Since so many of you have cameras...

[SkyClan Cat]

...Does anyone know if some cheap brands of batteries are just useless for cameras? I'm really hoping that's the case (as opposed to the camera being broken) because my camera told me to change the batteries, so I did, but it's even acting like the new batteries are dying. I checked the expiration date on the new batteries, and they still have a couple more years left.

[Peterthecactusguy]

I usually bought the expensive longer lasting batteries for my camera. The Silver ones. AH HA got one right here. Energizer Advanced Lithium. Get those. They last months, and really are worth the extra money to get.

Cheap batteries might not hold a charge well enough. To power the flash your camera has a large capacitor.
This requires a lot of juice from the batteries and can wear them out quickly.

Hope this helps.
BTW my new camera has rechargeable batteries.

[hob]

if you have a camera that runs on either normal or rechargeable battery's like the AA size ones shown here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_battery_sizes

these type rechargeable's run at about 1.2 volts each whereas non rechargeable run at 1.5 V

so 4 ordinary will run at 6V and 4 rechargeable at 4.8V

so rechargeable are already about 1.2 volts down to start off.

rechargeable battery's only last for a limited number of charges before they fail.

if your camera uses this sort of battery then a good test would be to buy a set of good quality non rechargeable battery's and try those.
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if your camera has a dedicated Li-Ion battery like these

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/sear ... &R=5112401

then these also can only be charged for a limited number of charges but pattern ones are often quite good quality from reputable manufacturers.

again the only real test is a new battery (not cheap)

camera's use a lot of power and there is no substitute for good quality batteries
example: a pair of batteries that will no longer run your camera will still run your TV remote for about a year.

[hob]

I checked the expiration date on the new batteries, and they still have a couple more years left.

batteries usually have an expire date of around 6 years so those could be several years old

[SnowFella]

Batteries like the second type there can go wonky from time to time aswell, wife's little point and shoot camera uses propriatary Li-On 3.7V batteries and the one in her camera all of a sudden started complaining it needed to be charged. Popping it into the charger though gave an error message saying the battery was cactus.
Bought a new battery, charged it and everything was fine again. I however tried the old battery once more in the charger and for some reason it took a charge again and has since kept on working just fine.
New battery I bought has therefor been turned into a backup as it's got a lower mAh value than the original one has.

I'd have to say I'd prefer if my Sony DSLR used AA's rather than the Li-On pack that it does use. AA's you can find just about anywhere but a Li-On cell can cost a fair bit and is nothing you find in just about every cornerstore.

@Hob: thought voltage wasn't everything in this equation though, rather that the mAh value would be more important. As most devices use a certain amounts of Amps to run rather than volts. So a rechargeable 1.2V NiMH battery at 2900mAh ought to last longer than a 1.5V Alkaline at 2700mAh.
Been all to long since I flunked digital electronics at uni though to remember how it works...lol

[Christer Johansson]

I'd have to say I'd prefer if my Sony DSLR used AA's rather than the Li-On pack that it does use. AA's you can find just about anywhere but a Li-On cell can cost a fair bit and is nothing you find in just about every cornerstore.

I added a battery grip to my DSLR and now I have two battery's, but as an extra bonus you actually can use AA's with that grip if you like

[Peterthecactusguy]

well I guess my camera's batteries suck because it says that it's 3.7v and min of 940mAh. Oh well.
I didn't buy it my dad bought it for me so!

[hob]

@Hob: thought voltage wasn't everything in this equation though, rather that the mAh value would be more important. As most devices use a certain amounts of Amps to run rather than volts. So a rechargeable 1.2V NiMH battery at 2900mAh ought to last longer than a 1.5V Alkaline at 2700mAh.
Been all to long since I flunked digital electronics at uni though to remember how it works...lol

true to a certain extent but i do have a pocket size Nikon that runs on 2 AA size and the non rechargeables last longer in that

SkyClan Cat mentioned cheap rechargeables, i did wonder what the mah value of them was?