wouldbetraveller

For those of you who've taken a digital camera, did you bring the battery recharger with you and/or was it worth bringing?

The charger requires a converter and an adapter. The whole thing isn't that heavy, but we're just bringing a carry-on and the less stuff we have to haul around, the better. I was hoping to not bring any electrical type appliances with us - but we'll be in Europe for three weeks and plan to take lots of pictures.

Was wondering what the digital camera photographers out there think?

Thanks.

xxx16

Are you sure the charger isn't dual voltage? Most of them are nowadays and if so, you only need an adapter plug. My charger is dual voltage but doesn't have any 110/240 switch on it and it worked just fine with just an adapter.

got1tiel

recharger absolutely essential for digital cameras.i would charge two sets of batteries every day for my camera.with digital you usually take more pics & video etc.

the adaptor might be heavier than the charger itself.if you are very weight conscious (like maybe how NASA would be on an apolo mission) it would probably be best to buy normal batteries from europe and throw them asway as they are depleted.
Sam

Robert2533

The first thing you should do is to purchase a digital camera with a long battery life. Any of the good Canons or Nikons will allow you to take up to several hundred images with a single charge, but the life of the charge depends on how large of an image you're shooting and how often you review your shots. The Canon PowerShots come with a very small charger about the size of the camera and weights next to nothing. You'll only need a plug adapter. The better Nikons are about the same, but I found with the new full size Nikon D100 (or D70 model), that I could shoot well over 600 full size images without recharging the battery.

Don't buy any camera that uses replaceable batteries. They can not compare with the ones with rechargeable batteries.

wouldbetraveller

Thanks for your replies.

Robert, I already have the digital camera. It's a Canon about two years old.

xxx16, I'm afraid the recharger isn't dual voltage. I was hoping, but I definitely need the converter and adapter.

got1tiel, thanks for advice.

It looks like I'll have to take the recharger.

Thanks for the help.

isabel

Are you positive about the charager not being dual voltage? I've never heard of a Cannon that is only two years old that doesn't have dual voltage charger. It may be in very tiny print on the charger or the extension cord itself (is there a little box part way up the cord, it would be there). It will just say 110/220, it won't actually say dual voltage or anything. I would double check.

I go through at least a battery (or set) a day and can't imagine three weeks on one battery. How many shots do you normally get on one battery? How many shots do you normally take on trip?

Is the battery a cannon battery or does it take AA batteriies. If it takes double A batteries and you find your charger actually is not dual voltage you can buy a new one at Radio Shack for about $25 that is dual voltage and it will be cheaper and weigh less than the adapter.(Will also be cheaper than buying AA batteries as you go in Europe unless you only used a few sets). Then all you need is the plug which is very light and tiny. If it's not double A batteries but a Cannon battery then I really can't believe it's not dual voltage.

nibblette

Double check your recharger. My Canon is about a year and half old and has a dual voltage recharger. I carry 2 batteries, one in the camera, the other one charging in the charger overnight. Never had to worry about forgetting to put the battery back into the camera before heading out. I switched batteries every other day.

SalB

My charger isn't dual voltage either. I'm going to get one for our next trip in October.

We go to Europe for 5 or 6 weeks at a time with only a carryon and a backpack and I take three sets of rechargable batteries and my charger, adapter and converter. It doesn't take up that much room in the luggage. I leave my camera on all the time so I don't have to mess with it when I want to take a picture. I usually go through two sets of batteries a day and recharge them at the hotel in the evening. I also have a recharger that works in a car cigarette lighter.

I highly recommend buying a dual voltage recharger and taking it with you . . . along with at least two sets of batteries.

Have a great trip.

ira

Hi would,

If your charger really isn't dual voltage (check the label for 110/220 V) it might be cheaper to get a new charger rather than a converter.

I charged my batteries each night at the hotel. One night I forgot. Had to buy some batteries about 4PM the next day. (I took 1050 pix in 3 weeks)

metlc

I have a 3-year-old Canon S-10 which uses "Canon" batteries. (Actually, they're five AAA-cells in a can -- I've "rebuilt" a couple.) The charger is universal voltage, as I believe all Canon chargers sold in this century are.

The "replaceable" AA-battery cameras are just as good for battery life as the custom (Lithium-ion) ones, which are designed that way for the smallest cameras. They're great, as you can get AA batteries anywhere. You just need to get the "NiMH" type AA batteries with a UNIVERSAL (110-220 VAC) charger.

You can get plug adapters anywhere (try Target, K-Mart and Radio Shack). They usually come in a kit of five; the one with the smaller dual pins works throughout Europe, while the thicker dual-pin one works only in north/west Europe. You can save ten bucks by just buying the Euro ones at an electronics store.

Kayb95

Since we go to the UK every year, we purchased a battery charger at an electronics store in London. We noticed that the batteries charge a lot faster over there - must be all that currency surging through the lines.

Surfergirl

Our old Nikon (close to 4 years now) has dual voltage; our new Nikon also has dual voltage and the extra added attraction of ALSO taking regular AA batteries. Which is GREAT when you run out of juice!

Angela_m

Last year I spent two weeks in Spain and shot over 800 pictures with my Nikon coolpix. I brought three lithium batteries with me (CRV3) and never had to open the third battery. I used the highest resolution and reviewed my shots constantly. I would never lug around a charger and adapter.

jody

I'm with Angela. I just bring extra batteries (CRV3,too)..buy them cheap on the internet..Mine seem to last forever. I think the one I have in the camera now has been in there at least 6 months and I use the camera several times a week.Recharging is fine if you can find the blasted outlets in the hotel room without getting down on your hands and knees and crawling under desks

MBellamy

I agree with Angela; I just returned from Russia and, on the advice of my camera store, took lithium AAs rather than the rechargeables w/charger. I had a fully-charged set of rechargeables in the camera, which lasted a few days; then switched to the lithiums and never had to change them over the remaining 10 days or so, and they are still going strong (though I haven't taken many pics since coming home).

Others on my river cruise had their rechargeables and the charger and those worked just fine as well.

I will always have a set of lithiums with me just in case, though!

JimF

Are the extra batteries you folks purchased on the internet replacement batteries or branded with the name of your camera? I have an Olympus and to purchase an additional original equipment battery is cost-prohibitive.

I see many replacement batteries for sale on the web, which cost about a fourth of the Olympus batteries.

If yours are replacement brands, are you satisfied with the performance? I'd hate to get on the road and have a battery fizzle one day away from the hotel.

Thanks.

jjester

I just spent 12 days in Paris and Rome and took just over 400 photos on my Canon camera. I took three sets of batteries and the charger with plug adapter. I probably only needed two sets of batteries as each lot lasted for approx 100 photos including flash and replays. But having the third set was extra security especially the day I discovered one set hadn't charged properly - I immediately had another set available for use.

POlson

I'm with the extra cautious group. I have three batteries. One in the camera, one extra, fully charged and one recharging at home/hotel, ready to go. But then I rarely travel with only a carry-on and don't really know how to pack light....

Ramblero

Hmmmmm. I bought a Canon G3 to take to Italy last fall. I took the supplied recharger with an adapter. I recharged the camera very night. Took 1000 photos in 23 days. Never had a problem. And the camera, at minimum, still had 50% battery at the end of every day.

atcken

I bought a charger for my Canon S-50 batteries that has all the appropriate plugs for Great Britain and Europe, as well as North America, built in. The plugs fold out as needed - very convenient. Used it in Great Britain and Italy as well as the US with no problems. I believe the brand name is Digpower - bought it at either Best Buy or Circut City.

Ken