Battery Life

[Freedom]

First of all, let me start off by saying that I don't own a digital camera, I'd just really like to, however I'm going through the research phase (which is long and tedious with me). I just read the post about cameras and got a better understanding of what to look for and promising brands / models. My question is, I've heard that digital cameras eat batteries like candy, is this true? What are your personal experiences? Thanks!

 

[martin]

I don't have a digital camera (yet) but a person that works for me just got one and she said to buy "Monster Batteries" that are rechargable . She got them at CompUsa--they are supposed to last 3-4 times as long as the the other batteries.

 

[mranch]

Hi, I did alot of research before I bought my Digital Camera. I ended up getting a Olympus C-700 Ultra Zoom. I've had it for almost 2 years now and have replaced the batteries only once. I don't use the camera every day, but I have taken literally hundreds and hundreds of pictures with it. I bought the A/C adapter and use it to transfer pic from the camera to my computer. I absolutely love this camera. And, by the way, the battery I bought for replacement I got at Fred Myers and was only $12.00.

Bob

 

[duck223]

I've got a Toshiba w/3.3 megapixels.It uses AAA batteries.It depends on what resolution I take the pictures.Highest,they only last about 30 pics.I bought the rechargeable batteries,and carry 2 or 3 sets.

 

[Kickaha]

It depends. LCD viewfinders will, by far, eat up battery life faster than anything else. So you may want to consider one that has an optical viewfinder instead of or in addition to an LCD.

Sony used to make (and maybe still does) cameras that used disk drives (floppy, hard, CD-ROM). These will eat up batteries as well. Go for a camera that uses solid-state memory. Most of the digital cameras do, so you don't have too much of a worry there.

The size/quality of the picture taken doesn't really matter. If the camera is on, it's using basically the same amount of juice. Most good cameras have auto-shutoff to avoid unnecessary battery drainage.

Flashes, obviously, will cut into battery life quite a bit. So make sure you can force the flash to the off position.

Eveready Lithium batteries will last the longest. They also cost the most. Another plus to them though is that they weigh significantly less than other batteries. So if your camera takes 4 AA batteries and you're carrying along 8 spares, it can add up.

How many pics you'll get also depends on the size and number of batteries your camera uses. Two AAAs will, obviously, not last as long as 4 AAs.

All that said, a normal 4AA digital camera not using the LCD viewfinder and not taking flash pics should be able to take a several hundred pictures on a single set of new alkaline batteries.

 

[Freedom]

Thanks to all who responded!