Characteristics of Digital Camera Battery

Some of the features such as optical zoom and resolutions of digital camera depend on the digital camera battery. The majority of digital cameras are designed to run on two or four AA size batteries.

Alkaline batteries are the most common non-rechargeable batteries. They're cheap, but their performance in digital camera is not that satisfactory. A set of four alkaline AA batteries may last only for fifteen to twenty minutes, even though their power rating is high. They have the shelf life of 2-3 years and running time of 0.3–0.5 hour. Standard alkaline batteries have high internal resistance, so they do not perform well in high-current device like a digital camera.

Rechargeable alkaline batteries are low-capacity alkaline batteries that could be recharged for 2-12 times, and it loses storage capacity each time you recharge it. They have the shelf life of 2-3 years and running time of 0.3–0.5 hour. Even this type of batteries does not perform well in digital cameras.

The three main types of digital camera battery are Nickel Cadmium (NiCad), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) and Lithium Ion (Li-Ion). Each type of these rechargeable batteries has different characteristics.

Nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries are the oldest type of rechargeable batteries. They have the shelf life of 1 month and running time of 0.5 hour. NiCd batteries are cheap, but they perform so poorly in digital cameras.

Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries are the highest-capacity rechargeable AA batteries. They can be continuously used for one-two hours. Since these batteries can be recharged many hundreds of times, they are sure to save your money compared to disposable batteries. They have the shelf life of 1 month and running time of 2-2.5 hours. They are the best ones for a digital camera. Unlike NiCd batteries, NiMH batteries do not suffer from memory loss although they do discharge slowly when not in use.

The standard NiMH batteries lose some of their charge every day, even if you don't use them. But the Hybrid nickel metal hydride (hybrid NiMH) batteries can hold 75% of its charge after a year. These batteries are even available as "precharged," ready to use right out of the package. They have the shelf life of 1 year and running time of 2 hours.

Disposable lithium batteries are neither cheap nor rechargeable. But the big advantage of these batteries is that they have a shelf life of up to ten years and running time of 2 hours.

Many digital cameras use rechargeable lithium-ion (LiIon) batteries. This technology has many advantages, but its characteristic 3.6V voltage restricts it from being used in cameras that expect standard 1.5V AA cells. Using rechargeable 3.6V LiIon AA batteries in a camera designed for standard AAs will damage the camera. Leica Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery for Leica Digital Camera has enough power for more than 300 shots. Several manufacturers are opting for higher-capacity rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

Shutterbug offers a consistent battery pack to power the digital camera and flash at the same time. The secret to this digital camera battery’s ability to provide power voltages lies in the custom cables that have circuitry built into them. This sophisticated digital camera battery is computer controlled so it can supply power to digital camera and flash gun at the same time. Most batteries tend to start off with good power output which drops off as the battery drains. But the key characteristics of this digital camera battery are the fact that it is designed to produce a regulated output that remains constant over time.

Manufacturers continue to adopt and develop power-saving digital camera battery, but a digital camera still needs a good power source because there are a lot of processes that require lots of energy.