dig camera battery charger

[anchor man]

I finally purchased a dig camera and am ready for some big fish pics. Once quick question..it runs off of AA's. Should I buy the AA charger that charges in 15 minutes, or the charger that take 1hr. I heard a longer charge time allows the batteries to hold the charge longer.

Thanks

[Jeremy airjer W]

I have both. I have had the 1 hr for over 3 years and I am still using some of the original batteries that I purchased with it. I have had the Fifteen Minute charger for about a year and really like it. It has a twelve volt adapter so I can charge batteries in the truck/car. I haven't had any problems with these batteries yet either.

Think of it this way, after eight charges you start to save money. I have slowly converted everything to rechargeables. Kids toys, remotes, GPS, flashlights, radios, camera, multimeter, scantool, PDA, to name a few.

[BIG DS]

Get both if you can afford it. Use the 15min for quick charges where time is a factor and use the longer one for a better finer charge to maintain batttery life.

[chief]

Anchor Man,

As a part-time pro photographer my strong recommendation is to use the one hour charger. It's unlikely charging will ever take the full hour, however, but be sure to keep charging 15 minutes (or so) beyond full charge indication. Rechargeable nickel batteries (NiMh) are the best way to go for performance in weather extremes. Always, always, always carry two or three extra sets of charged batteries with you. Remember, you'll NEVER PAY for film again, and you'll only print a few "keeper" shots from each outing, so invest the savings in batteries.