I have a Canon IXY digital camera which I purchased in Japan, where the voltage is considerably lower than here. Unfortunately, the charger is dead. The input socket for the camera says 3.6DC V. I had been using a plug-in transformer to change the voltage to Japanese standard before plugging the charger into it.

Obviously, the safest thing to do is get another charger in Japan. However, I won't be able to make that trip for at least a month or two. Do you think the charger for the camera sold here would scale down the Thai voltage to the same 3.6DC V? Would they sell the Japanese version of the charger here? Or is this all too risky to attempt?

"Steven"

My guess is that if you contact Canon's service center in Bangkok they would have a charger that would work with your camera on 220 V current here. In fact, the chargers sold here tend to be the multi-voltage ones that work on everything from 110 to 220 volts.

Strange that they didn't supply a universal voltage charger (110-220v) with your camera. Japan's (and the US's) mains voltage is 110V while Thailand's is 220V. It shouldn't be all that difficult to find a charger here with the proper voltage.

I think that you're confusing the terms a bit. A transformer changes voltages, a charger charges the batteries. AFAIK, the IXUS comes with a proprietary battery and uses a proprietary charger. Unless I'm mistaken, it should have its own built-in transformer, so if the transformer is dead, the charger is dead since it's the same unit.

The input socket for the camera is to let the camera be operated without a battery, which is good for prolonged studio use, but useless for most cases.

The thing about plug-in mains transformers is that they're designed for small loads and short durations. They can overheat easily.

Check the sticker on the charger and see what it's input is. If it doesn't say something like 110-230v, then you'll need to either get a new universal charger or buy a bulky 220->110V transformer.