Battery Choices?

[ocalla]

I am still trying to decide on a Digital for my next trip, but while researching this board some people have voted for AA and others like Lithium???

Can someone please explain their choice and WHY?

 

[My2Girls66]

From my experience...Lithiums last a long time but are costly- rechargeable AA's(I use Duracell 2650's) work very well tho not nearly as long as lithium. Stay away from reg. AA's. They don't seem to last long at all in digital cameras.

 

[boBQuincy]

Technically speaking, AA is a size/package while lithium is a chemistry/technology.
Practically, AA means the camera designer took an existing battery package and fit it to the camera, not the most efficient way to power the camera. A rechargeable lithium battery is usually designed for the camera and is more efficient in size, weight, and power.

Lithium cells have the highest energy per weight/size of the commonly available technologies. NiMH, the most common AA type has less energy but costs less and is more readily available.

So, which to choose? If the smallest package and longest life are concerns then lithium is probably the best choice. If cost and availability are prime then AA is probably the way to go.

 

[ocalla]

So say I was spending the day in the week in WDW, using the camera for a full 7 days, how many AA batteries would it go through?

Do all advanced P & S (Canon or Sony) allow your to switch between the batteries?

 

[TwingleMum]

You also have to know that your shutter speed , flash recovery and everything else will be slower with regular AA. So I think rechargeables are the way to go. Search tis forum there was a good thread a few days ago on this issue.

 

[My2Girls66]

Depending on your picture taking habits-for me, a few sets a day at least. You'd be much better off investing in some lithiums. I would think 1 set would last the week but definitely have a spare set available at all times, jic. I use rechargeables in my p&s digitals. With those you have to bring a charger on your trip, make sure you remember to recharge them and carry a spare set. I really wouldn't bother with alkaline AA's.
I have a Coolpix L6- it came with a set of lithiums- I put them in while in Italy in April. They just died a few weeks ago. It is not my main camera but I had a lot of shots on those batteries- between Italy, hiking here at home and my DD and her myspace 'pics'- they served us quite well!
My preference is lithiums while traveling and rechargeables for everyday use.
They add much fewer batteries to landfills, too, better for the environment. Around here AA's aren't even supposed to be thrown in with regular trash- they are supposed to be brought in on hazardous waste day.

 

[WTDing]

If your camera is designed for AA's you can use any chemistry (NiMH, Alkaline or Lithium AA's). If the camera is designed for a rechargable lithium ion battery then that is pretty much all you can use due to specific size and form factor.

If you end up with a camera that takes AA batteries your best bet for disposable are the Energizer Lithium batteries. These will take anywhere between 600-700 pictures on a set of batteries depending on the camera. A standard set of Alkaline AA's are likely to last between 60-90 pictures. The Oxyride AA's on the market really aren't a good deal, but they do last a little longer than standard alkaline

If I had a camera that took AA's then I would need about 4 lithium AA's to get me through my standard Disney trip (600-800 pictures). I have a Sony DSCH7 with a rechargable lithium ion battery that I charge every night (when I remember).

Cost of primary batteries is another factor you should consider; however, I can't help you there since I haven't bought a battery in the last 10 years since I work for the bunny.

.

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

I am still trying to decide on a Digital for my next trip, but while researching this board some people have voted for AA and others like Lithium???

Can someone please explain their choice and WHY?

It seems to me like you are asking about the differences between cameras that take AA batteries vs. cameras that use a proprietary Lithium Ion battery.... You can also get lithium AA's ... they're the most expensive type of disposable AA battery, but they last a long time in most cameras.

For some cameras, there are no "aftermarket" batteries available, and you have to buy the manufacturer's version to have a spare and these can be pricey. There are some aftermarket Lithium Ion batteries, though, that are more reasonable.

Chargers can also be a problem with proprietary batteries; there are *many* choices if you go with NiMH AA's but you often get only the one your camera comes with with proprietary Lithium Ion.

Even on my most picture-intensive day (about 500 pics with LCD reviewing and quite a lot of flash), I only used two sets of 2600mAh AA's. I had three with me, just in case; and I brought my compact quick-charger along for nightly recharging.

Personally, I went with a camera that took AA's because they're cheaper (even good NiMH rechargeables) and easily available. If on vacation something were to happen to your proprietary battery or charger, you'd be out of luck. If your camera used AA's, you can buy them anywhere....

 

[madge]

You also have to know that your shutter speed , flash recovery and everything else will be slower with regular AA. So I think rechargeables are the way to go. Search tis forum there was a good thread a few days ago on this issue.

really? I had no idea about this - I've been using regular AA batteries in my S3 since I got it, and my shutter is slower than it would be if I used a different kind of battery? How did I miss that little bit of information??

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

really? I had no idea about this - I've been using regular AA batteries in my S3 since I got it, and my shutter is slower than it would be if I used a different kind of battery? How did I miss that little bit of information??

I don't think this is correct. The shot-to-shot time when using a flash *might* be longer when using alkaline AAs, but so long as the camera has enough power to operate, shutter speed and shutter lag shouldn't be affected.

If this were the case, you'd also see increases in shutter lag as your rechargables wore down, and I've never noticed that. IME, the camera continues to perform "as normal" right up until you get the "Battery Low" message and then it turns off....

Just an aside; by using the CHDK "hack" on your S3, you'll actually get a battery indicator that shows the charge remaining in a percentage!

 

[madge]

I don't think this is correct. The shot-to-shot time when using a flash *might* be longer when using alkaline AAs, but so long as the camera has enough power to operate, shutter speed and shutter lag shouldn't be affected.

If this were the case, you'd also see increases in shutter lag as your rechargables wore down, and I've never noticed that. IME, the camera continues to perform "as normal" right up until you get the "Battery Low" message and then it turns off....

whew. I did a LOT of research on the camera before I bought it, and the mention of battery type & slow shutter speed didn't come up on the reviews I read.

Just an aside; by using the CHDK "hack" on your S3, you'll actually get a battery indicator that shows the charge remaining in a percentage!

I've not been brave enough to try the hack yet. LOL. Someday....

 

[manning]

If you are going to pick a camera based on battery you may be passing up cameras with features you want. I wouldn't worry about it.

My wife has a sony that uses AA rechargeables. I have a panasonic because of the size (little) and high zoom (10x) that uses a lithium rechargable battery. I carry a spare.

If we used the type of battery used as a criteria we wouldn't have these cameras.

AA are small, you'll forget they are there. She carries 4 in the bag plus the two in the camera and has spent the day at Disney and never ran out of battery power.

Lithium AA (which cannot be recharged) are super expensive. She carries a package of 4 as a backup and so far has never used them. They have a shelf life of about 15 years and will fire off about 600 shots.

Just get batteries rated 2500 mAh or higher. The higher the more shots you get per charge.

When you come back to the room just recharge them and you are ready for another day of shooting.

I would concentrate on camera features and not worry about batteries.


Here's a sight to look at.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/nimh_batteries.html