Buy Extra Proprietary Batteries

Ensure you have a backup digital camera battery for long photo shoots.

Many digital cameras support rechargeable AA NiMH batteries. The plus side is these batteries are cheap, available at many places, and non-proprietary. This means that a set of AA NiMH batteries used in one camera should work in another. However, the downside of these batteries is that digital cameras drain them relatively quickly when taking photographs.

To combat this problem, many camera manufacturers, especially in their high-end models, require use of proprietary rechargeable batteries. This way, you may get more than a dozen or hundred shots before having to recharge. While this can be of help when on long photo-taking trips, consider the following:

1. When your proprietary battery runs out of power, that's it. You can't run to the local drugstore and buy some AA batteries to take a few extra photos. It must be recharged before reused.

2. Rechargeable batteries eventually lose their ability to hold power after many charges. When this happens, you're out of luck. Remember the iPod fiasco a while back? These batteries can cost a great deal of money and can usually only be purchased from the digital camera manufacturer or a small number of resellers.

3. If your digital camera becomes obsolete (which can happen sooner than you think!), no one may continue producing the needed battery for your camera. This can mean that a couple of years after your original purchase, a perfectly good camera will be of no more use to you than a doorstop.

So, to prevent running out of power while taking great photos, as you buy your digital camera, go ahead and buy a second battery. While this may increase the cost of your original investment, it will more than make up for itself when you need the extra power to finish your photo shoots.