Paul Allen wrote:
The ones that weren't listed, and that matter most to me: They're
less expensive and come in one standard size. Until the camera
makers get together on one or two standard li-ion battery sizes,
I'll prefer AA batteries.
Actually, while it certainly isn't down to one or two, there are many
cameras, from different manufacturers, that do use the same Li-Ion
battery pack. And of course many manufacturers use the same battery in
many different models.
As far as cost goes, if you look at the cost of an after-market Li-Ion
pack, from a reputable company, the cost is very comparable to that of
NiMH AA cells.
I.e. at $10 for four Sanyo 2500 mAH NiMH cells, and $11.50 for a Canon
BP511 (after-market), the cost per cycle for 300 cycles over three
years, is 5/10 of a cent different. If you do the maximum rated cycles
(500 for NiMH, 1000 for Li-Ion) then the Li-Ion is much cheaper (with
the low self-discharge rate of Li-Ion, you're unlikely to reach 1000
cycles before the battery reaches its end-of-life based on time (3 years).
If you compare using battery packs from the manufacturer, rather than
after-market, then the Li-Ion batteries do cost a lot more.
Steve
http://batterydata.com/