Power Supplies for Digital Cameras

Common Battery Types

• Lithium ion (Li-ion)
• Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH)
• Nickel Cadmium (NiCd)
• Alkaline

Complete a chart of the listed battery types for a typical digital camera, comparing the price, whether they are rechargeable or not, and how long they are expected to last. Are there other features that should be taken into consideration such as the time needed to fully charge?

Which seems like the best buy, and why?

This information could be obtained from visiting or phoning a retail store, looking through a flyer, or searching online.

SEARCH SUGGESTION: AA batteries are a common size for many digital cameras, so a suggested search phrase is "aa battery prices". Try to find a site that organizes this information, such as Onlybatteries.com.

Prices indicated should be in local currency, and for batteries that are sold locally or can be shipped (include shipping costs). Make sure to include the URLs, phone numbers or street addresses of your information sources.

NOTE: This could be assigned as a group project, with each member responsible for researching one of the battery types.

Holding onto power (extending your battery's life)

A popular feature of digital cameras is the liquid crystal display (LCD) which lets you see the image you are about to capture, without pressing one eye up to a viewfinder. However, it is also a strong drain on the batteries. An extra credit assignment or science project for another course could be to conduct an experiment to find out how long it takes for fully recharged batteries to drain with the LCD left on while taking pictures, compared to not using it at all.

QUESTION: What other battery saving features are available for digital cameras? (refer to the manual)