Feedback needed! AA or Lithium-ion

[tjeagle]

Okay, novice here! I have narrowed down my search for a new digital camera to 1. Cannon PowerShot A540 or 2. Nikon Coolpix P2.

The only choice my husband and I aren't sure of is the pros/cons to the battery. The Canon uses 2 AA batteries, the Nikon uses lithium-ion battery.

Any feedback??

 

[pyrxtc]

go wiht the lithium Ion always!1 May costa little mroe for back-up batteries but will last a lot longer and you will get more photos out of one charge than you will with AA's!

 

[timned88]

hi there...please please please don't base your choice of camera on just the battery type. go to a store and handle each camera, play with the controls, and make an informed decision based on that. also remember, the camera that uses AA can still use nimh rechargeables so AA vs. L-ion should be a moot point.


if you are going with the AA battery camera...
get rechargeables
get rechargeables
get rechargeables
get rechargeables
get rechargeables

did i mention....get rechargeables? when you go to buy them, make sure you check the mah (milliamp hours) and get the largest ones you can find. milliamps are a measure of how much juice the battery holds, similar to the size of the fuel tank in your car. it doesnt mean they are stronger, they will just last longer. also, rechargeables will almost always last longer per charge than a set of alkaline batteries.

 

[Jeanne B]

I have 3 camers, all that take AA's. I much prefer a camera that takes AA's because if you ever have a problem with your batteries dying, especially on vacation, it's probably going to be much easier to find AA's than lithium-ion. I'm using AA Lithium batteries for my dSLR but any camera that you can use rechargeables with I highly recommended. Personally, I have the Canon A620 and I love it.

 

[boBQuincy]

Battery type should be a minor factor in choosing a camera. Most cameras will deliver a large number of images with whatever batteries they use, before running out of power.

Most lithium-ion batteries are proprietary, you will have to buy them from the camera manufacturer (or a third party if it's a popular type and they are available). AA batteries are everywhere and in every type, although rechargeable NiMH types are probably the most cost effective.

View mAH ratings with caution, there is no standard for how the ratings are calculated and a vendor can easily rate the same battery for 50% more power, depending on how the test is run. Aftermarket batteries are almost always rated higher than the manufacturer's batteries, yet they are not likely to deliver more power under the same circumstances.

Either way, you will need a spare set of batteries.

 

[seashoreCM]

Just an aside that might not be relevant, I have a digital camera a few years old that takes AA batteries but "cheap" alkaline AA batteries died after about a dozen shots.

I only bought that camera for taking eBay pictures so I ended up using it with the AC adapter (unfortunately sold separately) connected and dangling all the time.

It was as if, let's rate battery capacity in terms of points, a deluxe battery with 4000 points would let me use up 3000 points before the camera died. (the remaining 1000 points would still operate a flashlight). But an el-cheapo battery with 1500 points would only let me use 500 points leaving the same 1000 points behind when the camera died. At 50 points a picture I would get 60 pictures out of the deluxe battery but only 10 out of the cheap battery. (Non flash pictures consume fewer points)

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[jann1033]

how often are you going to be using your camera?
my daughter had an easy share she used on vacation/special occasion and used disposable lithium AA batteries( EverReady, in the camera dept of most walmart target type stores, roughly $10 a pair ...i think maybe 2 pair in a 2+ yr period., the first pair cause i forgot to turn off her camera once when i used it ..)
just remember if you are not going to be where there is power recharge-ables may be more of a pain than they are worth( IE our last vacation ) i ended up spending about $50 to get a car charger so i could use my rechargeable batteries( my camera only used lithium ion)...an occasional user could get 4-5 pair of lithium AA for that and probably be set for about 5 +yrs....not that the camera would probably even last that long.
while i wouldn't base my buying decision on it imo the AA are better simply cause you can get them any where anytime

 

[tjeagle]

Thanks to all for your advice! I have looked, held and read about both these cameras and the battery question is just the final ????.

Have heard pros and cons on both...but we just don't know much about cameras! Does anyone know how long the AA batteries last...or what I can look at to determine that??

 

[MarkBarbieri]

LI batteries usually have a longer life, which is important to me because I shoot a lot. I usually have several batteries with me, so if one has a problem, I still have others. Because they have a higher energy density than alkaline or NIMH AA batteries, I can carry more power with less bulk and weight.

Still, I wouldn't make that a major factor in picking a camera. My current camera uses a huge NIMH battery, which I'm not fond of, but I love just about everything else about the camera.

 

[jann1033]

if it doesn't mention battery life in the manual maybe check someplace like http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html under his reviews of the cameras...check in the conclusions

my daughters easy share was only 4 mp but her lithium AA disposible batteries lasted at least 500+ pictures per set( her first set was about 500+ then i forgot to turn it off, the second, the camera broke before the batteries wore out so another 500+.....i do think it depends on the camera though

 

[manning]

I have a camera that uses AA batteries. I use rechargeable NIMH batteries. I carry spares.

I also have a pair of lithium batteries as backup (camera uses two) for the following reason.

1. If I run the rechargables out I have a set of lithiums to fall back on. They are good for about 600 shots.

2. As batteries get cold they loose there efficiency. If the rechargables poop out I can go to the lithiums. Their temperature operating range is minus 40F to plus 140 degrees F.

3. They have a shelf life of 15 years, so I can carry them around for a long time before replacing them.