresh stock and a guarantee.
Luckily for film camera people, lithium batteries are still widely used in applications beyond photography (e.g. high powered flashlights) and thus mass-produced.
And when you buy from a reputable online specialty shop, the prices are usually lower than pharmacies or big box stores. As shoppers, we've had good luck buying brand-name (usually Panasonic, Energizer, and Renata) batteries from OnlyBatteries.com in Canada and BatteryJunction.com in the United States. We have no affiliation with either company. There are several other similar stores so shop around and read reviews!
The short CR-P2 problem
Another issue we've encountered is that some 6-volt CR-P2 batteries are shorter than standard dimensions (it's usually generic ones that use thinner plastic). I've found that some cameras won't turn on with these shorter batteries. There's an easy workaround for this: just stick a few layers of tape (ideally electrical tape) on the bottom of the battery (the end without contacts) to add a tiny bit of height.
The pictures below show how a Panasonic CR-P2 compares to a generic one. The generic one is 0.66mm shorter. Panasonic's datasheet specifies a 36mm +/-0.4mm height, so the generic CR-P2 falls outside the tolerance.
Rechargeable lithium batteries
We strongly advise against using rechargeable LiFePO4-type batteries in cameras that weren't originally designed for them. The rechargeable ones with a CR123 form-factor are sometimes designated 'RCR123A'. They may fit in film cameras but they output a different voltage and may fail to work correctly or even damage circuitry. In our view, it's not worth the risk. They're also usually very expensive.
A brief history of lithium batteries and cameras
We have a pretty large library of camera technology/repair books and journals but there doesn't appear to be a great deal written about the history of Li/MnO₂ batteries.
The lithium–manganese dioxide (Li/MnO₂) battery formula was invented by Sanyo chemists in 1975 according to J. O. Besenhard's 2008 Handbook of Battery Materials. Norman Goldberg's excellent Camera Technology: The Dark Side of the Lens (1992) mentioned lithium batteries have ideal attributes for point-and-shoots and automated SRLs. And in Thomas Tomosy's Camera Repair and Maintenance volume 1, the author wrote of keeping depleted lithium batteries on a shelf for years to check for leakage and found none. Contributors to the Society of Photo-Technologists Journal also encountered CR-P2s varying in height by manufacturer.
I did some digging through catalogues, and the circa-1983 Olympus AFL Quick Flash and the first revision Fuji DL-200 were the earliest cameras to use CR123 cells that I could find. Annoyingly, both cameras had the batteries welded in place. By 1986, lithium batteries were mainstream (and user-replaceable; I presume Fuji and Olympus got an earful from angry customers). Canon used a 2CR5 for the Sure Shot Supreme and the early EOS SLRs. We believe Nikon's F-601 was their first SLR to use a lithium battery (CR-P2).
Advancements in miniaturization and circuit design led to later cameras being powered by a single CR123, the Olympus Infinity Stylus/mju I and Canon Sure Shot Max (both from 1991) are early examples. The Ricoh R1 from 1994 is the earliest model I can find powered by a single, tiny CR2. The relatively new Pentax 17 (released in mid-2024) also uses a single CR2.
* We advise against using AA-sized lithium batteries (LiFeS₂) with older cameras that weren't designed to use them. Older cameras' flash charging circuity sometimes fails to cope with the quicker power delivery and might overheat or otherwise get damaged; I've seen this first-hand with a Fujica DL-100. ↩