What are the best rechargeable batteries to purchase for my Epic/Epic 100?

We strongly recommend rechargeable Ni-MH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) batteries, as they often last longer and can be reused many times. The Li Ion (Lithium Ion) rechargeable have also performed better than alkaline batteries, and do well in cold weather.

We’ve had good success with sanyo eneloop rechargeables (try amazon). I can’t remember the exact numbers but I’ve definitely gotten more than a couple thousand shots over a few gigapans with a newly charged set (epic 100)

I use a brand called Vapex that I bought on eBay – and I get good mileage from them, half a day’s shooting or more. Use reputable battery brands and a quality smart charger and you should have no problems. Its easy enough to hook up an external battery to the Epic 100 if you want more power:
http://madaru.net/gigapan.html

I’m happy with my nickel-zinc (NiZn) batteries. They have a higher voltage than NiMH (nominally 1.6v as opposed to 1.2v) and you can hurt your GigaPan if you’re not careful. I cut a slug of metal from a curtain rod, the same length as a AA battery, and wrapped it in tape to be the same diameter. I use the slug and five NiZn’s in the battery tray and get a bit under 10v with a freshly charged set. Once the batteries run down and the voltage drops, I’ll swap out the slug for another NiZn. They hold their power better in cold weather too.

I’ve been using the latest Duracell rechargable Ni-MH batteries and under most conditions can record more than 1200 shots per charge.