Best lithium batteries for digital cameras

Disposable lithium batteries outlast cheaper alkalines

Experts generally recommend rechargeable batteries for most things, including power-hungry digital cameras and flashes. They say the best rechargeables deliver plenty of power, last for a long time between charges and prove cheapest in the long run.

But if you have a camera that takes AA batteries -- and several manufacturers, particularly Kodak and Fuji, still make them -- and you want the longest possible runtime, that title goes to the Energizer Ultimate Lithium (*Est. $10 for four AA) battery. In tests by three separate nonprofit consumer groups, this disposable lithium battery (not to be confused with rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries) outlasts everything else on the market in digital cameras, including rechargeables, disposable alkalines and other lithium batteries.

In another test at PopPhoto.com, the Energizer Ultimate Lithium (formerly the Energizer e2 Lithium) shoots more than 5,200 flashless photos or nearly 2,900 flash photos before dying. That's more than four times as many as the best-performing alkaline battery, the Duracell CopperTop (*Est. $5 for four AA) , and more than 1,000 more than the top rechargeable battery in the test, the Energizer Recharge (*Est. $14 for four AA) .

Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries "may be more expensive than any other on the market, but their longevity justifies the price," PopPhoto.com's Zach Honig concludes. They last so long that they wind up costing less per shot than the cheaper CopperTops. PopPhoto.com still recommends rechargeable batteries first -- they perform well, and are cost-effective and more environmentally responsible. But "if rechargeable batteries aren't for you, lithium AA batteries are the next best thing -- offering great performance while cutting back on waste."

Lithium batteries have other advantages, too. The Energizer Ultimate Lithium boasts a longer shelf life than either alkaline or rechargeable batteries: Energizer says it will retain 90 percent of its rated capacity even after 15 years on the shelf at room temperature. A less-powerful version, the Energizer Advanced Lithium (*Est. $8 for four AA) will keep 80 percent of its capacity after 10 years on the shelf, Energizer says. An independent test shows that the Advanced Lithium won't run a digital camera quite as long as the Ultimate Lithium, although both outlast all other battery types. Both Energizer lithium batteries weigh one-third less than alkaline batteries, and will work at more extreme temperatures (-40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit) than either alkalines or rechargeables.