Power-packed: many high-tech devices, such as digital cameras, need batteries with plenty of grunt. Are rechargeables up to the job?(Test: rechargeable batteries)(nickel-metalhydride (NiMH))(Product/Service Evaluation)

Publication: Choice (Chippendale, Australia)

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Australian Consumers' Association

They run and more portable high-tech products are entering our lives, and digital cameras in particular have become very popular.

They run on batteries and require lots of power compared to other battery-operated devices such as a motor toy or conventional camera. Battery manufacturers have been keeping up with these increasing demands by introducing new types of non-rechargeable batteries (such as lithium), and by increasing the capacity of rechargeable nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries.

If you use a digital camera or other portable digital device a fair bit and are going through a lot of non-rechargeable batteries, it's worth changing to rechargeables for everyday use and keeping the non-rechargeables for emergencies when you haven't been able to recharge the others.

The upfront cost for rechargeable batteries is relatively high--especially for the high-capacity NiMH models in this test and a suitable quick-charger: two sets of four batteries plus charger will set you back around $100 to $140, depending on the model. You could buy around 50-70 of the cheaper non-rechargeables we tested for the same money.

But rechargeables will save you money in the long run if you use battery-powered high-tech products regularly. For example, if you use four non-rechargeables a month, you'll recover the set-up cost for rechargeables in 1-1.5 years.

And you'll prevent a lot of batteries from going to landfill. Over 250 charging...

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