Optio S40

[jbinaz]

I have continually had a problem with my Optio S40 depleting my battery after only a few shots/moments. Suggestions?

[JimC]

What kind of battery?

Your S40 uses either 2 AA or 1 CRV3.

I'd suggest using high capacity NiMH AA Rechargeable Batteries. Alakalines are virtually worthless in many digital cameras.

If you are already using high capacity NiMH AA Batteries, they don't last forever. You could have a bad battery (or charger). Sometimes, oxidation can build up on contacts, too (battery or camera). So, cleaning the battery contacts can help.

See this page for more information on available batteries and chargers.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/nimh_batteries.html

Here's a quote from it that may explain your most likely problem:

The first thing a new digicam owner quickly realizes is that those AA alkaline batteries included with their camera are next to worthless. I've gotten many emails from folks who wondered if their cameras were defective because they only got 20 or so shots before the batteries crapped out. Today's digital cameras are extremely high-drain devices. The batteries must power a color LCD, a motorized zoom lens, an autofocus system, the multi-megapixel imager and the associated processing hardware.

The answer is simple ... use high power NiMH rechargeable batteries.