Batteries fot Optio S50

I personally use rechargeable Lithium RCR-V3 batteries in my S40. They are a bit more expensive than rechargeable AA NiMH batteries, but the advantages are that they don't weigh much and don't "self discharge" noticeably (in other words if I leave the batteries in the camera for a few weeks without using the camera, they'll be as fresh as the last time I used the camera.) In the US, I can get the delkin kit with one RCRV3 battery and a charger for approx. $30 from thomas-distributing and extra RCRV3 batteries cost about $20 a piece. If you opt for rechargeable NiMH AA's, the advantages are that they are relatively cheap, last longer than the current RCRV3 batteries, but the disadvantage is that they self discharge, so they lose charge by just sitting there. Usually a week or two is okay, but more than that I'd charge them before using them. One of the best "kit" choices is the MAHA MH-C204W charger that comes with a set of 4 MAHA Powerex 2300mAh AA NiMH batteries for $37 also from Thomas-Distributing. MAHA / Powerex is a lesser known brand that is actually *really* experienced in making chargers and rechargeable batteries for handheld radios for commercial applications (police walkie talkies, etc) for many many years. Their C204W charger is one of the faster (~2hrs for a set of 2 batteries) that is gentle on the batteries, yields a complete charge, is easy to use, requires no "power brick", is worldwide power compatible and is not overly expensive. I have one of these chargers as well, but don't use these batteries in my S40. Another option available at the local Wal*Mart is the Energizer 15min charger that comes with 4-Energizer 2300mAH AA NiMH batteries for less than $30US. The charger itself is about as small as the MH-C204W, but it requires a power brick. However it *does* really charge batteries in about 15 minutes to about 80-90% of their full capacity, but for the speed you have to trade off longevity of the batteries... the faster you charge/discharge batteries, the harder it is on them, and the fewer charge/discharge cycles they can take before they die. If you do decide to go with NiMH rechargeable AA's stick with the major brands: PowerEx, Energizer, GE/Sanyo, Duracell, Ray-o-Vac and you'll be guaranteed batteries that will be of quality construction, are reasonably robust, and actually supply close to the energy they claim to on their mAh rating. See http://www.imaging-resource.com/ACCS/BATTS/BATTS.HTM for more details about the various NiMH AA batteries and their performance with digital cameras. And see http://www.candlepowerforums.com/... .../postlist.php?Cat=&Board=UBB6 For reviews of all sorts of chargers from crazy LED light guys.

Because digital cameras require such a high amount of current it is not recommended to use Alkaline batteries. My best suggestion would be to purchase rechargeable batteries that meet the following requirements. (AA Rechargeable Batteries with a minimum of 1800mAh (or higher) Nickel MetalHydride 1.2V). or (Panasonic CR-V3 3V Lithium Battery)