What kind of batteries should I use with my digital camera?

My camera uses batteries like I use the bathroom

Someone's actually done a (fairly) scientific study of the different brands of rechargeable batteries -- the consensus generally is that rechargeable NiMH are best but there are still a host of options.

The results were written up as "The Great Battery Shootout!" (see source below) and although it is dated it gives you a good sense of which brands work best.

Energizer isn't a bad buy at all but personally I prefer the the Maha/Powerex brand. I've got 2300, 2500 and 2700 mAh and they all perform excellently in my gf's Canon S3 and my Canon 580 flash. In case you're wondering (I know I was when I first heard the term) mAh is basically a measure of how much juice is in the battery so the higher the number, theoretically the longer it should last. I use the MH-C204W charger with all my batteries.

In the S3, they're normally good for at least 500-600 shots and in my flash I get between 400 and 600, sometimes more, depending on shooting conditions and settings.

The study posted below gives some excellent advice on using rechargeables.

And the easiest place to find the Powerex batteries is on the thomas-distributing.com website. The Energizer ones are pretty easy to pickup on Amazon.

One last note... I hope you didn't mean that your batteries make a huge mess in your camera, in which case you may have an entirely different problem. ;)

Happy shooting.

lithium

I have a Kodak easy share and it came with a two battery pack, re-chargable and they last forever...I bought separate batteries and they dont last no time...see if you can get the ones that are the two fused together.....works for us....good luck..

Get some high capacity rechargeable and a charger - try Maplin in the UK . They will also give advice on the right ones.

You must be using Alkalines. Use NiMH rechargable AAs with a capacity higher than 2000 mAh. In the U.S. you can get them for $1-2 a piece and they normally last 800-1000 recharging cycles.

if they take AA use CRV-3's

lithium are good batteries but ...expensive
A long term solution: rechargeable NiMH - 2500mA.

As much as the batteries are important, so is the charger. Buy rechargeables - they quickly pay for themselves in savings.

As someone else pointed out, you want something with high capacity. I use 2300 mAh (Milliampere-hour) Ni-MH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) batteries and I can easily fill up the 512MB SD card on a single charge - mix of night/day photos. Keep in mind that the flash and LCD, more than anything else, drains your batteries.

So, you have a high capacity and somewhat costly battery, now you should invest in a decent "smart" charger that monitors the voltage and prevents overcharging which can potentially damage your new batteries.

Energizer e2 Lithium batteries cost 2x as much as alkalines, but last 4-5x as long. Of course, NiMH rechargeables are cost-saving in the long run, but I think you'll still have to change them with every other trip to the bathroom.
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