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07/31/2004 11:01:52 AM · #1 |
Hey Guys,
Do rechargeable batteries "lose" their charge just sitting in a camera case? I have four sets of them with plastic cases for all four. I charged them all then put them in my camera case. Long story short, I didn't get to shoot again for 2-3 weeks and when I finally did they were almost dead. I only got 5-6 pics out of each set. Normally each set lasts 20-30 pics.
I have two sets of Energizer 2100's and two sets of no-name 2300's. All are fairly new.
Anybody else have this problem??
Thanx,
Burgy. |
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07/31/2004 11:03:41 AM · #2 |
Yes... NiMH batteries do lose their charge when stored unused... this effect is more pronounced in heat.
-Terry
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07/31/2004 01:09:11 PM · #3 |
I heard it takes a month or two to lose the charge without use.
I also heard that the batteries are not fully capable until thay have been charged 4-5 times. Was this a first charge? That may explain it. |
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07/31/2004 02:01:36 PM · #4 |
Thanx for the info. The energizers are a few months old and have seen heavy use. The no-names are fairly new and that may have been the prob.
Also the no-names came with a one hour charger, the energizers charge overnight.
Dunno if that makes a difference or not.
Again thanx for the info. I have a wedding coming up and have been asked to both perform the ceremony AND take pics so I wanted to make sure I have plenty of juice.
Thanx again,
Burgy. |
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07/31/2004 05:55:19 PM · #5 |
20 to 30 pics? I know that the 7 serie Dimage drains power, but this seems a bit too much!
Let me look this up......
According to dpreview.com a set of GP 1600Mhz NiMh's in a 7i should be good for 260 minutes / 270 photos.
Either:
* The chargers suck
* The batteries suck
* The camera sucks
* You made a typo and it should be 200/300 shots?
First suspects are the chargers, if you only get 20 shots from them I don't think that they charge the batteries more than 20% full.
Yes, NiMh's loose charge. I have had one set that failed inmediately while I charged it two weeks before (GP1800 with a Powerbank Travel 4hr charger) but that is very rare. Normally they go on and on and on, especially the GP2300's.
Heavy camera use can also drain them fast: lot of turning on/off (lens extension/retraction), lot of zooming, microdrive uses a bit more power.
Are the contacts of the batteries and the camera clean?
For the wedding: bring a couple of sets of non-rechargeable AA's with you, preferably a good brand like Duracel Ultra.
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07/31/2004 06:06:58 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by BurgyBoy:
Hey Guys,
Do rechargeable batteries "lose" their charge just sitting in a camera case? I have four sets of them with plastic cases for all four. I charged them all then put them in my camera case. Long story short, I didn't get to shoot again for 2-3 weeks and when I finally did they were almost dead. I only got 5-6 pics out of each set. Normally each set lasts 20-30 pics.
I have two sets of Energizer 2100's and two sets of no-name 2300's. All are fairly new.
Anybody else have this problem??
Thanx,
Burgy. |
You have problems there if you are only getting 20 to 30 pics. With the LCD on I can shoot for about 45 minutes, without it on I can shoot for almost 90 minutes. I took over 450 photos recently at a wedding using up 3 sets of batteries (1800 mAh)
Something you may not though be aware of, and I only found out from having this problem myself is DO NOT leave your batteries in the 7i when you are done at the end of the day. The camera has a tendency to send a discharge into the batteries....causing them to melt. I called Minolta this past week about the problem and found out that it is a rather common problem.
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07/31/2004 07:44:44 PM · #7 |
And if you have a poorly made charger or one for charging old nicd batteries, it can overcharge your nimh batteries and that is what is the most damaging for those batteries.
Watchout also for that overnight charger! Read this faq I found:
//www.greenbatteries.com/documents/Battery_Charger_FAQ.htm
Can a battery charger damage a battery (shorten its life or reduce its capacity)?
Yes. The most common cause of premature battery failure is overcharging. The type of chargers most likely to cause overcharging are the 5 or 8 hour so-called "rapid chargers". The problem with these chargers is that they really don't have a charge control mechanism. Most of them are simple designs which charge at their full charge rate for a fixed period of time, typically five or eight hours, and then shut off or switch to a lower "trickle" charge rate. If they are used properly, these chargers are fine. If they are used improperly they can shorten a battery's useful life in a couple of ways.
First; suppose fully charged or partially charged batteries are put into the charger. The charger has no way to sense this, so it will give the batteries the full charge it was designed to deliver. It is not unusual to put partially charged batteries into a charger since it's pretty easy to mix batteries up and inadvertently put fully charged batteries into a charger. Do this enough times with one of these battery chargers and the capacity of the battery will start to drop.
Another common situation is for the charge cycle to be interrupted part way through the charge. The charger is unplugged to see how warm the batteries feel or to use the electrical outlet for something else. Then the charger is plugged back in. Unfortunately, this will cause a complete charge cycle to start again, even if the previous charge cycle was almost complete.
The easiest way to avoid these scenarios is to use a smart charger, a charger with microprocessor control. A smart charger can determine when a battery is fully charged and then depending on its design, either shut off entirely or switch to trickle charge. |
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07/31/2004 07:49:57 PM · #8 |
| Thanks for that bit of info procyon. I have been having trouble with my rechargables as well. I was beginning to think there was something wrong with the camera. I think I have one of those chargers you were talking about. I also didnt know that you could get more out of your charge if the LCD was off. Will be doing that too. Thanks once again. |
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07/31/2004 08:06:45 PM · #9 |
While many batteries are supposedly memory free these days, I still think it can cause problems. Using a charger that has a "refresh" (or similar) capability, will drain the batteries completely before recharging. This should reset them to their old glory.
Just another possibility.
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08/02/2004 03:05:38 PM · #10 |
Thanx for all the info guys. I figure I'll charge all four sets before the wedding. That should take of it. I think my main prob was that they sat so long they lost their charge.(My camera rarely sets idle for one day let alone a few weeks!)
Thanx again for the support.
Burgy. |
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08/02/2004 03:22:32 PM · #11 |
Perform the ceremony and take the pictures?
"you may now kiss the bride, but wait, let me get my camera out first..."
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08/02/2004 03:30:59 PM · #12 |
does your charger have a selector for 2/4 batteries. I know I killed 3 sets(opps!) by having it set on 2 and trying to charge 4?
PS I use Optex CamPower NiMH 2000mAh, and I can shoot all day with them. 600-800 pics with power save on. |
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