Sony DSC-S70 Digital Camera

The Battery

One area in which all Sony cameras have shined has been in battery life. Ever since the first Mavica, Sony has used their proprietary InfoLithum batteries to provide not only long battery life but also an accurate readout of battery life remaining.

The S70 uses the newest generation of InfoLithium battery packs, one which provides not only improved battery life but also a more advanced battery life remaining meter. The S70 comes with one NP-FM50 battery which displays 146 minutes remaining when fully charged. In our testing, we found the time remaining meter to be extremely accurate. In fact, the S70's battery lasts a bit longer than the read out remaining time, lasting a full 2 hours and 38 minutes. This makes the Sony's battery life exceptional, as these tests were conducted not only with the rear LCD on but also while making periodic memory writes as well as flash burns.

The battery charger is actually inside the camera. All one needs to do is plug the power adapted into the camera while the battery is in. This is a nice feature, as it means there is one less piece to carry on trips. The only problem is that the power brick included with the S70 for power transformation is entirely too big. Larger than the size of many notebook power bricks, the S70's power brick is nearly as large as the camera: too large if you ask us.

Once again, we have to commend Sony for improving upon a feature so important in the digital camera arena. Not being able to use conventional AA batteries in emergencies may scare some off, but keep in mind that the S70's battery is better than many others, making those emergency times few and far between. Plus, with the extremely accurate time remaining meter, one always knows what to expect.