dddave Posted April 20, 2005 Report Share Posted April 20, 2005 One caveat here;, some cameras, including my Kyocera L3v, that supposidly uses two AA batteries, will NOT work on standard or even alkaline AA batteries, apparantly they don't produce enough juice. These cameras will only work on Ni-cd or NIMH AA re-chargeables, or a non-rechargeable, expensive and hard to find CR-V3, which looks like 2 AA's fused together. When buying a charger, make sure it also has a discharge feature. I was going nuts only being able to partially charge NIMH's and having them overheat, until I swiched to a charger with a discharger. By the way, my Canon A75, which uses 4 AA's, will work on all AA's, chargeable and non-rechargable alike. I suggest you check the battery section of the instruction book before laying your money down as this problem defeats the advantage of AA's. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
short-time Posted April 20, 2005 Report Share Posted April 20, 2005 > Kyocera L3v, that supposidly uses two AA batteries, will NOT work on standard or even alkaline AA batteries, apparantly they don't produce enough juice. Huh? That?s a very peculiar problem, have heard of the reverse ? some gadgets don?t work very well with Ni-cd?s or NIMH because these cells only produce 1.2 volts unlike alkaline and zinc-carbon?s 1.5V. It is true that you can get a lot of current out of Ni-cd & NIMH cells, so you might be right, but I wouldn?t recommend any camera that picky with batteries. Let me say a word or two about digital camera batteries if I may... Many, if not most digital cameras (especially the smaller ones) use a Li-Ion proprietary cell and there are very good reasons for this. These small rechargeable batteries have the highest energy density of any battery and lithium is the lightest metal known. This allows manufacturers to design small lightweight cameras with enough battery power to get the job done. Li-Ion rechargeable batteries were really a breakthrough for portable high energy devices. Further, unlike Ni-Cd and NIMH cells which are larger and very heavy in comparison, additionally they have high internal leakage (they go dead in a few weeks just setting on a shelf) where Li-Ion cells typically will hold a good charge for years. While it?s true you can?t run down to the nearest 7-11 store for a replacement Li-Ion battery for your XX brand digital camera, I think the advantages far outweigh the alternative (consider how bulky the cameras are that use AA batteries). Many make a big deal over these proprietary batteries but it?s really a plus not a problem ? just buy a spare unit for your camera (no, they aren?t cheap) and keep it handy. ST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlton68 Posted April 21, 2005 Report Share Posted April 21, 2005 Hi short-time, can't leave your post without comment. 'Many, if not most digital cameras (especially the smaller ones) use a Li-Ion proprietary cell and there are very good reasons for this.' Right. if they weren't proprietary I'd be happier. Li-Ion is superior, but they do the proprietary design mostly to rob you if you need to buy a new one. Hopefully there will be a 'no-name' market soon like for handphone batteries. For the slim cameras there's no way around proprietary batteries at present. 'That?s a very peculiar problem, have heard of the reverse ? some gadgets don?t work very well with Ni-cd?s or NIMH because these cells only produce 1.2 volts unlike alkaline and zinc-carbon?s 1.5V' Well, a reasonable camera that works on AA cells recommends using rechargebles with 2000mAh or more. These are all 1.2V. Most are shipped with suitable rechargeables. Most will work with regular batteries with 1.5V, but will suck them dry in no time, and will not work with the cheapest weakest batteries available. Obviously only a backup option of the backup. I mostly have one set of rechargeables as backup with me and seldom need it. 'Further, unlike Ni-Cd and NIMH cells which are larger and very heavy in comparison, additionally they have high internal leakage (they go dead in a few weeks just setting on a shelf) where Li-Ion cells typically will hold a good charge for years. ' While I doubt 'years' I know that Li-Ion cells keep the charge much longer than Ni-Cd and NIMH cells. If I leave them on the shelf that long I actually don't need them. One additional plus is that AA cells are used with a lot of gadgets, especially kids toys. Have yet to find a gadget that doesn't work on rechargeables when using AA or AAA batteries. Having said that I think most people choose cameras for resolution and design. Power supply is secondary. Personally I would not pay more to get a camera with AA batteries, but when choosing between similar cameras this is what can make the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted April 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 Hi, Okay, ended up with a Casio EX-Z50 at slightly more than I had in mind (15,900 Baht), but it looks nice a good deal. 5M pixels, menu in both English and Thai, very clear display & very easy operation. Also liked the fact that I received a 256 Mb memory card along with the camera. Had almost bought a Panasonic at Powerbuy (16,990 Baht), but when I was about ready to pay we found out that it did no longer came with a free 128Mb card and only had 16Mb (which of course is a joke). I am glad we walked over to Carre Four. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaad Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 Looking forward to your shots in the photo contest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlton68 Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 Hi, you might have waited until you're in the netherlands. I checked the german price for the camera and it's 250 Euros, without SD-card. (Saw one for 230 but it might not be available), Added a card, 280 Euros make around 14.500 Baht. Looks cheaper than what you paid, but you said Thai menues are important and I think the cameras sold in europe do not have Thai menue. My Casio doesn't. Has japanese, chinese (2x) and korean, plus six major european languages. Nice camera btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted April 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 Hi, The Thai menu is not important, but certainly a plus as it makes it much easier for my wife to use it. Also seeing that the difference is only about 1,500 Baht I think I would prefer one bought locally, just in case I have a problem and need to have it fixed / replaced. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlton68 Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 Warranty is a strong point. Plus you want to have the camera the first day of your holiday and not a week later. Have a nice trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted April 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 Hi, "Have a nice trip." Thanks. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thai3 Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 'From power-on till the first image was captured measured under 5 seconds. Shutter lag, the delay between depressing the shutter and capturing the image, was 3/10 second when pre-focused, and 9/10 second including autofocus time' These figure are pretty poor, but the model is a couple of years old and things have improved to around 1/10 sec.This model also has no anti shake mode making the 10x zoom not a lot of use at longer lengths without a tripod. Still waiting for something at a reasonable price that's as good as an SLR-peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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