Kodak KLIC-5000 Li-ion Battery: Essential Accessory for Kodak Cameras

Why I Purchased This Battery
In 2005, I purchased the Kodak Easyshare Z 730 for my mother as a Christmas gift. I wanted to make sure she had all of the accessories she would need so I also purchased a bag, a cleaning kit, a 1 gigabyte high-speed memory card, and two extra batteries. Those batteries are both Kodak KLIC-5000 batteries (part number: 849-9741). In doing my research for this review, I also realized that I used three of these batteries previously with my old Kodak LS 443, which I just recently sold on Ebay. In all instances, these batteries have performed wonderfully.

Compatibility
This Battery is compatible with a number of Kodak Easyshare models:
DX 6490, 7440, 7590, 7630
Easyshare ONE (4 megapixel and 6 megapixel versions)
LS 420, 443, 633, 743, 753
P 712, 850, 880
Z 730, 7590, 760

Tech Specs
This battery is a lithium-ion rechargeable battery. It is 3.7 volts and has an mAh of 1150.

Installing It
In both of the cameras I used this battery in, installing it was as easy as opening the compartment and pushing it in. In the Kodak Z 730, I did notice that it was thicker than the battery the camera came with, but a small piece of plastic inside the compartment moves itself out of the way to make room for the larger battery.

How Long It Lasts
Kodak lists that this battery will last for 300 pictures on a full charge. On my old LS 443, I would typically get about 230 shots off of one charge on this battery. I used the flash and screen often on that camera. On my mother's Z 730, she gets anywhere from 310-350 shots per charge. The screen on the Z 730 is much larger than the one on the LS 443. Flash use is about the same. The only difference I can think of is that the new camera is using a high speed memory card (higher read and write speeds can sometimes increase battery life) while I was using a standard speed card with my old camera. I haven't noticed much discharge over time on these batteries. My mother usually charges them before any long trip but when she does leave them for a month or so, she still gets about 90% of the charge (typically 270 pictures).

Charging It
This battery slipped into my standard Kodak external battery charger with no problem. It took about 2 1/2 hours to charge fully the first charge, then about an hour and forty minutes thereafter. Kodak states this battery to have less than a two-hour charge time.

Price
Just to give you a basis for comparison, the batteries for my Canon SD 600 cost me $39.99 each. I've seen rechargeable li-ion batteries ranging in price from $39.99 up to $79.99. When I originally purchased this battery for my LS 443, I purchased two for $19.99. The two for my mother each cost me $14.99. It is now listed as clearance on Kodak's website for $9.95. This battery was a great value even at $20 but now it is a steal!

Recommendation
I highly recommend this battery to anyone owning a compatible camera. This battery would make an excellent replacement battery and a great spare battery. The Kodak KLIC-5000 battery provides high performance at a very affordable price; an essential accessory for your Kodak camera.