If you’re into photography, then you should already familiar with batteries of all types. Camera Batteries, external flash batteries, Light meter batteries, etc. If you’re still using Alkaline batteries, you must have spent a small fortune in replacement costs by now. If you have not looked into rechargeables to power all of your equipment, now is the time.

Typically most accessories will run on the standard AA sized battery, with a few exceptions utilizing AAA, such as a light meter. These are easiest ones to convert to rechargeables. Check out the great selection of AA’s over at Electronics Warehouse.
Here is some vocabulary that you need to know regarding rechargeable batteries.
mAh. (milliamp hour) This is the storage capacity of the battery. It will be your guide to compare what batteries have more expected runtime than others. a 1900mAh battery will have a shorter run time, or number of flashes then a battery rated for 2500mAh. Typically the larger the capacity, the slightly higher the cost of the battery.
Low Self Discharge. Rechargeable batteries will lose some of their charge if simply left unused. Newer batteries have been developed to reduce this drain effect and will provide a longer shelf life, or in this case – a better “camera bag” life.
NiMh and NiCad. NiMh is nickel metal hydride, and NiCad, is nickel-cadmium. NiMh is the battery of choice, as it provides many more desirable characteristics that you as a photographer want out of your batteries – sich as Low Self Discharge, longer running time and no cell memory.
NiCad’s have a memory issue, and if they are not cycled completely on a regular basis, they will pick up “bad charging habits” and provide a lower performance. They are cheaper, but will cost you more than the purchase price down the road.
As discussed by Brian Rock over at HubPages:
“For general usage, you’ll probably want standard capacity, low self-discharge batteries. 2000 mAh is good enough, and you’re better off having batteries that hold their charge in your camera bag than higher capacity batteries that discharge too quickly.”
And as additional comment:
“For some people, though, you’ll the extra power of the high capacity batteries. Let’s say you’re using several flashes off camera, and you’re popping the flashes regularly at half or full power. That will use up your batteries fairly quickly, and an extra 25% capacity can make a difference. The trade-off is that these batteries will discharge more quickly when not in use, so you’ll want to remember to charge them the night before an important shoot.”
If your main camera runs on AA’s, a simple change over to Rechargeables is easy enough. However if your trusty Canon requires a more specialized battery, it would be good to have at least one spare, in the event you require more power. Again, Electronics Warehouse has a great selection for your Canon.
Now lets look at chargers. Energizer makes a 15 minute quick charger that seems fantastic in concept, until you actually use one. They know that the batteries are going to be putting off so much heat from the charging process, that they have a fan running to try to keep the batteries cool during this process. And once done, the batteries are far too hot to even hold in your hand.
This is a sure fire way to really reduce the life expectancy of your AA rechargeables for the convenience of a quick charge.
For best results, you want a smart charger that actually monitors battery voltage and capacity during the charge process. Check out Electronics Warehouse for their great selection of chargers to fit your needs.
Photo credit: Monkwhy / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA