Regardless of the brand name you choose - digital camera batteries can be divided into two types: disposable batteries and rechargeable batteries. There are advantages to each type and each has a different purpose - I would personally recommend average users use a combination of batteries. I own a small digital compact camera that I carry around with me most of the time for snapshots. I also have a digital Single Lens Reflex camera for more serious photography. Both of these have rechargeable batteries.

Which battery is suited to your digital camera?

You need to check this out as a first step - preferably before you buy your camera. Some types of camera will take AA batteries (either disposable AA batteries or rechargeable ones). Digital compact cameras at the budget end of the market tend to use AA batteries. Entry-level digital Single Lens Reflex cameras and the more expensive models tend to need branded lithium-ion batteries.

Rechargeable versus disposable batteries

It's rather an obvious point that if you use rechargeable batteries you will save time, energy, money and avoid waste. So you're helping the environment if you use rechargeable batteries most of the time. It makes sense to keep hold of a packet of disposable batteries though - just in case you forget to charge up - and so that you never miss taking snaps of a special memory.

Lithium ion Batteries

Some cameras come with their own lithium ion battery which is not compatible with other makes of camera. So you will need a special charger for this type of battery. Lithium ion batteries tend to hold their charge longer than disposable or rechargeable AA batteries and that's one reason why professionals prefer them. However they do have one big disadvantage. If you're caught short - say your battery runs out on holiday and you lose your special charger - you can't just fall back on widely-available disposable AA batteries because they're not going to fit your camera.

Portability

Whichever batteries or camera you choose, make sure that both your camera, your battery type and your charger suit your lifestyle and the way in which you take your pictures. There's little point in buying a huge piece of kit with a heavy battery charger if it's going to be too big to carry round with you. If you don't have the camera with you - whichever battery you choose - you're going to miss out on that important shot.

Learn more about this author, Frances Laing.
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