CR123A 3V Battery

The CR123A 3V lithium battery is used in a variety of cameras and light meters, especially point-and-shoot cameras from the late 1990s and early 2000s.  This battery shows up in some Nikon Lite-Touches and Olympus Superzooms, among others. 

You should always reference both a camera manual and a battery list when buying a battery for a new camera.  Most battery brands have their own names and listings, although the 123A is pretty consistent across brands.  Many camera manuals only have older names for the batteries, dating back to the mercury era.

You may sometimes see this battery classified as a medical device or flashlight battery online.  There is a lot of crossover between batteries for different devices.

General battery shorthand: A = alkaline, L = lithium, S = silver.  In most circumstances, batteries with an "A" in the name can be used interchangeably with batteries with an "L" or "S" and all of those replace mercury batteries, which are no longer used.  However, the CR123A is a lithium battery despite the "A" suffix.  

Battery Specifications:

• Voltage: 3V


• Normal Capacity: 1400 mAh


• Self-discharge Rate: <1% per Year


• Max. Constant Current: 1500mA


• Max Pulse Current: 3000mA


• Normal Weight: 16 g


• Operating Temperature: -20 C ~ 60 C


• PTC High Current Discharge Protection: 5AMP

Caution: CR123A Lithium batteries are primary batteries and Not Rechargeable. Inserting a CR123A or any primary lithium battery into a charger may cause severe damage to both the battery and charger.