Batteries for Digital
photography
Batteries are used to power
the flash and the LCD display. Leaving the display on
more than necessary is a surefire way to drain your
batteries, and if you don't have a spare set on hand,
that once-in-a-lifetime photo can be lost.
Most digital cameras use AA
batteries. These are available almost anywhere in the
world and relatively inexpensive. Using
nonrechargeable batteries, however, is uneconomical in
the long run as well as being bad for the environment. It
is much better to have several sets of rechargeable
batteries on hand.
Digital cameras are 'high
drain' electronic devices which mean they require
batteries which have a comparatively high energy level
over their energy cycle. The best type of rechargeable
batteries for digital cameras is NiMH (Nickel-Metal
Hydride). These relatively inexpensive batteries will
keep your camera operating longer than any other standard
type of battery. NiMH batteries are made from non-toxic
materials so they are environmentally
friendly.
Some manufacturers supply
lithium-ion batteries for their digital cameras. They are
more expensive than NiMH batteries but hold their charge
almost twice as long. They also don't lose their charge
while in storage the way that NiMH batteries do, and
their power drains at a predictable rate so that it is
easy to gauge how much power is left.
Alkaline batteries are not
suitable for digital cameras. You can always use them if
nothing else is available, but their power will be used
up after just a few shots. Rechargeable alkaline
batteries are even worse -- they may only be good for two
or three shots.
A set of fully charged NiMH
batteries may give you up to 100 shots if you are careful
with power consumption. This number will be reduced if
you use the flash a lot, leave the monitor on between
shots, and do a lot of zooming and focusing.
Battery
Chargers
Battery chargers come in a
variety of models – be sure to get one that is rated for
the type of batteries you are using for your digital
camera. Some chargers can handle both NiMH and NiCad
batteries but if these chargers are not set up properly
they can damage the batteries by overcharging
them.
Lithium-ion battery chargers
are usually provided by the camera manufacturer. They may
come as part of the digital camera package or be
available as an accessory.
Batteries have to be charged
together as a set. If your digital camera uses four AA
batteries you need a charger that can handle that number.
Similarly if your camera uses two or three batteries --
the charger must be compatible.
Some of the inexpensive
battery chargers keep on charging the batteries for a
fixed length of time. This can be bad for the batteries
because they can be overcharged. Look for a battery
charger that has a micro processor which controls the
charging cycle. This type of charger switches off
automatically when the batteries reach their maximum
charge.
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