MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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A few years ago I had a Canon Powershot A80 which I loved. It died and I replaced it with a newer Powershot SX130, which is basically rubbish (bigger, battery life is a joke, photos don't seem to be quite as good).
Consequently I rarely use it. Anyway off to the Alps in a couple of weeks so thinking about replacing it.
Only want a compact, and I'm quite keen on AA batteries. Not too bothered about maximum megapixels, as my A80 was only 4MP! Budget up to about £150.
Things like [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-Coolpix-L330-Compact-Digital/dp/B00HQDBLDO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436956226&sr=8-1&keywords=coolpix ]this Nikon[/url] are a bit bulkier than I had in mind.
Any suggestions?
I find anything that charges over USB far more convenient than the older view of AA's- there are quite a few cameras now which charge the battery in-situ in the camera over USB. Very convenient, given the vast majority of us have access to USB charging most of the time.
Pretty rare these days AFAIK, back in the day AAs were for cheaper and bulkier cameras anyway.
Ah yes, the A80, what a great little camera!
Replaced mine with an S95, but I think the S series is a fair bit more expensive. (Pics honestly aren't any better than the A80 took)
Limiting self to AA you're looking at older cameras or ones that somehow combine a small basic sensor with a short battery life for the price of a much better camera with rechargeable battery.
AA powered is not as convenient as may seem, and can be costly in consumables.
For my money in yr position would grab a Lumix TZ55 currently on sale for I fhink £104 in Argos which IMO is a bloody bargain for that much camera. and if you want USB charging add a replacement usb charger (£11-ish). Bang tidy!
I use an RX100 compact that charges via USB, in normal use a charge lasts me all day, but if I'm away for extended periods I take an Anker 13000mah USB powerpack with me, gets quite few charges in if away from the mains (ie wild camping or a heavy day photography out in the sticks)
You can search for cameras with AA batteries on DP Review: http://www.dpreview.com/products/search/cameras#criterias=SpecsBatteryNew¶mSpecsBatteryNew=AA%2CAAA
There's now not many available, it seems the only recent models are Nikon or Fuji.
But I think lithium ion battery packs are now much better than AAs. They can be much more compact/lighter weight, and last longer. Just get a few extra batteries if you need them, you can probably find them cheap on Amazon etc.