Problem with A510 Concerning Batteries. Please help

[ProjectVocabz]

I'll keep this short.. The batteries on my A510 just die out abnormally quickly. I have tried all types of non rechargeable batteries - from duracell plus to panasonic digital - and they last a very very short while. I did search and I found nothing extraordinarily helpfull. When I take the batteries out they still have a very decent charge. Do I have a faulty camera, is there anything I should try?

Much appreciated.

[PaCiFiSt]

Well - Non recharageable batteries last about 15-20 mins in my A85 with no flash. So I don't know the exact specs on your camera (which is just a new model of mine kinda). However, I'd expect this to be normal. How quickly is "abnormally quickly"?

[ProjectVocabz]

15-20 mins sounds about right. How is that not abnormal? Being an ET major I'd hope I know a little about energy consumption, and this to me is absurd. Compare that to a PSP or any kind of handheld for that matter, which by the way does a lot more then just display an image (reads and processes data, plays sounds, etc), and it's at least 16x more energy consumptious. ???

In the span of 15 minutes of use I can probably capture 30 shots at most with controlling the settings and altering surrounds. With half of them being unusable, that leaves me running around with a bigger bag of batteries then the camera itself. Something's just not adding up.

[PaCiFiSt]

I'm no expert but what you said it correct. I can only tell you how long it takes for my batteries to die :-(

[yendikeno]

You need to use some rechargeable batteries if you want a reasonable battery life. I'm using NiMH rechargeables in my A95, and can get 300 to 400 shots with one set. This also includes power used to hook up the camera to a TV for review of the pictures taken.

Non-rechargeable batts simply do not hold up in digital camera applications.

[Kevin_Jones]

Yep, yendikeno is right.

AA alkalines will not last. Handy in a pinch, but really short -- especially if you use the flash any amount.

I was actually amazed at how long my A510 lasts on NiMH rechargables. I bought 2300 mAh Sunpaks from newegg for $10. They are great, and came with their own charger. The rechargables work so well that if they were fully charged, I have never exhausted them in a single shoot. I have exhausted them by using the camera over about 4 days off an on and taking over a hundred photos. The most I have ever shot in a single setting was around 60 photos and the rechargables never quit or gave me problems.

The technical reason for alkaline short life in these cameras involves the voltages. Alkaline batteries start out fresh with high voltgages, and this drops as the battery drains. When the voltage drops to a certain level the camera ceases to function, even if there is enough juice left int he battery to power another type of device. Now since rechargables hold a pretty steady voltage throughout its charge range the camera doesn't stop working until the batteries are truly dead.

Make sense?

[ProjectVocabz]

I hear you.. I'll definetly give the NIMH batteries a try.

Link to $10 newegg'ers?

[Jon]

Actually, the issue is that alkalines can produce a steady current flow, but digital cameras, unlike almost anything else except electronic flash, require "bursts" of energy when a picture's taken, with fairly low drain in between pictures. rechargables (and lithium disposables) are capable of handling these demand spikes, while alkalines or old-fashioned carbon-zinc cells can't, and deplete the electrolyte around the terminals. If they're allowed to recuperate for a while, they can be used some more, but it's generally not worth the effort. NiMH are much more practical.