FOR JOY: There are so many variables that make up batteries — quality of the battery, how often you use them, how often you charge them, what camera they are being used in — that it’s almost impossible to answer your question about average batter life. For example, I have one battery which has lasted 10 years of average use … and several batteries which have lasted only a couple of months. (These are lithim batteries.)

FOR KIM T: I would advise you forget “one time use” batteries and invest in high-quality Lithium batteries. Then, every month, I use the camera until the battery in the camera is depleted, replace it with a fresh battery, and completely charge the first battery storing it in my case when done. Also, if I know I’m going to be in “the field all day” shooting, I make sure that all the batteries have a fresh charge. (This is especially important in the cold weather when batteries drain faster.)

FOR Elise Mitton: Thanks so much! I appreciate it.

FOR Ramesh Vaidya: “Favor’s” suggestion is right on the money. Complete drain your batteries before recharging them, and you’ll have a longer-lasting charge.

One last thing: invest in a good rechargeable battery to begin with. There are many genertic batteries which seem OK, but one trick is to compare batteries based on their “mAh” rating. The larger the mAh number, the more “energy reserves” the battery will have. Let’s say that the camera-brand battery costs $40 and has a 600mAh … and a “brand x” battery only costs $20 and has a 200mAh. Which battery should you buy? Well the more expensive battery is twice as expensive as the cheaper battery, BUT it will (all things equal) last 3 times as long before needing a charge. Therefore, the more expensive battery (in this case) is a better deal. However, if you can find a brand x battery costing $20 with a 500mAh rating, that would be a better deal (assuming that recharging it a little bit more doesn’t bug you).

I donated a few of my nature photographs to The Forever Wild Tree Conservancy for their conservation efforts. They can be seen at:

http://viryours.com/fw/fw06a.htm

Take care, Al

I let the slide show run until the batteries are drained enough for the camera to shut off, then I charge them.

Not every use, just when it seems that their life is beginning to end.

Did some study last month and discovered how to extend the life of NiMH batteries.

NiMH batteries don’t have the ‘memory’ problems that NiCads do, but they will suffer ‘voltage depression’ if they are not occasionally fully discharged. Since the camera will shut down based on the measured voltage, when batteries begin to age, their performance drops drastically from charge to charge.

After a day of shooting, I put my worst batteries in the camera and set it to show a slide show on the built in LCD. After a full charge which took much longer than usual, these batteries that had lasted about 20 minutes taking pictures last time, now ran for over an hour.
(course, with the price to replace three year old batteries, maybe I’m being to frugal)

I’m adding your tip to my arsinal today.