Sony Cybershot U30---two pics per battery?

<JeffOYB.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1134925449.143991.221500@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> I'm using regular alkaline batteries in my tiny Sony Cybershot U30 and
> I'm only getting a few flash pics per set of batteries. When I check
> the batt's afterward they still read "green" or good/fresh. I can get
> maybe 50 pics per fresh batt set without flash. Is the cam bad in some
> way or do I really just need the "real" official NiMH batt's plus
> charger? Thanks, JP outyourbackdoor.com

Akaline batteries can't keep up with the power demands of a digital camera.
Try some Panasonic 2500 mAh NiMH cells (or other good batteries) I have used
the Panasonic ceels for a couple years and they work well in both a
battery-hungry Olympus C-2000Z (circa 1999) and in my *ist D.
 >> Stay informed about: Sony Cybershot U30---two pics per battery? 

On Sun, 18 Dec 2005 12:17:21 -0500, Darrell wrote:

>> I'm using regular alkaline batteries in my tiny Sony Cybershot U30 and
>> I'm only getting a few flash pics per set of batteries. When I check
>> the batt's afterward they still read "green" or good/fresh. I can get
>> maybe 50 pics per fresh batt set without flash. Is the cam bad in some
>> way or do I really just need the "real" official NiMH batt's plus
>> charger? Thanks, JP outyourbackdoor.com
>
> Akaline batteries can't keep up with the power demands of a digital
> camera. Try some Panasonic 2500 mAh NiMH cells (or other good
> batteries) I have used the Panasonic ceels for a couple years and they
> work well in both a battery-hungry Olympus C-2000Z (circa 1999)
> and in my *ist D.

That's only true for older digital cameras or new ones that are
based on old designs. There are several cameras from Fuji and Canon
(and possibly other manufacturers) that are good for hundreds of
shots from alkalines (using flash for 1/2 of them), and over 1000
shots if the flash is not needed. The Sony U30 seems to be like
your C-2000Z and needs to use NiMH batteries. If the U30 is really
tiny I wonder if it uses AAA instead of AA batteries?
 >> Stay informed about: Sony Cybershot U30---two pics per battery? 

On 18 Dec 2005 09:04:09 -0800, JeffOYB DeleteThis @hotmail.com wrote:

>I'm using regular alkaline batteries in my tiny Sony Cybershot U30 and
>I'm only getting a few flash pics per set of batteries. When I check
>the batt's afterward they still read "green" or good/fresh. I can get
>maybe 50 pics per fresh batt set without flash. Is the cam bad in some
>way or do I really just need the "real" official NiMH batt's plus
>charger? Thanks, JP outyourbackdoor.com

My U30 came with a pair of Sony AAA NiMH and a Sony slow
charger (which I still have) but I usually use cheap
Panasonic NiMH and charge them in the same Maha charger I
use for my normal AAs.

Alkalines are no use in any digital camera, their internal
resistance is too high.

--
John Bean
 >> Stay informed about: Sony Cybershot U30---two pics per battery? 

Thanks folks. I was thinking that alkalines were just plain wrong. I
bought it used without batts/charger. I just got fresh NiMh and
charger. Actually, I had a few NiMH plus an OLD charger---not sure it
was charging right or enough. It was a charger for NiCad but maybe the
new NiMH are different in important ways to the charger. I got one of
the new 15-min chargers with a fan. I hope it works!
 >> Stay informed about: Sony Cybershot U30---two pics per battery? 

On Sun, 18 Dec 2005 17:35:36 +0000, John Bean wrote:

> Alkalines are no use in any digital camera, their internal
> resistance is too high.

That's as ridiculously misleading as if I said that you've never
written anything that's made any sense. There's a big difference
between "some" cameras and "all" cameras, just as I assume that you
normally don't make such ignorant, misinformed statements. Are you
not aware that in the last couple of years there have been a good
number of digital cameras sold that can take hundreds of pictures
with a single set of alkaline batteries? Some go well over 1,000
shots if the flash isn't used.
 >> Stay informed about: Sony Cybershot U30---two pics per battery? 

"ASAAR" <caught DeleteThis @22.com> wrote in message
news:q5leq118vj84kg5egehdlnf3aiusf68mdf@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 18 Dec 2005 17:35:36 +0000, John Bean wrote:
>
>> Alkalines are no use in any digital camera, their internal
>> resistance is too high.
>
> That's as ridiculously misleading as if I said that you've never
> written anything that's made any sense. There's a big difference
> between "some" cameras and "all" cameras, just as I assume that you
> normally don't make such ignorant, misinformed statements. Are you
> not aware that in the last couple of years there have been a good
> number of digital cameras sold that can take hundreds of pictures
> with a single set of alkaline batteries? Some go well over 1,000
> shots if the flash isn't used.
>

I want to see this list of a "good number of digital cameras"
 >> Stay informed about: Sony Cybershot U30---two pics per battery? 

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 01:43:26 GMT, ABC wrote:

> I want to see this list of a "good number of digital cameras"

Why, because you don't think they exist? The only current ones
I'm aware of (only because I haven't been looking for them) are
Canon's A610, A620 and Fuji's S5200/S5600. Also meeting the long
battery life spec. but with slightly lesser life is Fuji's S5100. I
own that one and got more than 600 shots from the standard alkaline
batteries that were supplied in the box. Had I not used the flash
the batteries almost certainly would have been good for 1000 shots.
Canon's models that were replaced by the A610/A620 also get very
good life from alkalines. I'd be amazed if these were the only
cameras that do this well. If you want to locate them, check the
reviews at dpreview.com or download the manuals. Old manuals
probably won't have performed battery life tests according to the
CIPA standard (which is a real battery abuser), but the models
mentioned here did, and at least for my Fuji, I found that they very
accurately represented the battery life that I observed. From
dpreview's review, I think that Canon's spec's are also accurate.
 >> Stay informed about: Sony Cybershot U30---two pics per battery? 

ASAAR wrote:
> On Sun, 18 Dec 2005 17:35:36 +0000, John Bean wrote:
>
>> Alkalines are no use in any digital camera, their internal
>> resistance is too high.
>
> That's as ridiculously misleading as if I said that you've never
> written anything that's made any sense. There's a big difference
> between "some" cameras and "all" cameras, just as I assume that you
> normally don't make such ignorant, misinformed statements. Are you
> not aware that in the last couple of years there have been a good
> number of digital cameras sold that can take hundreds of pictures
> with a single set of alkaline batteries? Some go well over 1,000
> shots if the flash isn't used.
>

And some get 5-10 shots before the battery isn't able to sustain the
current required. It depends on how the camera is engineered. Most
older digital cameras seemed to require more current than new ones.
Hardly a surprise. Following the suggestions in the user manual is the
right way to go on this subject.
 >> Stay informed about: Sony Cybershot U30---two pics per battery? 

On Mon, 19 Dec 2005 19:59:36 -0500, ASAAR <caught.TakeThisOut@22.com>
wrote:

>On Sun, 18 Dec 2005 17:35:36 +0000, John Bean wrote:
>
>> Alkalines are no use in any digital camera, their internal
>> resistance is too high.
>
> That's as ridiculously misleading as if I said that you've never
>written anything that's made any sense. There's a big difference
>between "some" cameras and "all" cameras, just as I assume that you
>normally don't make such ignorant, misinformed statements. Are you
>not aware that in the last couple of years there have been a good
>number of digital cameras sold that can take hundreds of pictures
>with a single set of alkaline batteries? Some go well over 1,000
>shots if the flash isn't used.

Just to stop you crying I'll amend "all" to "the vast
majority". Baby happy now?

Incidentally, the sort of flame-inducing response (to which
my parody is a reply) is not very convincing. The more flame
the less useful information. Continue the game if you want,
but you'll be on your own in the playpen.

--
John Bean
 >> Stay informed about: Sony Cybershot U30---two pics per battery? 

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 09:04:21 +0000, John Bean wrote:

>>> Alkalines are no use in any digital camera, their internal
>>> resistance is too high.
>>
>> That's as ridiculously misleading as if I said that you've never
>> written anything that's made any sense. There's a big difference
>> between "some" cameras and "all" cameras, just as I assume that you
>> normally don't make such ignorant, misinformed statements. Are you
>> not aware that in the last couple of years there have been a good
>> number of digital cameras sold that can take hundreds of pictures
>> with a single set of alkaline batteries? Some go well over 1,000
>> shots if the flash isn't used.
>
> Just to stop you crying I'll amend "all" to "the vast
> majority". Baby happy now?

Nope, not even close. Why not try to accurately portray the
situation instead of continuing with your own babyish whine. If you
said "the vast majority of old cameras" I might agree, but to imply
that alkalines are of no use in the vast majority of cameras sold
over the last couple of years is patently false. For people
considering the purchase of new cameras today, if they can use AA
batteries then the odds that alkalines will be of no use is pretty
small. But even then the type of battery most suitable depends on
how the cameras will be used. For the small percentage of people
taking at least a couple of thousand pictures per year (equivalent
to 100 or more rolls of film per year), rechargeable batteries would
most likely be the best choice. For those people that take pictures
much less frequently, a small blister pack of inexpensive alkaline
batteries might well power the camera for a year or more.


> Incidentally, the sort of flame-inducing response (to which
> my parody is a reply) is not very convincing. The more flame
> the less useful information. Continue the game if you want,
> but you'll be on your own in the playpen.

You have an extremely thin skin if you think that being told that
you made a "ridiculously misleading" statement is "flame-inducing"
when that's exactly what you did. It's also interesting that you'd
resort to falsely accusing me of resorting to the type of response
that you so quickly engage in. "Stop you crying", "Baby happy now",
and "you'll be on your own in the playpen" seems intended as nothing
but a flame-inducing response. And my reply did in fact provide
useful information about how well some/many modern cameras can
utilize alkaline batteries, unlike your reply which was the one that
provided not a bit of useful information. If you don't want to be
convinced that the situation has changed and that alkaline batteries
can not only be useful, but for many people might even be the best
choice, then you're isolating yourself in a playpen of your own
construction. There shouldn't be anything wrong in admitting that
you've been ignorant of the facts. Until several weeks ago I
thought that my Fuji was exceptional in having excellent battery
life using alkalines. Then I discovered that some Canon cameras
have done even better, and not just with their latest cameras but
with some of their discontinued models as well. Whether you take
this reply well or continue to whine, that's your choice.
 >> Stay informed about: Sony Cybershot U30---two pics per battery? 

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 03:31:38 -0600, Ron Hunter wrote:

> And some get 5-10 shots before the battery isn't able to sustain the
> current required. It depends on how the camera is engineered. Most
> older digital cameras seemed to require more current than new ones.
> Hardly a surprise. Following the suggestions in the user manual is the
> right way to go on this subject.

True, but cameras that only get 10 or fewer shots are either quite
old, or (as I correctly guessed) might use AAA batteries. I don't
know how old Sony's U30 is, but I imagine that it wouldn't be
difficult to design a camera using today's technology that would get
decent if not stellar performance from AAA alkalines. For anything
over 2 years old, all bets are off. I disagree with your position
that following the user manual's suggestions is the right way to go.
They have a tendency to say things like "Only Sony batteries should
be used." <g> However, your point is well taken, in that if they
advise against the use of a battery *type*, it's best to comply.
 >> Stay informed about: Sony Cybershot U30---two pics per battery?