Last updated on 10/05/2012
Camera manufacturers think that they're doing consumers a favor by releasing, almost exclusively, digicams powered by proprietary rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Despite dwindling numbers, AA-powered digital cameras remain very popular, especially among travelers or any avid photographer who might be miles away from an outlet for days at a time. Here are some of the best digital cameras that run on the swappable, buy-anywhere power provided by AA batteries.
It was a toss-up between the A1300 and Panasonic's extremely low-cost LS5, yet we went with the A1300 due to its viewfinder and very good image quality. The zoom range isn't quite as nice as the Panasonic and the A1300 doesn't have stabilization, but if you crave a viewfinder and don't want to spend a lot, this is your camera. Both are great choices though, so take look at each before jumping.
Runner-up: Panasonic Lumix LS5
Runner-up: Panasonic Lumix LS5
Canon Capable
The travel-zoom category is supposed to appeal to travelers, but very few of these powerful yet pocketable cameras run on travel-friendly AA batteries. Last year's Canon SX150 IS was our choice for this category, and the SX160 IS improves upon it in some key ways. Autofocus speed is reportedly much faster, the sensor has gone up to 16 megapixels, and the zoom range is now a very competitive 16x optical. You get all this in a smaller body, too, which is the main appeal of a travel zoom camera. Nikon has also entered this market with its L610, but with a higher price point and lower zoom range, the SX160 is our choice.
[Read our full Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR Review]
Many extended zooms run on AA's because they have the size to fit two or more commonly four AA's without any unusually large grip stuck on the side. Although the HS20EXR is getting a little long in the tooth, its currently a fantastic value at under $300. That EXR sensor makes for stunning low-light performance as well as great dynamic range in contrasty situations. The lens is also manually operated just like a DSLRs, making for more exact changes without any of the zoom steps you'll find in motored lenses. And with 1080p video, a 3-inch rotating LCD, and an electronic viewfinder, the HS20EXR competes with the best of them.
The Pentax K-30 is a bit of an odd beast and stands alone as the only DSLR on the market that can take either a lithium-ion battery or AAs. This is great news for you travelers out there, as the K-30 borrows many things from the K-5: the 100% viewfinder, 16 megapixel sensor, and weather-sealing, and puts them all together in a super stylish and compact body. You'll be hard-pressed to find this array of features for the price anywhere else, although Pentax is becoming increasingly difficult to find in brick and mortar shops.
For those on a smaller budget, the Pentax K-r is still a fantastic deal, too. With 12 megapixels, stabilization, 6fps burst mode, and AA batteries, it's no slouch in the entry-level market.
For those on a smaller budget, the Pentax K-r is still a fantastic deal, too. With 12 megapixels, stabilization, 6fps burst mode, and AA batteries, it's no slouch in the entry-level market.
The Best AA Battery-Powered Digital Cameras Comments & Questions (write your own!)
Shame on you, Canon (Russ — 05/04/2013)
I am very frustrated. I do long back-country trips and have relied on AA batteries. A set of 4 lithium AA's would run my Canon S5IS for over 3000 photos. I now need a replacement and I assumed it would be Canon but rechargeable batteries are not an option.
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Hillary Grigonis (05/06/2013)
Manufacturers are making fewer cameras with AAs because most people don't prefer them. If you find a camera you like that has a rechargeable battery, look into the cost of a replacement battery, some models are only around $30 for an extra battery so you have something for when you don't have access to a charger.
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Fuji HS20 discontinued (Greg — 03/09/2013)
Nice except the idiots at Fuji now make the HS30 which doesn't use aa batteries. They have discontinued the HS20 Dumb move Fuji!! I was going to buy it.
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Pentax 100D USES AA BATTERIES! (David Rodriguez — 03/08/2013)
I own a Pentax K100D DSLR camera that runs on AA power. Even though it has only 6 megapixels to work with,if you don't do extreme cropping you will be fine.
David R
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David R
Canon Powershot SX10is uses 4-AA batteries (Jeff92677 — 11/07/2012)
Canon Powershot SX-10 IS uses 4 AA batteries and takes hundreds of photos before needing to replace. I have 3 sets of 4-AA batteries, and have yet to run out of power after a few days of use. The photo quality is excellent in my opinion.
shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/w... and Refurbs are available, use Google to find them. Mine was used, and in perfect shape.
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shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/w... and Refurbs are available, use Google to find them. Mine was used, and in perfect shape.
Nikon coolpix L25 (Andrea — 10/21/2012)
I have the opportunity of getting a Nikon coolpix L25 are they any good
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Chris Weigl (10/22/2012)
If you can get it for around $60 I'd say jump. There are newer models out now though that are better.
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Obsolescence Proof and unsurpassed standby time (Fred Philibert — 09/23/2012)
No one is mentioning what I consider the two most important attributes of AA powered cameras; 1. They are immune to being orphaned, with a non-functional proprietary battery, and no where to purchase a replacement. 2. The standby time of a camera loaded with Lithium AA's is at least 5 years longer than any rechargeable. Perfect for the camera stashed in a glovebox or notebook bag for the unexpected time that it's needed.
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AA powered cameras (paul — 09/22/2012)
We, the consumers, are the only ones to blame for not finding a good range of top notch cameras powered by AA batts. The manufactures: cudos to them, they do what they are supposed to do: make profits!!! As long as they can trick us into keeping the demand high for their batteries, our choices for AA powered cams will keep getting fewer and fewer. I, for one, as long as there still is one decent camera out there on AA batts, I will never buy their proprietory crap. By the way, If you're tired of throwing money on batteries (proprietory or not), buy yourself a few sets of rechargeable Eneloop by Sanyo and you will thank me (this is also my advise to all of you who wondered about a good rechargeable battery). They come in any size and once you get to experience them, you will never want to use another battery again. As for the charger, for a very decent price, you can buy top of the line: La Cross Technologies. But forget what I said, don't take my word, just read the reviews for both, batts and charger. I have everything in my house on Eneloops, from clocks and remotes, to cameras and shavers. I haven't disposed off a non-rechargeable battery in years. It sounds like I am advertising for Eneloop here. No, as far as I am concerned, get any batteries you want, but try to stay away from proprietary batts. So back to the cameras: now, granted, if size matters to anyone (...small size that is, for a change), by all means, go for their batteries, as there aren't any X-slim cams on AA. On the other hand, if you want a slim cam, you probably already have one: your phone. Think about it: it ain't much out there in slim cams to generate much better photo quality than your phone cam. And the phone cams are only getting better; they've already surpassed most, if not all of the low end compact point-and-shot digital cams on the market, on proprietary batts. You still have a choice, use it wisely!
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Stuart Schlemmer (09/19/2012)
I, too, am looking for a compact P&S camera that uses AA batteries for use in travelling to areas having uncertain power sources for recharging. The camera having the best features that I've found so far is the Nikon Coolpix L610. Anyone care to comment on this camera?
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Chris Weigl (09/23/2012)
It's a great camera for the money - reasonably small and light while still packing a good zoom range. It won't be as good in low light as something like Fujifilm's HX20 or 30v though.
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Ken (06/22/2012)
I'm using the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7 for about 4 years now and have been very happy with it's performance. It has a great zoom at only 6x and very nice video capabilities. I fear that it's getting old and I'll soon have to find a new camera. Except, getting good cameras that still use AA's is getting harder and harder
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Chloe (05/08/2012)
I am going to Mongolia in June and i am looking for a camera to take. I think a AA battery powered camera would be best but I am still not convinced. Do you have any recommendations?
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Chris Weigl (05/09/2012)
AA's may be convenient, but most of the models these days are budget options and don't take particularly good photos. The HS20EXR is a fantastic choice, however, if you're willing to carry the extra bulk.
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AA Battery Cameras (Jen — 07/05/2012)
It realy all depends how much of a Photographer one is ...in the past when it was Film Camers we would take a small Olympus Pen ...my travel experience has been , a wide angle lens works great as most of the time you want take shots of places.... so you would probably use you Mob Phone ( I have used a 1,3 Megapixel phone camera for some of the best photos I've had) as well as a pocket camera and most of all a must Have is Polorising filter otherwise make sure you have a Polorised Glasses and use them to shoot your pix through the lens. if you can't find a half decent small camera , purchase a DURACEL power pack....you can also use a small Solar charger... Bon Voyage
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Central Asia batteries (Joe — 11/04/2012)
AA are fairly ubiquitous. My trip to Almaty KZ was saved (as far as photography goes) by the universal availanility of AA batteries.
You might want to pick up a couple sets of lithium batteries to bring with you.
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You might want to pick up a couple sets of lithium batteries to bring with you.
Carol (05/06/2012)
Thanks for your helpful information. What do you think of the Nikon Coolpix L120? I'm also going to Africa and would like an AA battery operated camera with the best zoom possible. Thank you...
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Chris Weigl (05/07/2012)
The L120 is a fine performer if not stellar. It's great in good light, which is what you'll most likely need for the harsh African sun. I would also look at the newer L810, which has a newer sensor and longer zoom.
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L810 (Daisy — 02/06/2013)
Great zoom BUT very slow for shooting pictures in Africa-shutter speed very slow
too.....sometimes take times for auto focus...NOT GOOD for Africa.....
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too.....sometimes take times for auto focus...NOT GOOD for Africa.....
Andrew (04/17/2012)
GREAT article! This is driving me nuts-I want a high quality camera with a great sensor, but I desperately want something that takes normal batteries.
Is Cannon's PowerShot SX150 IS the best camera that uses AAs? What I really want is Sony's Alpha NEX 5n...but with non-proprietary batteries. Everything I'm seeing uses CCD instead of CMOS sensors (let alone large CMOS sensors like in Sony's NEX line!)
I just don't know if I'd be happy with these low end cameras, if the image quality would come close :(
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Is Cannon's PowerShot SX150 IS the best camera that uses AAs? What I really want is Sony's Alpha NEX 5n...but with non-proprietary batteries. Everything I'm seeing uses CCD instead of CMOS sensors (let alone large CMOS sensors like in Sony's NEX line!)
I just don't know if I'd be happy with these low end cameras, if the image quality would come close :(
Chris Weigl (04/18/2012)
Well thank you! And yes, manufacturers seem to equate AA's with the low end of the market. The one standout is the HS20 EXR, which has a fantastic sensor and a great zoom range. It's big though, so the SX150 is a better choice for portability.
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cheap but very good camera with AA (Gilles — 04/01/2012)
Fujifilm FinePix HS20 uses AA batteries and is sold under 250 (because of HS30)
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Chris Weigl (04/01/2012)
Oh good call! That's a much better choice than the L810, I'll make the change.
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Fuji AAs vs LiIon (Elle Campbell — 03/12/2012)
These comments on the limitations of the proprietary LiIon batteries has been very enlightening. My Fuji E510 is "several" years old and uses AA batteries. It has great battery life, is easy to use, and takes great great photos. But now it needs repair so I'm looking for a new camera but not many use AAs anymore! Is there a comparable camera out there under $200?
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BUY USED!!!! (David Rodriguez — 03/08/2013)
Try keh.com! They have all sorts of used equipment from point and shoots to DSLR cameras. I bought my Pentax K100D and a 18-55 zoom lens that come with a 6 month warranty. Can't beat that and the BBB rates this company an awesome A plus!
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Best for safari trip? (Lady Di — 02/15/2012)
I really want a good compact digital with good zoom for an african trip . I want a camera that uses AA's. I will be getting eneloopAAs and a solar charger.
As backup, I will be taking my little Canon A1100 P&S which also uses rechargeable AA's. It's irritating that it seems ALL larger lens digitals don't accept AA.s. I am a complete camera novice if that matters.
Thanks in advance! LD
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As backup, I will be taking my little Canon A1100 P&S which also uses rechargeable AA's. It's irritating that it seems ALL larger lens digitals don't accept AA.s. I am a complete camera novice if that matters.
Thanks in advance! LD
switch to AA's (joe stumpf — 12/15/2011)
with the NEW AA rechargables,(come pre-charged-large capacity 2500mha,and almost a year shelf life to hold charge,and cheap,they cant be beat. the swing might go the other way back to AA's.
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AA IZ the only way 2go (Peter Elsby — 12/26/2011)
Do not buy cameras that take proprietary batteries and then the manufacturers will have to give us premium cameras that take conventional batteries .I have asked several camera manufacturers why only entry level cameras use AA power and no one would respond .
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Why won't manufacturers make the camera we want? (loadofcobblers — 05/15/2012)
This is a great example where 'the free market' actually fails. We know what we want. Every forum on every camera site repeatedly calls for a large sensor, fast lens, AA battery-powered, fairly compact camera. The Canon G1X - or is it GX1? - has the large sensor, but fails on the proprietary battery and slow lens.
The manufacturer that makes the camera that pros and advanced amateurs want will make a lot of money!
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The manufacturer that makes the camera that pros and advanced amateurs want will make a lot of money!
Why manufactures use proprietary batteries. (ron kinch — 01/23/2013)
Manufactures love prop batteries, so you will need to replace whatever you bought alot sooner. eg. I have an mp3 player that runs on aaa battery and it is ten yrs old. If this ran on prop batteries it would have needed replacement yrs ago. Every rechargeable thing I have ever owned needed replacement due to no longer taking a charge. Currently I own a Canon sx150is and am very happy with it. Backcounty camping for up to a few weeks at a time requires that I can recharge all my equipment in the field.
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NiMH v. Alkaline (Robert — 09/08/2011)
NiMH AA batteries have 3 times the capacity of the standard alkaline AA batteries. Just make sure your camera has a selectable choice for NiMH because NiMH voltage is lower than the alkaline's 1.5 volts and the camera has to recognize it to NOT to trigger the low battery alarm.
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Gary (08/15/2011)
Is Canon the only maker of 'inexpensive' (under $200) AA-powered cameras?
Has Canon fixed its "Lens error" problem"?
Thanks,
Gary
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Has Canon fixed its "Lens error" problem"?
Thanks,
Gary
No (Loma — 07/30/2012)
GE makes a camera that takes 4 AA batteries. It is the X500. I think the X400 also takes AA. I am researching batteries to find the best type AA to use. Plain alkaline lasts no time but the ones that come with the camera worked pretty well.
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Why not much AA ? (LiIon killer — 08/11/2011)
Li Ion batts are better than NiMH ,but not standart, so, when after 2 years, or 3, the bat begin to be bad, high R, low capacity, you lost your camera. You need 50$ to buy another bat, or only 10$ to buy cheap battery on ebay that can explode on your hands ( chinesse cheaps LiIon bats with no protection chip ).
And manufacturer do not want standire the size of the li ion battery used, beacause so you will buy another camera and other 300$ each 3 years.
People is quite stupid and can accept this in Europe and USA.
REally, LiIon exist in AA size and AAA and others. But no manufacturer want to use this, is as killing the marchet. While stupid people buy Li Ion cameras, each 3 or 4 years , new camera, or 50$ for new no standart bat.
So, I never buy Li Ion bats cameras,
always heavy standart AA battery cams, and very happy. Always a lot of batteries, very cheap, never explotes chinesse batteries on my eyes, and so on,
and the better , the son of whore manufacturers no using standart Li ion bat go to fuck her mother, not me. Or can fuck the lots of stupid with to money on pocket,
is a tax by be stupid, or by be to rich.
Li Ion bat camera, the perfect for rich and/or stupid people.
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And manufacturer do not want standire the size of the li ion battery used, beacause so you will buy another camera and other 300$ each 3 years.
People is quite stupid and can accept this in Europe and USA.
REally, LiIon exist in AA size and AAA and others. But no manufacturer want to use this, is as killing the marchet. While stupid people buy Li Ion cameras, each 3 or 4 years , new camera, or 50$ for new no standart bat.
So, I never buy Li Ion bats cameras,
always heavy standart AA battery cams, and very happy. Always a lot of batteries, very cheap, never explotes chinesse batteries on my eyes, and so on,
and the better , the son of whore manufacturers no using standart Li ion bat go to fuck her mother, not me. Or can fuck the lots of stupid with to money on pocket,
is a tax by be stupid, or by be to rich.
Li Ion bat camera, the perfect for rich and/or stupid people.
Glenn (06/20/2011)
I don't think its that the manufacturers don't understand the convenience of AA batteries, I think its more the potential for profit. The last proprietary rechareable battery I just bought for my wife's camera cost close to $50.00. The camera is getting old, but she loves it and it still takes great pictures. But I'm stuck with very few options for batteries for it.
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Jim (05/02/2012)
Google for replacement batteries, by name (e.i. Panasonic) and voltage. You can usually find 3rd party batteries that work fine, even on Amazon & such.
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AA (stanik — 05/07/2011)
I love AA ,you have the best of both worlds ,you can recharged it or take some alkaline for spare
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aa battery cameras (hs — 05/19/2011)
WHat is the best point and shoot on the market now that takes aa battieries?
I am reading reviews that says canon have slow shot-to-shot time. I have bought 3 nikon cool pix. The last one has slow shot to shot time as well. ANy suggestions?
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I am reading reviews that says canon have slow shot-to-shot time. I have bought 3 nikon cool pix. The last one has slow shot to shot time as well. ANy suggestions?
The best choice for powering your camera is AA power. (John C. Barnett — 04/20/2011)
I'm amazed manufacturers do not value the freedom of AA powered cameras the way us consumers do. They must not like traveling light and their executives probably have all the spare batteries (free) they need.
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Manufacturers get it wrong again. (Pe Ro — 06/10/2011)
Camera manufacturers must be a lazy bunch. They cannot be reading the forums and message boards of photo sites.
What we want:
-compact with a large sensor
-about 10MP
-fast lens
-AA battery powered (the ONLY way you can travel internationally without carrying tons of equipment with which to charge Li-on batteries)
There is no such camera on the market today (June 2011). The first company that produces such a camera will make a lot of sales. How about it Pentax? Anyone?
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What we want:
-compact with a large sensor
-about 10MP
-fast lens
-AA battery powered (the ONLY way you can travel internationally without carrying tons of equipment with which to charge Li-on batteries)
There is no such camera on the market today (June 2011). The first company that produces such a camera will make a lot of sales. How about it Pentax? Anyone?
audrey (11/27/2011)
....and a viewfinder. simple!
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Batteries (Eugene — 04/10/2011)
I find that the AA batteries in the digital cameras don't last very long at all. And I'm using good batteries.I
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sometemes good (kepee — 04/20/2011)
AA battaries are sometimes good at their performance but sometimes very bad. I could not count how the AA batteries will work. But depend upon recharging, i think
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Wrong Camera Choice (J. C. Barnett — 04/20/2011)
If your going to use rechargable batteries anyway why did you buy a AA powered camera. You're not benefiting from the freedom of the wall socket and down time for recharging that a AA powered camera gives you. Trade that thing in for a typical lithium ion rechargable camera and forget about the quality of your rechargable AAs.
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Rob (07/30/2011)
You can buy rechargable AAs nearly anywhere, and a replacement set is cheap. You can buy alkaline AAAs literally anywhere. Good luck finding a replacement NXZB-3001A.
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AA is the most practical and the cheapest source of power! (michał — 03/10/2011)
Gratulations for an interesting subject! I prefer AA battery-powered cameras as well. It's a pity the choice is so poor. AA is the most practical source of power, especially during long trips. And additional AA accu are much cheaper than dedicated accu.
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AA battery life (Aniruddha — 03/02/2011)
Hi, Since the Canon SX130 is powered by only 2 AA's I'm not sure about how long the batteries will run before running out of juice. My experience with even basic point-and-shoots is that two AA's get down very Fast.
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Liam McCabe (03/02/2011)
I used standard alkalines and got about 80 shots from each set -- really not bad. If you're concerned, but some NiMH or lithium batteries, they'll last longer.
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AA rechargeable last much longer than AA battery (michał — 03/10/2011)
For instance I get on my old Sony DSC-S40 even over 600 photos on 1 pair of AA Eneloops without flash and up to 500 using flash from time to time. Yoy won't take so many photos with a camera powered with dedicated accu.
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question about point and shoot AA battery powered camera (Shannon Factor — 02/05/2011)
This review is fantastic... Thank you! For a AA-BATTERY POWERED POINT AND SHOOT, Do you have preference between the Canon A495; the Canon SX 130 or the Canon A590? I want the best point and shoot possible that has AA batteries, and wasn't sure if all of these were on the market when you wrote your review. Thank you so much, Shannon
(shannon@cinespire.com)
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(shannon@cinespire.com)
Liam McCabe (02/05/2011)
A590 is old, so it's not considered here -- of those you listed, the SX130 will give you the best image quality. Thanks!
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