Best batteries - rechargeable or lithium?

My digital camera uses AA batteries. I have rechargeable 2450 mAh batteries and can get a lot of photos from one charge.

My children all have digital cameras which use AAA batteries. I normally use lithium batteries for them but was thinking of changing to rechargeable however the max mAh for AAA seems to be 1000.

I have read that you need at least 2000 mAh for rechargeable batteries to do a good job in a digital camera. Is this correct? If so are lithium batteries still the better option for the children's cameras.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Lithium ion batteries are rechargeable, but not normally available as standard size cells as they have a 3v output.

The capacity of the battery isn't really important, except in as much as a battery with a higher capacity will give you more between charges.

What is important is the voltage and how this slides down as the battery is used. Here, NiMH rechargeables actually perform a lot better than alkaline disposable batteries as they give a relatively constant 1.2 volts until they are exhausted as opposed to dropping off very rapidly.

Typically, a rechargeable NiMH battery outperforms a rechargeable disposable in every respect, not to mention being cheaper. Have a read here.