Changes to Battery compartment

I have an Optio S50,which takes a CR-3V battery and have had some pleasant photos with it.

Whist in Singapore, my wife and I bought my daughter an E10, and my friend bought an E10 for himself.

Unlike the Optio S50, the E10 has no View finder, because the monitor is larger than the S50, but the most annoying feature, is the fact that the battery compartment, of the E10 has an extra raised piece in the moulding which prevents a CR-V3 battery being used.
Why on earth did Pentax do this?

If this extra piece of useless plastic was not present the CR-3V could be used with the E10!
Could the designers not think of battery usage and compatibility, when they put a design together?

Can you not find AA batteries anywhere? I'm surprised you could still purchase a camera that was discontinued 3 years ago.

It might well be quite deliberate to prevent use of an unsuitable battery type. Not every camera can use the CR-3V.

Some CR-3V batteries are over-volted as well - Pentax won't be keen on their use.

NiMH or lithium AA batteries should be good in the camera.

The CR-3V is the Battery that Pentax Quote for the Optio S50.

As it is basically 2 AA size lithium batteries combined together, I fail to see the differences, being quoted here on this site!

Until recently the only place I could get AA litium cells for my daughter's E10 was Maplin, and when you're out of the country these are hard to obtain!
If you use AA alkaline cells they are flat after only a few shots, and Pentax don't advise them for any thing other than initial settings of the new camera!

Some rechargeable CR-3V batteries can provide more than 3 volts - which Pentax may believe could damage the camera. So that's one possible reason, Roscoe.

Nowdays you can find Energizer Lithium AA batteries cheap in the UK. Stock up on a load of them to take on holidays, and to carry as spares. They are excellent batteries and have a shelf life of 14 years.

For more regular and economical running, you could use high-capacity rechargeable NiMH AA cells. It doesn't matter that they are rated 1.2V. In fact they work well in anything that works with 1.5V alkaline cells. There are hybrid versions (Eneloop etc) if the self-discharge rate of ordinary NiMH bothers you.

While I agree it's a shame to limit the choice of batteries that any device can take, it's no big problem in this case when there are two excellent solutions.

The smaller and more up-to-date Optios can't even take AA cells, only a special rechargeable lithium ion battery.

Hello Pete,
The CRV3 is a Duracell Ultra 3V Lithium battery, it's not a rechargeable,and is the battery recommended for use by Pentax, in the owners manual, so unless there is some "vast" difference between an E10 and an S50, I can not understand your point.

The CRV3 is also the battery recommended by Pentax for the Ist Ds, with rechargeable AA and other AA batteries as second and third choice. They are great batteries and last for ages. It does seem a shame that Pentax redesigned the battery compartment so you can no longer use them.