Per this site, I purchased a Panasonic FZ5 a couple of weeks ago. I think it's a wonderful product! Right now, I'm trying to figure out how I will recharge, as this will be mobile camping; they do tell me that a cigarette lighter will be available for recharging.

First, the manual doesn't mention being able to use the DC IN Socket to recharge. Could I just go to Radio Shack, pick up something to go between the DC and the cigarette lighter to recharge? Has anybody done this with their Panasonic?

Second, would this take too much time? Would I be better off getting a second battery pack, bringing the battery charger, AND getting someting that connects the batter charger to the cigarette lighter. That way, one battery could charge while I use the other. (Man, there goes a pound of my luggage limit!!!)

Finally, how many pics are Panasonic owners getting out of their battery packs? Maybe I could just pack an extra battery and not worry about recharging????

FYI, I'm playing with my new camera as much as the holidays allow, but I probably won't have time to get to know other technologies, so I've decided to bring a couple 1G and 512MB cards (vs. a storage device).

Once again, I need to tell you how great this site is. I probably visit here for half an hour a day (clothes, mosquito repellant, duffle bags, memory cards, PICS, etc.) as we get ready to go to Kenya January 18th.

Thanks!

Cheryl

Cheryl-

Definitely get an extra battery or two. You can get good generics for $20 each, so you can have two for less than the price of a panasonic battery. I've used the power2000 model and it's good. If you write a review for the ACD-225 on Pricegrabber.com you can get $5. See the site. Here's the link for B&H photo, a very reputable dealer which also has the best price I could find:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

Sorry I don't know about the car adaptor but I definitely think you'll want that as well. To save battery, try to use the EVF more than the larger LCD. Good luck.

-Matt

Cheryl,

I hesitated to post this as these batteries are generic and seem too cheap ($4.99 plus shipping) to be any good, and that might well be true in the long run. But, I've ordered several of these from this eBay seller and they work fine, so far. Only took about a week to receive even though they come from Hong Kong.

We're staying in two tented camps when when we return to Tanzania in June, so I decided to take four batteries, the one that came with the camera and three of these from this seller. Hopefully that's overkill big time, but they're cheap enough that it's no big deal.

Here's one that's for sale now, but he has several auctions going at the same time and seems to always have them for sale on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Panasonic-FZ-DMC...ayphotohosting

Good luck, Jack

Cheryl, to charge your camera battery using the car battery you need an inverter (this converts the car battery power to house current). You will plug the inverter into the cigarette lighter and your battery charger into the inverter. We charged camera, laptop and mini harddrive batteries for 6 photographers on a 17 night trip using inverters plugged into cigaratte lighters so you shoudn't have any problems. Do take a spare battery so you can be charging one and using one at the same time. You can buy them several places.

January 18th isn't very far away! Have fun on your trip.

You can always take an pure sin inverter like:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...amp;n=15684181

Leave it behind as part of the tip. This is what I did to insure my computer and camera batteries were charged. Nothing like being 1st in line. These inverters cost a mint in Africa, and you would be a hero.

Cheryl,

I also found the item recommended by luangwablondes listed on eBay. So if that is what you need, there are apparently several places to get one.

Where are you going on your mobile camping trip? Which operator did you choose?

Thx and have a GREAT trip

I hand't realized that there were generic batteries around that were SOOOO much less expensive. I looked at the inverter, and that looked like it would weigh much more than two or three extra batteries. Due to that and the fact that I don't need to worry about sharing a cigarette lighter with ten other people, I think we're going with the generic batteries.

Yes, VERY excited about our first safari! We used Equitours for a ten-day horse safari in the Masai and then Africa Serendipity (who I found here) to add on a couple days at a lux lodge. (One of my husband's Christmas presents is a box of all the stuff he normally asks me about the day before we leave: suntan lotion, insect repellant, immodium, aspirin, moisturizer, etc.)

As always, thanks!

Cheryl