I recently acquired two point-and-shoot cameras, both of which used Lithium 223 batteries. In the course of trying to take their images I went to my battery stash. I have many batteries lying around, both from removing them from cameras before I stored them and from the occasions I lucked upon battery sales.
Getting a battery from the collection is a multiple step process. I store batteries in several places for starters. Then there is the step of getting out the battery tester. Simple cells like AAA and AA batteries I use a LED tester that has red, yellow and green lights. Button and Lithium batteries I use a voltmeter.
I found the batteries that had been in the cameras were down to 0.224 Volts, so clearly they were bound for recycling. I tested some of the 223 batteries I had in the pile of batteries and found two that indicated over 6 Volts. I have found if a lithium battery is under 6 Volts it won’t power up many cameras. I keep the under voltage lithium batteries around to place in cameras to “form” their electronics, but don’t trust them to actually bring a stored camera back to life.
I found two used batteries I inserted into both cameras, but one indicated a partial battery symbol on its display and the camera wouldn’t come to life. The second battery had a taped shell and I wasn’t sure the battery contacts were making contact with the camera’s contacts.
Eventually both cameras came to life. One wasn’t powering itself into extending its lens mount. I decided to try a more recent battery and found this Energizer E2 Lithium Photo 223 battery. Upon close examination—that bottom left printing—I could see the battery was to be used before 2015. Since I wrote this story three months into 2025, the battery was ten years past its due date! *
The battery really showed it was powerful, but the camera itself is still malfunctioning. Trying to get the lens to erect just makes a skipping rack and pinion sound without anything happening as far as the lens extending. Flash yes, autofocus yes, but telephoto no.
Getting a battery from the collection is a multiple step process. I store batteries in several places for starters. Then there is the step of getting out the battery tester. Simple cells like AAA and AA batteries I use a LED tester that has red, yellow and green lights. Button and Lithium batteries I use a voltmeter.
I found the batteries that had been in the cameras were down to 0.224 Volts, so clearly they were bound for recycling. I tested some of the 223 batteries I had in the pile of batteries and found two that indicated over 6 Volts. I have found if a lithium battery is under 6 Volts it won’t power up many cameras. I keep the under voltage lithium batteries around to place in cameras to “form” their electronics, but don’t trust them to actually bring a stored camera back to life.
I found two used batteries I inserted into both cameras, but one indicated a partial battery symbol on its display and the camera wouldn’t come to life. The second battery had a taped shell and I wasn’t sure the battery contacts were making contact with the camera’s contacts.
The battery really showed it was powerful, but the camera itself is still malfunctioning. Trying to get the lens to erect just makes a skipping rack and pinion sound without anything happening as far as the lens extending. Flash yes, autofocus yes, but telephoto no.
*Update: It is now July/2026 and the battery is still fine!
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