Is this camera deal too good to be true.

Check out www.resellerratings.com:

Resellerratings for Bestchoicedigital

I don't think you will buy from them.

It looks like you can find it for $210-$220 from reputable dealers (and $230 from Amazon).

It looks like the Axx series cameras are being phased out for the new A5xx series. The prices should decrease until they are gone.

Google "Best Choice Digital" and you'll find plenty of reasons to stay away.

Can anyone do a "whois" on www.bestchoicedigital.com? I can't get any information.
 
If you really want to know:
Server Used: [ whois.domaindiscover.com ]

bestchoicedigital.com = [ 209.125.209.170 ]

Registrant:
Bill Johnson
2071 Flatbush Ave
Brooklyn NY 11234-3523
US
Domain Name: BESTCHOICEDIGITAL.COM
Administrative Contact Technical Contact Zone Contact:
Bill Johnson
2071 Flatbush Ave
Brooklyn NY 11234-3523
US
718-535-9658
[email protected]

Domain created on 09-Jun-2003
Domain expires on 09-Jun-2005
Last updated on 11-Feb-2004
Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.COMPUWEB.NET
NS2.COMPUWEB.NET
 
smee said:
It looks like the Axx series cameras are being phased out for the new A5xx series. The prices should decrease until they are gone.
Mostly based on advice I got here on CT, I purchased a Canon A510 last week. I got it from eCost.com for $185 and a 512meg SD card for $30 after rebate. It is my first digital camera so I don't have anything to compare it too, but I like it so far. I got 8 AA 2500 mAh NiMH and charger from Sams for $20.
 
Wayne,
After reading article after article and review after review that was the camera I had settled on. I see that it uses 2 AA down from 4 in it predecessor. How long do the 2 batteries last?
 
Ask me in another week? :)
When I got the camera, I fired it up with the 2 supplied standard AA batteries. After a couple test shots, I switched to the NiMH. So far, I have shot about 150-175 shots on the first pair of NiMH batteries.
 
2500mAh is pretty impressive, they should last you a while. I also recommend you carry a spare set of e2 titanium energizer batteries with you, they last forever, and they are a great backup. I have 3 sets of those in my camera bag, has saved my butt many times. I learnt my lesson after my camera died when trying to take pictures of the rocket assisted take off of the Blue Angels C130 :)
 
Is carrying a set of e2 titanium better than a second or third set of NiMH? I thought the shelf life of NiMH was pretty good, assuming you rotate your batteries at least occasionally? Whats the best thing to carry AAs in so they don't get lost or accidently shorted? I have jsut been using a small ziplock bag.
 
One of my NiHM battery set came with a plastic case, otherwise I just reuse the cardboard boxes the e2's come in. I like them as a backup as they usually last longer than NiHMs, eventho that might have changed with 2500mAh's, not sure how long they last. But the e2's are designed for high-drain devices.
 
I carry my AAs in boxes like this:
Battery Holder (from www.thomasdistributing.com)
They came with my batteries. I've been very happy with Maha NiMH batteries from www.thomasdistributing.com. It used to be more difficult to find high capacity batteries, but now companies like Everready and stores like Target have jumped on the band wagon so it's much easier.

NiMH shelf life isn't all that great. They always seem to die just when you want to use them. Here's some info from Maha:
Maha PowerEx FAQ
Maha charge retention graph
Remember that using the flash and LCD display on cameras uses more juice than just taking pictures. So, after a few weeks of storage you may only get a few pictures with flash before the batteries die.

Here's a good article on batteries (with comparison of different brands):
Imaging Resource battery article
 
Skibum said:
There is simply nothing better than the Ray-O-Vac IC-3 batteries

http://www.rayovac.com/products/recharge/index.shtml

Ya just cant beat 15 minute regharge times..
I wonder what they are monitoring in each battery. The charge rate, etc., can be monitored by the charger itself. I don't really know the physics/chemistry behind the batteries, but isn't cell temperature about the only thing you would measure on the inside?

Rayovac IC-3 batteries

By the way, LIon batteries have hardware inside them to regulate charging so there may be something similar in the Rayovacs. In the case of LIon, it's there to prevent them from exploding if they are charged incorrectly (one of the reasons that LIon AAs are not common).
 
Skibum said:
I would assume that there was some way to measure pressure as well?
Pressure it is.

Doesn't look like anything more than a pressure-regulated switch (connecting/disconnecting from the charger based on internal pressure). I guess it charges at a high rate, disconnecting before they explode, and reconnecting when the pressure goes down.

How warm do they get when charging? Even a good one-hour charge will produce nice, warm batteries.

Press Release
Press Release
Sanyo Press Release
Press Release

I'm a little disappointed by a comment in the Sanyo release:
Rayovac's patented I-C3 system enables Ni-MH batteries to be fully* charged in 15 minutes or less. SANYO, by adding its own battery technology on I-C3, hopes to achieve higher battery capacity and early mass production.

*Charged to a level that can discharge more than 80% of the Battery Rated Capacity
It's 15 minutes until the battery is at 80% capacity. That doesn't sound too different from what you'd get out of a good charger. It's not unusual to charge at a high rate initially and then decrease it later. Is it possible that the pressure-based system in these batteries is just taking the place of a smart charger?
 
I use these batteries for my police scanner. They last me over 12 hours, then they are swapped for a newly charged set. This happens every day at 8am. (it is not on all day)I have had this routine now for years, and these batteries are the best I have used.

In a pinch, I get charged batteries very quickly.


Enough of the batteries.... the company is awesome! Ray-o-vac is fantastic with customer support, and will bend over backwards to keep you happy.

Anytime that I have a choice, I now choose Ray-o-Vac.
 
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