NiMHA. If your camera (or other device) can take standard AA-size batteries, you should look for Nickel-Metal-Hydride (NiMH) rechargeable types.

These are very cheap (typically no more than about $3 or $4 each) and should give you around 1000 recharge cycles.

The trick to picking the right type is as much about capacity as it is longevity of charge.

The capacity of batteries is measured in milliamp-hours (mAh) and basically, the larger this number, the longer the battery will last in whatever you’re using it with.

That’s one side of the equation; the other side is charge retention.

NiMH batteries normally only hold their charge for as little as a month before they go flat – it’s normal as they self-discharge comparatively quickly. But if you’re after NiMH batteries that keep up their charge for up to a year, you should look for Sanyo Eneloop batteries. These are more expensive than standard NiMH batteries and they don’t have the same capacity but they can hold their charge for considerably longer – as much as 85% of it for up to a year.

So if you’re looking for rechargeable batteries to use with a TV remote for example, these are the ones I’d recommend. You can find out more info here.

You don’t need a special charger to charge up Eneloop batteries either – just a normal good-quality NiMH recharger will do.

Eneloop AA batteries have a capacity of 2000mAh. General NiMH batteries can be up to 2800mAh, which means they can last longer in the same equipment.

The most important thing is to ensure you buy quality-brand batteries – cheap batteries may claim high capacity but they may not deliver it so ideally, give brand-name batteries a go first.

Either way, rechargeable batteries will save you a fortune over time compared to use-once throw-away batteries.

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