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For light/basic use, Id look at the Pentax K100 or K110. It takes AAs.
Purchase a set of Eneloops or Rayovac Hybrid rechargables (much cheaper than
the OEM Li-ion). You can have a backup set or use Alkaline or lithium
batteries in a pinch.
John


"Doug White" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I will be buying a good digital SLR (probably a Nikon, so I'm looking at
> Li Ion batteries) in the next few months for documenting circuits &
> mechanisms I build in my shop. I will probably use it occasionally for
> other things, but it may go for a week or two without being used. When I
> use it, I may take 10 or 20 pictures tops, frequently with flash, and
> then it gets put away again. There may be periods where it wouldn't get
> used for as much as a month or two, I never know. Ideally, I'd like to
> be able to pick it up and start taking pictures without having to
> recharge the batteries.
>
> I'm not up on the latest in camera battery technology and I'm wondering
> whether it would be best to:
>
> 1) Leave the main battery in the camera and only recharge it when it runs
> down.
>
> 2) Do the above and keep a 2nd battery on standby in the charger so I
> don't have to wait when the battery gets tired.
>
> 3) Store the main battery in the charger so it is always ready to go.
>
> 4) Do 1), but store the battery outside of the camera so if it leaks it
> doesn't hurt anything.
>
> etc.
>
> It boils down to a couple of issues: the "off" voltage droop of the
> battery in & out of the camera, speed of charging, whether batteries can
> be safely left in the charger for months, and the liklihood that a modern
> high quality battery will fail & damage the camera.
>
> I've noticed mention that one can get external grips that take alkaline
> cells, which have extremely long shelf life and if they leak in the grip,
> it's no big deal. That way I don't have to mess with a charger, and
> given the number of pictures I will be taking, might not be a bad
> approach. I always have a bunch of AA alkalines on hand for other
> devices.
>
> Thoughts, comments or suggestions?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Doug White
>