I may have missed the boat on this thread, but here's my $0.02:
- Go with the LSD NiMH batteries for the reasons already stated here: peace of mind and more recharge cycles.
- I own and have used both eneloop and Imedion LSD batteries and I consider them equal in performance, and both excellent batteries. All the eneloop and Imedion LSD AAs I have bought met their capacity spec. I would choose between them based on price.
- Note that the Imedion AA has a slightly larger diameter than most alkaline or the eneloop AA. Alkaline (the several I measured) and eneloop have a diameter of 14.1 mm, and the Imedion is 14.5 mm in diameter, which is just at the upper limit of the IEC LR6 spec. So if your standard alkaline is a tight fit, the Imedion might get stuck.
- I have some Sony LSD NiMH which are not quite as good as the eneloop or Imedion, but they were less expensive so they were a good value. The Sonys are not clearly labeled as LSD, so it is difficult to know what type of Sony NiMH it is. Plus the LSD NiMH Sony batteries look a lot like the regular Sony NiMH batteries, so it's easy to grab the wrong battery and end up with one that has self discharged.
- Amazon sells some "Amazon Basic" LSD AAs that look interesting, but I have never used them. I think they would be worth a chance if they were a fair bit less expensive than the eneloop or Imedion AAs.