Compact AA/AAA Battery Camera?

[NYC2SOCAL]

Long time digital Canon user here (S10, S20, S230, SD650, XTI).

I was just recently in a car accident, and did not have a camera handy.. My blackberry does not have a camera. So what I'm looking for is a camera ~$100 that takes AA or even AAA batteries that I can leave in the car. Or if its small enough, just dump it in my bag and "forget" about it. The key is I still want a AA/AAA model (plan to leave some Lithium AA in the car).

I would love to stick with Canon, but I don't think they have anything in that range. Any recommendations out there?

[_aravena]

Samsung S73 or S730 series. I got one for my fiancee to use at school, takes real nice pics actually for sub $100 camera. The new model is the S860 for $100 but I can't imagine a difference.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Samsung-S73-7-2-Megapixel-Digital-Camera-Silver-S73/sem/rpsm/oid/192203/catOid/-13062/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Samsung-S860-8-1-Megapixel-Digital-Camera-Blue-S860BLUE/sem/rpsm/oid/205985/catOid/-13062/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

[NYC2SOCAL]

Thanks Aravena! I guess I should get up off my fat a** and go down to Circuit City and have a look.. Looking at the reviews, it doesn't seem to fair too well, especially in the battery arena...

[_aravena]

You need to know how to use it. Samsung has an option to select which kind of batteries you have in it. Those idiots probably didn't read the manual. If you use lithiums you need to select it or else it'll think alkaline and just freak and die, likewise for alkaline. Also, someone actually complained about the batteries it came with, well duh.

I don't trust reviews too much because much of the time it's user error. Like LR and his 40D. :D

[RadAL]

AA for sure, mine takes 4 AAs and i can find them at any gas station or store.

www.DPreview.com ... best site for camera reviews.

[bieber]

If it's just for things like traffic accidents, why not just get a cheapo disposable? It'll probably be better anyways, because negatives are more trustworthy than digital files in court and such...

[_aravena]

^Film expires though...I have an SD750 which I literally take everywhere I go and if I go to work, it sits in my Jeep so I use it for everything but if something does happen I have it. I also have a camera on my phone, who doesn't? Oh right :p

[Jon]

PowerShot A460 maybe? Takes 2xAA, lists at $130, 5 MP.

[NYC2SOCAL]

Oh, I didn't realize the A460 took AA as well.. I thought it was only the cameras that had the look of the A7xx..

Thanks!

[_aravena]

Nope...I forgot about those. Ugly little things...

[Jon]

All the A-series take AA cells.

[bieber]

^Film expires though...I have an SD750 which I literally take everywhere I go and if I go to work, it sits in my Jeep so I use it for everything but if something does happen I have it. I also have a camera on my phone, who doesn't? Oh right :p

Really? How long can a roll of film last in a car glove box?

[Jon]

If it gets warm in the car in summer, less than a year before you start seeing serious colour problems.

[_aravena]

Also there is an actual expiration date.

[Jon]

The expiration date assumes no higher than room temp. It can easily hit 125 F or more in a closed car in the sun in summer, even in temperate climates.

[cdifoto]

You can get an A470 for $110 and free shipping:

http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=CNPSA470G

[_aravena]

Or get a Noink...um, L series.

[sixsixfour]

I have an A570. uses two AAs. AAs usually have a 10-year shelf life under normal conditions.

[Novaheart]

isn't there such things as disposable digital cameras now. How long would they last in a hot oven, uh I mean car in the summer sun? would they be any better than a disposable film camera in terms of battery life? Plus would the photos be acceptable enough for this type of "emergency photo" use.

Rob

[Jon]

I think the question on a disposable digital would be how well the battery holds up. If you only needed a couple of photos of a fender-bender, they might do OK if the batteries were single-use, although batteries, too, are adversely affected by temperature (cold slows down the electrochemical reactions so they don't perform as well, but cold also, by slowing down the reactions, improves the shelf life; conversely, when kept at high temperatures they'll self-discharge faster). I don't imagine many disposable camera makers actually list the type of battery used; if you get a reusable digital, you'll know, and can choose one for best shelf life.

[NYC2SOCAL]

All valid comments.. One of the things I did, which seems to improve things quite a bit was to use those Energizer Lithium AAs. I use to have alkaline AAs in my flashlight, and they would just drain after a year or so. With the lithiums, they've been in the car at least 3 years with no apparent loss in power.. (this is with the batteries in the flashlight). The lithiums also have, I think 20 year shelf.. The ones I have "expire" in 2021, I bought these in 2004.

Car temperatures during the late spring to mid fall are usually over 130.