[shims]

Rechargeable camera battery question?

My older Sony compact ran on a couple of rechargeable AA sized batteries and a spare pair were supplied with it so that you wouldn't run out of power.

Not so with my newer Sony DSC-W350 ... no back up battery included (or even a camera case!) so I'm thinking of buying a spare.

The supplied battery (NP-BN1) is made in China and branded Sony and I can get a Sony branded one off Amazon for about £12 all in. Not bad, as they were about £25 when I bought the camera a year ago.

Similar unbranded batteries can be had on eBay for as little as £4. For all I know they could be from the same factories as the Sony but unbranded, or maybe they are inferior and wouldn't hold a charge?

This one is listed as 'decoded', which I am unaware of the significance of ..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Decoded-Ba...item4aa95a9c96

Anyone know if it's worth spending the extra on the Sony branded item?

[AJ sheffield]

I would imagine decoded means the chip that communicates with the device to enable it to display its remaining time has been altered in some way.

[AJ sheffield]

BTW I have used these cheap batteries for Sony digital cameras and Fuji cameras before and they are fine.

[rich5315]

i had a camera once that took a rechargable battery it took around 60 pics and it was flat so i bought a second as back up for £25, when the camera broke a year later a bought a new one that took aa rechargable and aa alkaline batteries, will take around 200 pics on a set of duracells, thing is theres no recharging and it doesnt matter where you go you can always buy a set of batteries, easy really rechargable battery packs are a waste of time if you ask me!

[shims]

Ok, thanks AJ.

Rich ... only easy if your camera takes AA sized batteries! This new one I have is too slimline and requires the aforementioned special slim battery. Apart from the extra 7 mega pixels I'm still to figure out how this camera is better than my old 2004 vintage Sony DSC-W12.