Camera-Accessories Reviews

Just get a power inverter (~35-45$) and use the included battery charger. Then you can also use the inverter to power a laptop or a drill or something useful.

On the surface, this charger appears to be nicely made and convenient for auto use, just a bit pricey. Unfortunately and do to design, the charing unit does not securely hold the battery inplace. I've found that the battery slips out too easly, and can and does get ejected out of the charger if you hit a firm bump on the road. It's something you will want to keep an eye one. Got to where I needed the camera today, and again I found the battery on the floor of my truck.

I picked up this car charger when I purchased my Canon PowerShot S500. At first I didn't think it would get much use and that I'd been pressured by the sales guy into purchasing it. But the charger has proven itself very useful and perfect for road trips.

It is super easy to use, you just plug it in to your cigarette lighter and away it goes. The lights work just like on the regular charger, so when the light turns green, you know you are good to go.

As for quality, this car charger isn't of any lesser quality than the regular plug into the wall one that comes with the camera. It is just as durable and it is definitely worth the price if you are on the road with any frequency. It is a little on the larger side, so it may not fit nicely in your glovebox.

All in all, this is a gem!

I own a Canon ES8600 camcorder which is a fantastic deal for the price ($270). What blows me away is how Canon has the nerve to then charge $165.00 for an adaptor to charge your camcorder battery in your car. An item like that costs only a few dollars in parts and labor, but because it's proprietary (menaing you can'y buy generic parts and make one) to Canon's batteries, they feel they can justify the cost. This is dissapointing to say the least. There isn't much to review; the item charges your battery in your car. Done. $165.00?? Can Canon do more to say "we don't care to be in support of our customers"?

The CB2LT is the charger that comes standard with the Canon Powershot S-series cameras (S30/40/45/50) and charges the proprietary NB-2L battery. Thus, you MUST buy the NB-2L (see my review of the Canon NB-2L) for your camera and MUST use a CB-2LT charger. This review is almost moot b/c there is only one other charger I've found, other than the one manufactured by Canon, but maybe you are checking out the charger as part of the decision whether to buy the Powershot, so I'll say a few words...

The design is perfectly fine: very lightweight, compact enough to fit into a modest size camera bag and it charges the NB-2L battery in about an hour give or take (charge time is mostly a function of the charger). It has flip out plugs (2-pin, non-polarized if that matters to you, and it may if you live in a real old building or outside the US) that fold back into the body - there is no cord, it plus directly into the wall socket. And thus, the only potential for design improvement. Most outlets are placed low to the ground, so to recharge your batteries, you must either stoop down or hook it up to an extension cord, but then it won't sit too well on a desktop. There is one other manufacturer, and the only one I've found, that makes a CB2LT compatible charger that is a desktop charger - it comes w/ an A/C adapter and sits nicely on the desktop. I'll be nice and not mention where to get it but look around on the web, you'll probably find it.

If you go with the Canon charger, amazon's price is pretty competitive (as of this writing).

After exhaustive research, I settled on a Canon S40 digital camera and have been extremely satisfied thus far. I originally considered upgrading to add an AC connection for the camera while uploading images, but have found this compact and lightweight charging mechanism well thought out and executed. The electric plugs fold neatly into the main body of the charger, and there's little weight or bulk for packing. Might be a worthwhile purchase for a spare.