RE: [Philmont]: Replacement Batteries

My first two treks I used a point and shoot 35. Battery life of
digitals at that time and cost for a high mega pixel camera were the
main reasons I stayed with film. Then, in 2004 I made a switch to
digital for a BWCA trip, a Pentax Optio 555, 5x digital zoom, 5 mega
pixels. When selecting the camera, I looked for one with a number if
features important to me including one that would run on AAs. Well, the
camera I decided on met all of my criteria except it uses proprietary
batteries. For Philmont last year I carried three batteries, took about
700 shots and the last battery died after the closing campfire. I knew
I had plenty of battery life so I did not go to extreme measures to
conserve power.

Dorman asked what camera is best. I don't think there is an answer to
this. You find a camera that you are comfortable with and has the
features you want. You can find a number of sites on the web that have
evaluations of different models. I spent a good amount of time
researching on the web before I bought my Pentax. And I am glad that I
did because I discovered that a camera I almost bought at our local Wolf
Camera had been replaced with a new version after being on the market
for less than 6 months due to several problems with the camera. I like
the camera I have for backpacking as it uses SD chips, has decent
battery life, and is compact. I carried three 512 SD chips at Philmont
and I always shoot on the highest quality as I never know when I might
take on that I want to enlarge.

One thing I have learned about the proprietary batteries is that some of
the aftermarket ones are not very good. Both of the two Pentax branded
batteries I have last about twice as long as an unbranded one that I
bought because it was less expensive. Did I hear someone say you get
what you pay for?

One of the best scenic shots I made was from the campsite that is uphill
from the staff cabin at Head of Dean. From there, you have a great view
of Baldy. I now have that one enlarged to 20x24 and hanging on the wall
at my office.

Phil Brown

________________________________

From: owner-philmont@troop47.com [mailto:owner-philmont@troop47.com] On
Behalf Of Dorman Morsman
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 9:33 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list philmont
Subject: Re: [Philmont]: Replacement Batteries

I've been struggling with digital vs film....what's the best digital
camera to take on a trek and what batteries does it take? It would seem
the best camera would be one that took inexpensive batteries such as AA.
Help!

Dorman Morsman

Troop 78

Edmond, OK

1st trek 06!

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Received on Sat Feb 11 08:48:31 2006