i'm geting a new camera and am thinking of one that uses AA batteries instead of it factory battery.AA rechargables are cheap these days.Also don't have to lug around a brand specific charger.  Do the AA's last a long as the factory lith ones?

Which one do you prefer?

Lion batteries (provided they are rechargeable) will be the better choice. Twice the energy density (3.1v per cell vs 1.2) and they are usually higher capacity (mAH). The disposable Li based batteries are not Lithium Ion, but are lithium metal based. Whatever you do, do not try to recharge them. Lithium fires are not fun. What kind of camera?

ETA: if you are going to leave the camera in your car, go with the non-lithium cells. If you overheat the Li based cells, they can go up in flames......and don't leave your cellphone on the dash of your car either.

Quoted: i'm geting a new camera and am thinking of one that uses AA batteries instead of it factory battery.AA rechargables are cheap these days.Also don't have to lug around a brand specific charger.  Do the AA's last a long as the factory lith ones? Which one do you prefer?

I don't like AA batteries because theres usually a big bulge in the camera. It makes it bulky and heavy....

Ditto that about interior heat in autos. In south. Calif. in the mid 90s, I've personally measured temps in the 150-160 F degree range.

Li-Ion sucks. 5 years max (either in full storage or daily use) and the Ion breaks down, requiring you to buy an expensive battery pack.

AA NiMH will last years and does not suffer from the NiCd memory effect. Capacity is high (2.5 AH) and they're really cheap ($5-$10/pack of 4).

Quoted: AA's wont last as long, Lithium Ion batteries are friggen stallions. I can get about 500 pictures on my digital slr on one charge, and it takes about an hour to recharge. In regards to leaving your camera in the car, I dont reccomend that at all. High-temperatures can be very bad for the adhesives, i've heard horror stories about guys losing some high-dollar gear by leaving it in the car.

Depends what AAs you're talking about. Alkaline AAs will last about 5 min in a modern digi cam. NiMH 2.5AH AAs will last (for me) about 1-2 months, that's about 300-400 photos w/ flash. Depending on your charger, it can take 30 min to 5 hours.

So basically, you state Li-Ion will take 1 hour to charge and can last 500 pics on your digital camera.
What I am saying is NiMH AA can take 1 hour to recharge and can last around 500 pics on a digital camera depending on current draw.

NiMH AAs are about $5-$10/4. Li-Ion is $30-$100+.
Li-Ion will last a max of 5 years and has horrible horrible cold-weather performance (this is why they're not used on hybrid vehicles). NiMH will last much longer, does not suffer from cold-weather performance (used in hybrid vehicles), and is more affordable.

My FujiFilm takes 4 AAs and the bulge is in your grip area.

AA batteries are t3h w3ak in digital cameras.  I had a camera that would suck 4xAAs dry very quickly.  LiIon batteries are much more robust.  They charge quicker and last a lot longer.

And +1 on the 'do not leave it in your car' comment.  

Quoted: AA batteries are t3h w3ak in digital cameras.  I had a camera that would suck 4xAAs dry very quickly.  LiIon batteries are much more robust.  They charge quicker and last a lot longer. And +1 on the 'do not leave it in your car' comment.

Again it depends on what chemistry you're talking about. There are low-cap NiMH AAs that will run dry. Alkaline AAs (like Energizer Tritanium crap) are EXTREMELY low capacity when you're talking about AAs.

There are 2.5 AH NiMH AA batteries like the ones I use. They last quite awhile in my FujiFilm. Some Li-Ion batteries don't even have as high of a capacity!

What you get with Li-Ion is smart charging/monitoring capability (built into the battery packs), NO memory effect, limited lifespan (when the Ion chemistry breaks down, time to buy a new pack), and higher price than NiMH.