help problem with new samsung digimax s500 digital camera batteries go dead after taking just a few pics?

Question

take like 3 pictures and it goes dead then i will hit power again and it will show full charge and then dead again whats the problem? should i return it just bought it last week

Answer 1

Did you charge it once you took it out of the box? There could be a problem with the battery or camera. Make sure the battery is put inside properly I had this problem once when it was off a little on the inside.

If this continues take it back a.s.a.p before they will not take it back.

Answer 2

My brother-in-law just got this camera. Too bad he didn't check with me first. Today, he asked me why the batteries die so quickly, so I had to tell him... The viewfinder eats batteries for lunch. It is a beautiful big LCD monitor, but it's power hungry. You will have to do what you can to turn the thing off as soon as you don't need it any longer. Set it to shut off at the shortest possible interval after you take the picture. Set it so that it doesn't not display unless you tap the shutter button to wake it up. Even this will not go a long way towards conserving batteries.

You can't use plain alkaline batteries with this camera. You will need to use either high output NiMH rechargeable batteries or Energizer e2 LITHIUM batteries or the Duracell equivalent. The thing is, a camera needs full output in order to operate. The output curve on these lithium batteries remains fairly constant and strong until just before the battery dies, so they will operate your camera longer. If you test the alkaline batteries that are not strong enough to operate your camera, you will probably fidn that they still have about 80% power remaining or even more. They just don't have the juice to make the camera work with that monster LCD monitor.

If you can still return the camera, I would suggest that you take it back and get one with an optical viewfinder and a smaller LCD. You don't really NEED a 3" monitor, do you?

For the same money, I'd consider a Canon Powershot A430. http://www.steves-digicams.com/best_cameras.html mentions this in the "entry level" recommendations and you can go their to read the review and see why.

Also see http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_a430.asp and click on "Read Owner Opinions."

Don't forget to buy a memory card, because the one that comes with the camera is tiny and won't hold very many pictures. Ask for help at the store and buy a 512 MB card. Lexar and Sandisk are the best brands, but there are many others that will probably be just fine for you.

Here's my rant about the lack of optical viewfinders, just because I said I'd keep posting this for a month. I think I'd better post it up until Christmas, though, in hopes of saving a few Yahoo! users some trouble.

I lament the passing of the optical viewfinder and I would choose almost any camera with an optical viewfinder over one that only has an LCD viewfinder. Why?

1. You never have the option of turning off the LCD and these things eat batteries for lunch and spit them out. Why do away with the option of a viewfinder that has zero electrical drain?

2. It can be difficult to see the image on an LCD in bright sunlight, even if they are "new and improved."

3. You have to hold an LCD viewer out at some distance in front of your face. This is more conspicuous than I prefer to be all the time.

4. The need to hold a camera at arms length will introduce some shake. I like the idea of stabilizing a camera against my face when I am taking a picture. This is especially important with a longer zoom lens. No wonder "image stablization" or "vibration reduction" is necessary with these cameras. Not that there's anything WRONG with IS or VR, but it is really a requirement with LCD viewfinders and telephoto lenses.

5. Using the LCD to view photos after you've taken them slows down the camera quite a bit. You can't shut of the LCD monitor and still take pictures if you don't have an optical viewfinder.

Answer 3

Check batteries, whether its of the same rating as required to be put in camera. If u put ordinary batteries, it wont last enuf..check correct battery to be used with that camera...must be mentioned in camera manual.

Answer 4

i have a camera that does the same thing i forgot what brand but it was an expensive one... some one told me that it was because i put the batteries the wrong way the first time so it messed it all up... i regret not returning it because its still the same way...

Answer 5

I would take it back to where you bought the camera and explain the problem.

Answer 6

i believe that a number of your settings were given replaced or lost. I advise to have a glance in the digicam guide and then artwork your way with the help of the menus ( look on the flash mode first - as already said earlier)