Digital Camera Guide @Computer-Cameras.com

You may be wondering why there is a whole page devoted to batteries. Well, if you do not own a digital camera it may not be obvious, but consider that a digital camera is actually a fairly sophisticated computer. Like a computer it has storage (usually in the form of Smart Media, Compact Flash or Stick memory) and while these devices may seem like a small 1.44M floppy, they actually have much higher storage capacity, currently with typical sizes from 64M-256M, with 2 Gigabytes being available on the high end. With that type of storage comes large transfers of data, and accordingly large amounts of power being used. Also like a computer most digital cameras have monitors for seeing the images. This is another big power drain, and many people as they become more familiar with digital cameras actually learn to look at the pictures less during shooting, especially if they are on a longer trip or excursion. Still, the monitor is more of a plus than a minus, giving the amateur photographer instant feedback for their pictures. Finally, like a computer, a digital camera has as an input a "keyboard," but not the full alpha numeric keyboard of a computer, but the specialized function buttons of the cameras. Bottom line, a digital camera can use a lot of power, and when you consider that for the most part you don't connect a digital camera to an outlet (although many can be connected) you will need a powerful set of batteries to run the digital camera.

Many people when they first buy a digital camera will pop in the alkaline batteries that are supplied with the camera. For the most part they are basically worthless for that purpose. The editors of Computer-Cameras.com usually place the alkaline batteries that come with digital cameras in the drawer with batteries used for things like TV remote controls, where they will give at least a year of use. But on a digital camera, you may only get 20 pictures before they are done! So, what will you being using with your digital camera? Well, rechargeable NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries are the most popular, so we'll start our instruction with those. Fortunately, many newer cameras are being supplied with NiMH batteries so you will not have the problem discussed above. Depending on the camera, you should be able to use NiMH batteries for 2-4 hours of usage (results definitely vary) or typically about 100-120 pictures. Some cameras will drawn down the batteries when pictures are taken very quickly, but by switching off the camera for less than a minute the batteries will bounce back.

One thing interesting about the NiMH batteries is the increase in quality over the last few years, driven by the demands of digital cameras and other electronic devices. Sets about 4 years ago were 1450 mAh whereas current sets are as high as 2300 mAh.

Another option is high capacity Lithium batteries, however, these are not rechargeable. They will take a large number of pictures and can be used as a back-up power system if the rechargeables run out (we've seen Lithium batteries go for hundreds of pictures, but again results may vary).

Finally, there exists yet another option of Lithium Ion batteries (e.g, InfoLITHIUM 7.2 Volts battery pack used in the Sony Mavica). These are rechargeable, but do not currently come in the standard AA size. They are very high capacity and a good selling feature for cameras that support them.

Another battery too mention, if only to say do not use for a digital camera, is the NiCAD (Nickel Cadmium) battery. These batteries are basically low capacity (although they can last longer than alkaline) and while less expensive in the store the bottom line results from this battery for digital camera usage is ultimately not worth even the lower price.

One closing thought, many people are familiar with the older technology NiCd batteries and the need to fully discharge them before recharging ("conditioning" them for usage). With NiMH and Lithium Ion batteries this is a thing of the past.