Digital Cameras - what are the best batteries?

I brought myself a new camera a couple of months ago, a lovely Nixon CoolPix L810

It really is a lovely bridge camera, reasonably priced and takes a great photo.

The only thing I was a little unsure of when I purchased it was the batteries. it takes 4 AA batteries and the ones it comes with in the box lasted all of about 30 minutes. I've had so many digital cameras in the passed and it is always the battery life that frustrates me, so many cameras use AA batteries but normal batteries just simply do not last very long, and batteries are expensive if you have to keep buying new ones each time you want to use your camera.

So I was slightly disappointed that my new camera was once again hungry on batteries,  I  replaced the test batteries that came in the box, with my old rechargeable batteries which have been faithfully working for the passed few years in various electronic devices, I have used so many of the big brand batteries, but the ones I have now have been charged and used so many times they just aren't holding the charge anymore, so I was once again disappointed that before the day was over I was having to charge them before I could use my new camera, and it is always when your camera is out of charge that you see the best photo opportunity.

I started to think about getting some new batteries which promised to give me more hours camera life, and hopefully mean I never missed a photo opportunity again.

Then by sheer coincidence I received an email asking if I would like to review some batteries from Rechargeablebatteries.co.uk and of course I jumped at the chance.

I will admit I don't know alot about batteries, but was pleased to accept their offer of the high capacity Sanyo batteries and the Ansmann 4 Speed charger.

I received an email as soon as the batteries had been dispatched letting me know my order was on its way, and they arrived the next day packed well with a little token thank you chocolate too - great service all round from rechargeablebatteries.co.uk

The Sanyo Eneloop XX NiMH 2400 mAh batteries are quite simply amazing, and I think they are the best rechargeable AA batteries I have ever used, they come pre charged so you can use them straight out of the pack, (pre charged using solar energy making them ultra environmentally friendly) 

I put them straight into my camera and they lasted far longer than any other AA batteries I have ever used. I took them on our day out in the fields, and I took about 400 photos that day, and recorded almost an hours video footage.. and they still were working when I got home, they then lasted and lasted and lasted!! I have charged them once in the last month and used my camera with them in so so many times, if you are thinking of purchasing a digital camera which uses AA batteries then definitely think of getting some of these to go with it. 

Another great feature of the Sanya AA XX Eneloop  batteries, is that they are said to still hold 75% of their charge even after a years use.. thats pretty amazing, and I will update you in a years time to see if it is true.  Priced at  just £12.98 these are a must have and far more affordable than buying standard batteries which need replacing regularly.

Of course if you are using rechargeable batteries then you need a way to charge them, The Ansmann Charger is a brilliant size, it has a speed charge option which is great if you need a fast charge, and the light indicators let you know when your batteries are ready to use. 

This handy little charger can charge upto  4 AA batteries or 4 AAA batteries and comes with a three year guarantee, so you can be assured this works well.

When I plugged in the charger the first thing I noticed was that it has a fan which blows to keep the batteries cool, this is a great idea and helps preserve the life of the batteries.

Another great feature is that the recharger comes with a 12v in car  lead, so this is a great charger to take with you if you are travelling. 

Although upto this point, I had not heard of Ansmann batteries, I am pleased to have found them now, this charger also comes with 4 x AA rechargeable NiMH batteries and these are really great they hold the charge well. Unlike the Sanyo batteries these ones do not come precharged, so you do have to charge them before the first use.

The 4 batteries took about 2 hours to charge and I have been testing them along with the Sanyo batteries this passed month, they have lasted such a long time and certainly enable you to not worry about missing that great photo due to no battery life.

 I took them with me to my sisters where we camped for the weekend, in fact I took all 8 batteries and the charger in case I needed it, but I didn't need to swop the batteries at all for the whole weekend.

I really am pleased with the batteries and if like me, you have recently purchased a Digital camera and are looking at a way to power it, then do take a look at www.rechargeablebatteries.co.uk they have some fantastic offers and low prices for all your battery needs.