Battery life on digital cameras

lenora

I want to get a new digital camera as the one I have now is quite bad the main sticking point is the battery life I was wondering if there is a feature about the camera that I should be looking for in the cameras spec which would mean it has good battery life or is it more to do with the batteries that I choose for it.

Also if anyone can recommend a good camera which supports 'movie mode with sound' that would be great.

Thanks
Lenora

espresso

Choose a camera that uses generic size batteries (i.e. AA) rather than the manufacturers own batteries specific for their cameras. You can then cheaply buy however many sets of batteries to suit your needs and always have a charged up set ready for use.

A set of four 2500mAh high capacity batteries can be bought at 7dayshop for £3.99 supplied with a FREE plastic (semi-transparent) storage case.

Check out stevesdigicams and dpreview for hundreds of in depth reviews and camera tests.

Poppycat

The Panasonic cameras have good battery life there is even an option for energy saving and takes normally batteries.

I have on order 2x4 2500NiMH batteries with 7dayshop, I use NiMH all the time.

I got the wife the Panasnic DMC-LZ1 for Christmas.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/lz1.html

"The DMC-LZ1 can be powered by two AA alkaline or two rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries. Included are two Panasonic Oxyride batteries that allow you to take up to 215 photos. Alkaline batteries let you take about 140 photos and nickel-metal hydride batteries allow up to 370 photos."

Go for a camera for a good lens, and optical zoom. Image stablisher is also fantastic innovation. We have two cameras with it, on pro and the one for wife. They really are amazing feature.

vansboy

I agree with getting a camera that takes 'ordinary' batteries, too.

You could be about to take the most amazing shot, of something, the other side of the world & have a flat - but ther'll be a shop close by, with some aa's to buy!!

https://www.jessops.co.uk https://www.digitaldepot.co.uk worth a peek.

VB

buglawton

Sometime during 2006 Sanyo will be introducing NiMH Batteries (Eneloop) that lose almost no charge when left unused (chargeable using your normal NiMH charger). So a camera with standard batteries looks good.

withabix

Personally I've got a Nikon (Boots MSE buy!) which takes it's own re-chargeable Lithium batteries.

Only supplied with one - additional Nikon-branded batteries were about £25 each, but I got two generic ones for £10 delivered. They actually hold charge better than the Nikon battery!!

Some digicams eat batteries - I had a 5MP Vivitar which took about 12 shots to a pair of 2200mAh NiMh batteries...

The Nikon will take about 100 shots to it's single 1100mAh Lithium cell.

misterh

It's not necessarily a good idea to get a camera that just takes AA batteries.
My daughter has a Nikon Coolpix 3200 and she finds it very heavy on battery life (uneconomically so).
I have a Pentax Optio S5i, which has a small lithium battery. I keep a spare, charged battery (non-pentax and cheap on ebay) but I have never had any problem with battery life.

MastG

I have the Nikon coolpix 3100 and am currently using 2500 mAh batts.
I found it 'eats' duracell batterries and any batteries rated beneath 2000 mAh lasted for less than 12 snaps !!
I do like the idea of using AA batterries, I have just returned from a 6 week holiday and the same 8 batts. were used in my cd player, personal cassette player, torch, radio/alarm clock and camera. (not all at the same time)

misterh wrote:

It's not necessarily a good idea to get a camera that just takes AA batteries.
My daughter has a Nikon Coolpix 3200 and she finds it very heavy on battery life (uneconomically so).

flea72

I have a Olympus C150 and i can take and download about 30 images on a set of Ikea AA batteries

at that price of battery i dont really mind, but as you have said, i too would like to find a digital camera that doesnt eat batteries, and also one that automatically holds the pic on the viewing screen for longer than 3 secs after taking the pic

Flea

lenora

That is the camera I have but I have found that even with brand new batteries it seems to die within about twenty minutes the only batteries that seemed to suit it were lithium batteries which i used on a recent holday and they lasted about two weeks

I was thinking of going for the Samsung Digimax A502 it takes AA (2) batteries (NiMH recommended) it is on sale for £79.99 at jessops at the moment so I thought I would take the opportunity while its discounted

ManAtHome

The Fuji A303 last ages on a couple of AAs (I use my older 1700mAh NiMHs) - quite an 'old' digicam now, but there are a couple of current models in the A3xx range.