Undoubtedly if you're reading this article you are a current owner or are considering owning a digital camera.
Good for you.
I own a couple of digital cameras and I love them.
The benefits of digital cameras over the old style film cameras are numerous, and while I'm not writing to bash the usage of film cameras which still have very good uses in some cases, I personally find the convenience of digital cameras far outweighs the potential benefits a film fanatic may present.
As in all technology digital cameras have their drawbacks.
The batteries in digital cameras are one of the few drawbacks.
Some cameras are incredibly efficient when it comes to power consumption, like my original Canon Digital Rebel.
I think I shot pictures for a month before I had to charge my battery again after the first time! On the other hand my wife's Canon point and shoot digital camera isn't so friendly on the batteries.
(Hey, I like Canon, what can I say?) My Canon Rebel camera uses a 'pack style' battery while my wife's camera uses AA's.
While I am convinced of the money saving capabilities of rechargeable batteries for digital cameras I couldn't convince my wife to use them because they were dead every time she'd go to take pictures.
But I'm getting ahead of myself...
we'll get to that point in a few paragraphs...
Since I know batteries I thought I'd share a few 'secrets' (which are not really secrets at all, but you might not know them anyway) on how to extend the life of your batteries and how to not get caught with your power down when it's time to take that critical photo.
There's nothing like a dead battery to kill the memory of the moment.
At risk of sounding like I'm stating the obvious I'd like to suggest that you first charge your batteries on a regular basis.
Keeping your batteries charged is important especially if you're using NiMH or NiCad batteries (who uses NiCad batteries in cameras any more?).
Both of these chemistries have a 1% per day self-discharge rate, and this discharge rate only increases with the life of the battery.
You charge these batteries 100 times and you'll find that after 2 weeks of sitting idle they've run down and need to be charged again, even though you didn't use them! Perhaps not so obviously related to extending the life of your battery is how you store your batteries.
I don't recommend keeping your batteries in the hot car for instance.
Extreme heat and extreme cold are not good for your camera batteries.
Sure, the convenience of storing them in your car is worth something, but don't expect 500 useful charges from a battery you cook in your car.
Equally important is the quality of the charger you use.
Sure saving a few bucks on the charger up front may keep you from busting your budget but in the end if you use a poor quality charger you'll reduce the life of the batteries.
Batteries don't need kid-glove treatment, but they do ask for a little respect.
If you are serious about your digital camera you probably have a spare battery or two lying around.
It's great to have extras, but it's important to make sure one is not the ignored step-child.
Be sure to cycle your batteries equally to give them equal time and opportunity to shine for you.
It'll help to balance the life of each battery while ensuring each battery is charged on a regular basis.
And speaking of spare batteries, you don't always have to use the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) model.
Sometimes an equivalent, good quality battery from a reputable manufacturing company (like Lenmar for instance) can provide you as much or more capacity and perform just as well in your camera.
But if you decide to go on the cheap and buy a battery that you're not quite sure who makes it and the capacity listed sounds too good to be true then don't say I didn't warn you...
you'll probably get what you paid for.
Back to the batteries being dead when you go to use them...
a new type of AA or AAA NiMH battery is out called a Hybrid, or pre-charged battery (such as the Maha Imedion pictured).
This NiMH cell discharges at a significantly slower rate and maintains an 85% charge even after a year sitting idle.
Although the capacity is slightly lower most general digital camera users will find these batteries much better matched to their style of battery use.
So whether you're practically a digital camera expert or if you're a late-comer just jumping on the band-wagon, hopefully these digital camera battery tips will help you to enjoy your camera and the amazing memories I just know you'll capture for years of enjoyment.