From the start, the camera has been very heavy on batteries, both rechargaeble and non-rechargeable. I am told that this camera is known to have a fault. Is this so? As per my previous mail, when switching on I can access old photos, the shutter button does not depress, the screen goes blank and the camera switches off. I have changed batteries many times. Sometimes doing so gives me three or four more shots before it switches off again.

Can you test the voltage of the charged batteries, often they will not hold full charge for several reasons, age, factory imperfection, over use, haven't been allowed to discharge fully before recharge, dirty battery contacts, if you can, try new non rechargeable batteries, often cameras get temperamental about batteries after some time, use a metal tarnish cleaner with a cue tip, on the contacts, or pure alcohol, if bad, use plastic scourer, cold batteries don't work well, warm them in your hands if cold.

This I have seen on my Canon when the batteries fall below a certain voltage. In particular it occurs when one uses Nicads or other rechargeable batteries which only give 1.2volts per cell as opposed to non-rechargeables which give up to 1.6 volts per cell when new. So if your camera takes 2cells it needs a good 3volts to operate correctly(Not 2.4 volts) for any sustained length of time in use. If the problem occurs with known good 1.5volts per cell batteries then it needs a look at by a camera tech.

maybe the battery is not the original battery.
you can buy cheap replaement batteries for your digital cameras.

US shop:
http://www.sales-battery.com/digital-camera-batteries.htm

UK shop:
http://www.global-battery.co.uk/digital-camera-batteries.htm

that is the normal low power warning. Replace the batteries with KNOWN working batteries or recharge/replace your rechargeable batteries

The most likely problem is the batteries. You don't mention which ones you have - if they're rechargeable, charge for 10 - 15 hours even if the charger indicates a full charge. If those rechargeables are a couple of years old - replace them. If using non-rechargeable, be sure they're NOT "heavy duty" or "super heavy duty" - those are useless, for toys. Get fresh alkaline batteries.

THIS CAMERA IS KNOWN FOR THIS FLAW! NO KNOWN FIX SORRY!

a well known problem , this camera eats batteries there are high power (2950MaH) accus , those should be used with this camera even with 2700 MaH it is empty real quick

fuck it

Sorry, no solution. Same problem here. I am very unhappy because initially it took great pictures. The first one I tried only worked a couple of days and I returned to store and they replaced. Second worked a couple of months and now immediately draws down power and won't work on new batteries. I was told to use NH-10 batteries (rechargeable). I did this from the beginning. Still won't hold charge.

AA batteries are available in four basic varieties: Alkaline Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) Nickel-Cadmium (NiCad) Photo Lithium (Li-FeS2) Alkaline and photo lithium are non-rechargeable, while NiMH and NiCad are rechargeable. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Non-Rechargeable vs. Rechargeable: Rechargeable batteries are desirable from an environmental standpoint because they are reusable. Self-discharge refers to the fact that batteries lose energy when unused and even when not in a camera or other device. Rechargeable batteries tend to have relatively high self-discharge rates, approximately 1-2% per day for nickel-based batteries. Non-rechargeable batteries generally have very long shelf lives and extremely slow self-discharge rates. This makes non-rechargeable batteries a better choice for infrequent usage. Non-rechargeable batteries are available fully charged in stores all over the world, which makes them a convenient choice for travelers or customers who have dead rechargeable batteries and no time to recharge. Photo Lithium Batteries (Li-FeS2) (non-rechargeable): Photo lithium batteries will yield the longest battery life of any AA battery, surpassing NiMH by 50-100% and surpassing alkaline by 100-500%, depending on the load. While they are more expensive than alkaline batteries, their additional energy capacity makes the cost the same or less per shot than alkaline batteries. Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries (NiMH) (rechargeable): NiMH batteries are the lowest cost overall solution for users that take a lot of pictures (more than the equivalent of a roll of film per month) or use a lot of high-power features. The largest disadvantage to NiMH batteries is their fast self-discharge rate of 1-2% per day whether the batteries are in a camera or not. NOTE: NiMH batteries need to be completely charged and discharged a few times when new to achieve their full capacity. Rechargeable batteries will eventually fail. If you have been getting acceptable battery life and then see a decrease in life, either quickly or slowly over time, a worn-out battery may be the cause. Storing or charging the batteries in high temperature conditions will accelerate this potential failure. Alkaline Batteries (non-rechargeable): Although the cheapest and easiest to find, alkaline batteries yield the worst performance of all the chemistries in a digital camera. They lose capacity at high power drains and at low temperatures. Skiers and other winter outdoor enthusiasts may find them unsatisfactory. Alkaline batteries are frequently available in two types: High drain (ultra, titanium, maximum etc.) Regular The high drain versions are a premium product designed to operate better under heavy loads than the standard product. However, there is a trend of major brands to increase the performance of their standard battery to b