SX20 IS and Rechargeable Batts?

I am definitely planning to get the eneloop batteries. Should I also get the Sanyo charger that would come with them or are there any recommendations for chargers. I am going to Africa this summer and power supply might be a problem. I plan to take a bunch of alkaline batteries also as back up.
Larry

I'm using Eneloop 2000mah batteries in sets of 4 with 2 cameras - Canon SX10, similar to the SX20, and Fuji S2000HD.

I keep each of my 5 sets of 4 separate in containers. That is, no cross-mixing between sets.

The first 2 sets were bought to use with the S2000HD - which turned out to be an "interesting" device in its somewhat "afterthought" still-image department. (It has ended up being a "snaps" camera that lives in the end-pocket of my carry-bag... Use 'Program" for snaps - or Manual can be a bit better....)

The second 2 sets were bought for the Canon SX10, then a 5th set later.

I use any of the 5 charged sets in either camera. On stills I get 300-350 shots with the S2000HD, and 550-600 with the SX10.

Whichever camera a set is used in, when "depleted" I use the Fuji to "fully discharge" the set, as the Fuji has this function. I have 2 chargers (each came as a "bonus", for a few dollars more, with each of the cameras' 2 sets of Eneloops) - the slow-charging 10-hour NC-MONO4A type.

Both cameras use batteries heavily on video - the Canon on the 640 x 480 makes huge files of the H264 in Apple's MOV container - almost the same filesize as the Fuji's 1280 x 720, per minute - which are saved in compliant MPEG4 with *.mp4 extension, no "container".

I get about an hour, give-take, of video-clips from either camera, starting with a fully-charged set. Perhaps it's the SX10's use of the MOV container for the H264 video that causes the high battery-use on the "light" 640 x 480. When the H264 video is later removed from the MOV container, the files are around a fifth of the size...

(I'd "look twice" at what the functions and file-sizes were, before buying another camera that puts the modern and efficient H264 video into Apple's clumsy old MOV container, though... It's the only real "fault" with the SX10.)

From experimenting, it seems that the Eneloops work best if fully discharged, before slow-charging. I don't have a fast charger to make a comparison, though - just what I've read about the fast chargers on forums.

A new set of Eneloops doesn't work at "maximum" until it has been through the Use-to-depleted - Fully-discharge - Slow-charge, cycle several times.

Regards, Dave.

I am using Energizer 2250's with a Energizer fast charger and have no complaints. If I am not using the flash, they go for days.