Am planning to use a Nikon Coolpix camera in Europe in the next few weeks. Will have two charged batteries. In case I need to charge the batteries further, can I do so? Will I need only the adaptor plugs or also a converter? Any help will be appreciated!
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
My Nikon Coolpix takes regular lithium (or alkaline, in a pinch) batteries. I don't use rechargeables at all. You will need an plug adapter at least. Whether or not you need a converter will depend on whether your charger is dual voltage (it probably is). If the "brick" of your charger says something like 110v-250v, you only need a plug adapter. I take a lot of pictures, but a set of lithiums lasts me a week or better. Your rechargeable batteries won't last that long.
Posted by
2081 posts
Mary,
chance are all you will need is an ADAPTER. but as Nancy stated, look at the charger for voltage requirement.
Battery makeup can make a dif on how long it lasts, but also the device itself can make a dif.
If this camera is new to you, i would suggest you spend ALOT of time learning how to use it NOW instead of later when the photo opportunity is gone. Also, if you take night shots and you will, learn how to do that too.
with regards to the life of the charge, look at camera review sites. You can google or use this site: enter link description here
I used it alot a couple years ago to research my 2 digital camera i bought for my trips. If you look at the "specs" for your camera, look for the CIPA rating. its more or less a "standard" on how many pics you will get on a charge. Again, this will vary with battery and device and how you use your camera.
on my trips so far, ive been averaging 3k of pics and that is after editing the bad/fuzzy ones. also, i was always charging my batteries overnight so i didnt have to use a dieing battery.
happy trails.
Posted by
Louisville, KY, USA
255 posts
When I took my Coolpic camera to Europe, I took a small batter charger and I would change the batteries every morning. While away from my room the previous days batteries were charging. That way, I always had fully charged batteries each day.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32201 posts
Mary,
You should have no problems using your rechargeable camera batteries in Europe. I routinely travel with several cameras (as well as other electronic devices) and most recent products are designed for "world" operation.
As mentioned, you will first have to check the Charger to determine the Input Voltage requirements (these will be listed somewhere on the charger, probably in very small letters). If this states "Input 100-240 VAC", then all you'll need is inexpensive Plug Adaptors. Plug Adaptors for continental Europe have two round pins (for the ungrounded model), while those used in the U.K. have large rectangular pins.
If the input voltage specifications are as I described, you won't need a Voltage Converter.
Posted by
Tigard, OR, USA
1068 posts
I take two digital cameras with me whenever I travel. So far, I have not had trouble charging them as long as I have an adaptor....no converter required. Typically, I have one fully charged battery with me and the partial in the camera. Unless the partial is low, I'll hold off on charging it until it has taken several hundred shots....then charge it that night. Most cameras today have pretty good "automatic modes" which will often pull you through until you can really master your camera. However, if you really enjoy photography (as I do) some study will definitely help. Also, today, many camera manuals come as PDFs and be loaded onto your smart devices.