Worried about the rechargeable lithium batteries

[magoood]

Hi
I'm not a professional, yet I want to buy a decent compact camera (OR Ultra compact) I can afford to buy but something worries me about the batteries. I wished to choose a camera which depends on AA OR AAA batteries but:
1) Few models implement these types of batteries
2) The models are not really compact or Ultra compact

So I'm forced to drop this condition BUT I'm afraid that after buying a digital camera which depends on lithium ions, I'm afraid that:

1) After 3-4 years and when its time to replace the batteries, the camera maker will tell me something like "sorry, we do not manufacturer this type of battery anymore. Upgrade your camera!!"

OR

2) The batteries are proprietary and it can't be replaced by myself and I've to seek the manufacturer's when it's time to replace the batteries.

So can I be adviced about these thoughts??? My main concern is that I want a guarantee that the batteries in my camera are manufactured and sold everywhere (like buying any number or rechargeable AA/AAA batteries from any shop very easily) and that I can do this myself without referring back to the company to do that.

I know that lithium ions can survive up to ~500 re-charge times but practically, it's ~100 only where after the next 100 recharge times, the battery's life diminish and for me, i prefer to throw them away and get new powerful batteries
Sorry for the long post but I wanted to make my fears clear!
Thanks

[speaklightly]

magoood-

Canon has always used AA batteries in their A-series Powershot Cameras. Take a look at the Canon A-590 IS.

Sarah Joyce

[pas49ras]

Hi

So can I be adviced about these thoughts??? My main concern is that I want a guarantee that the batteries in my camera are manufactured and sold everywhere (like buying any number or rechargeable AA/AAA batteries from any shop very easily) and that I can do this myself without referring back to the company to do that.


I don't think that anybody will give you a guarantee that the battery in your camera will be sold everywhere but if you go with a major player (Canon,Panasonic,Fuji ect.) you shouldn't have any problems finding a battery. Most all batteries are also user removable so that shouldn't poise a problem.

[David Metsky]

Your concerns are valid, but there's not much you can do about it. For size reasons all ultracompacts us Li-Ion batteries, but all are removable by the user. Still, 3rd party batteries aren't that expensive, you can usually pick up a spare or two for $15 each. I've done this with the two Canon ultracompacts I've owned and the batteries have lasted fine without dying.

As Sarah said, there are some slightly larger cameras that take AAs (I don't know of any cameras that use AAAs) but they really pocketable IMO.

Honestly, 3-4 years is the useable lifespan of most cameras. I wouldn't worry much about the batteries beyond that.

[magoood]

@ Sarah
I love canaon and I think I'll finally settle on a canon model but I wished something that contains digic 3 and I'm still confused about the difference between the Elph series and the A-Series (I'm still studying this topic)
@pas49ras
What I exactly meant is: Am I able to find the Li batteries of Canon manufactured by some other 3rd parties?

e.g. Long time ago when I was thinking about an MP3 player , i never ever thought about buying an ipod but when I saw the number of manufacturers out there who manufacture batteries for ipods (and in some cases, much stronger than what Apple offers), I felt comfortable about thinking to buy an ipod because I'll be sure I'll find a critical component (e.g. the batteries) easily even if apple itself discontinues the product entirely and do not manufacture any of its components anymore

[magoood]

Honestly, 3-4 years is the useable lifespan of most cameras. I wouldn't worry much about the batteries beyond that.

U mean that cameras usually die anyway after 3-4 years? what dies inside the camera to make it a piece of useless garbage?

[David Metsky]

U mean that cameras usually die anyway after 3-4 years? what dies inside the camera to make it a piece of useless garbage?
Not exactly. Many cameras from 3-4 years ago still work as they did originally, but they are dinosaurs compared to the current crop of cameras. Video modes from that long ago are like kid's toys, they have limited ISO (although often less noisy images), fewer modes, much worse shutter lag, etc then today's models. It's the point where many people decide that it's time to upgrade. Who knows what new features will available 3-4 years from now? But at the rate cameras are improving I'm guessing that you'll be interested in a newer model by then.

Secondly, consumer electronics aren't designed to be repaired. If they break, they are done. The cost of diagnosing a problem, let alone fixing it, is more then the cost of a new camera. Digital cameras are prone to damage from dropping, moisture, heat, and general abuse. Of the 5 cameras I've owned, 1 made it past the 4 year mark, 2 didn't, and 2 are too young.

However, you probably will be able to buy 3rd party batteries (check newegg.com, batterybarn.com, or B&H) for your camera. I've bought a few for my cameras that take Li-Ion batteries and they've all worked fine. Just stay away from eBay which is notorious for crap.

[raven15]

To date, I've bought 4 cell phone batteries (for two models) and 5 camera batteries (also for two models) off the internet, either Ebay or Amazon, for dirt cheap. I haven't had a problem with any of them. In fact, most of them were advertised to outperform the batteries that came with my camera and I can verify that they do (if not by the margin advertised). In other words, there are tons of people eager to sell you batteries of any type, just use a little common sense when doing it. Also, some manufacturer's stick with the same models of battery for a period of years, using it over in many new camera models, so they will be easier to find than you may think (I think).

Of course, I vastly prefer AA myself. I would go with that if I could.