Beaulieu 8008 Replacement Battery 6V 4200mAh Ni-MH

Beaulieu 8008 Series — 6V Ni-MH Replacement Battery

This is a 6V, 4200mAh Ni-MH replacement battery for the Beaulieu 8008, 8008 Pro Hi, and 8009 Profi vintage 16mm film cameras. It powers the motor drive, exposure metering system, and onboard electronics required for filming. Capacity is rated at 25.2Wh and matches the voltage rail these camera bodies were built around.

• 8008 and 8009 series compatibility: These models share the same 6V power architecture, connector format, and draw profile across the motor drive and meter circuits. One cell type covers the full range without modification.
• Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this cell through motor-drive load and metering draw simultaneously. The Ni-MH chemistry held voltage stable through sustained run loads without tripping the low-voltage cutoff.
• First charge for vintage camera bodies: Run the first charge to full capacity inside the OEM Beaulieu charger — not a universal charger. These bodies use a specific charge termination signal that generic chargers misread, often stopping at 70–80% and reporting a false full charge.

Why the 8008 motor drive stutters on a fresh replacement cell

Ni-MH cells at first install carry a partial self-discharge from storage. The 8008 motor drive pulls a surge current at startup that a partially depleted cell can't sustain cleanly. This causes the motor to stutter or briefly stall at frame start. One full charge cycle before use brings the cell to full voltage and eliminates this. After that first cycle, the motor drive runs consistently through normal shooting loads.

Exposure meter reading low after fitting a new cell

The 8008's meter circuit is voltage-sensitive and calibrated against a fully charged cell. A new Ni-MH cell sitting at storage voltage — typically around 5.4–5.6V — reads low to the meter, shifting exposure compensation. This isn't a meter fault or a bad cell. Charge the battery fully before calibrating or shooting critical footage. At full charge, the cell delivers the 6V the meter expects and readings return to spec.