Our first digital camera ate 4 AA batteries in 15 minutes that first Christmas. I guess its best to get some nickel cadium batteries that are rechargeable. They'll cost you pretty good up front but they'll probably save you over time. Some other tips: Use the viewfinder instead of the LED screen. That will save some battery power. Also, don't edit or delete pictures from the camera's menu. Download your images to your computer and do that there. BTW, what kind id it?

Is it, not id it.

(Scratches head.) Well, I use the ones that the instruction booklet told me to, which is two AA batteries. (I prefer Duracell.) Of course, my camera is a cheap little Vivitar I bought for forty bucks two years ago at Walmart. But soldering? What the hell?

Aw Rob, and here I thought you were talking jive at me.

It's this one. For now I just picked up two 4-packs of alkaline AA batteries, as the store had them at 10 for $10, but I think eventually I'd rather go NiCD.

And I guess I'll have to lose my dependency on the LCD screen. Bummer. I hate viewfinders.

I think you may as well get the NiMH batteries they recommend on that same Amazon page. That's not a bad price. You're going to take a lot of pictures. That's a given. Have fun and a Happy New Year.

Good batteries make a huge difference with these power suckers. Energizer and Duracell both make a digital camera specific battery. They're actually worth it.

I bought two sets of rechargeable batteries; when one set runs out I plug it in and recharge the dead ones. Works great, worth the cost -- which is about twice as much as normal batteries (I got the charger that takes hours; quickie chargers are more expensive). I don't know why I waited so long.

The little vivtar we got a few years ago seems to work fine when I just use ordinary alkalines (uses 4xAA) most of the time (I also have some rechargables that I dust off if I'm going on a trip and have access to 110-volt power for the recharger), and the things keep chugging.

I don't really notice any excessive need to keep recharging/replacing., But the, before we got the vivtar, I was used big clunky SLRs that could use a potato-masher for a flash, and the battery pack went into the handle, and *that* thing would go through about 6 changes of battery-pack during a typical wedding.

So, it really looks like your milage does vary from what I used to use, if you find 2 battery changes over Christmas day to be excessive.

But then I'm one of those reto-ites who likes B&W film & prints because I think the results just look better.

On the other hoof, the writer at Dan's Data seems to be missing the whole idea behind todays crop of digital cameras -- they are being used to replace the Kodak Instamatic (tm) and *that* audience need does *not* include carrying around 5 pounds worth of battery duck-taped to the 8-oz. digital camera.

Now, if the question had been Aout how to keep the Typical Kid's Toy running.......

the writer at Dan's Data seems to be missing the whole idea behind todays crop of digital cameras -- they are being used to replace the Kodak Instamatic (tm) and *that* audience need does *not* include carrying around 5 pounds worth of battery duck-taped to the 8-oz. digital camera.

Exactly, Craig. I'm definitely a lame, amateur, Instamatic sort of photographer. Just let me point and shoot the damn thing. No soldering. :)