If
you've noticed your digital camera's battery power not lasting quite as long as
it used to, that's not a surprise. Rechargeable batteries tend to lose their
ability to hold a full charge as they age and are re-used. Losing digital
camera battery power is a frustrating problem to have, especially if your
"battery empty" light flashes just as you prepare to take that
once-in-a-lifetime photo. These tips and tricks should help you gain a little
extra digital camera battery life ...
even
from an older camera battery.
Viewfinders save
battery power
If
your camera has an optical viewfinder (the small window at the back of the
camera that you can use to frame images), you can turn off the LCD screen and
only use the viewfinder. The LCD screen has large power demands.
Limit using the
flash
Try
to avoid using the flash, if at all possible. Continued use of the flash also
drains the battery quickly. Obviously, there are some situations where a flash
is required to create the photo, but, if you can shoot the picture with the
flash turned off, do it to save some battery power.
Limit using
Playback mode
Do
not spend a lot of time reviewing your photos. The longer you have the LCD
screen on -- while you aren't actually shooting photos -- the faster your
battery will drain in comparison to the number of photos you can shoot per
charge. Spend more time reviewing your photos later when you return home and
you have a fresh battery.
Activate power
saving features
Use
your camera's power saving feature. Yes, I agree that this feature can be
extremely annoying at times, as the camera goes into "sleep" mode
when you haven't used it for a set period of time. However, it does work to
conserve battery power. To achieve the most battery power savings, set the
"sleep" mode to kick in as quickly as possible.
With
some cameras, this can be after as little as 15 or 30 seconds of inactivity.
Reduce screen
brightness
Turn
down the LCD's brightness level, if your camera allows this. A brighter LCD
drains the battery faster. A dimmer LCD is more difficult to see, especially in
bright sunlight, but it will help extend your battery life.
Don't expect to
match the manufacturer's battery life claims
Don't
believe the claims of the manufacturer about how much life your batteries
should have. When testing the battery life of their cameras, most manufacturers
will conduct their measurements in perfect conditions, something you likely
cannot recreate in real-world photography. If you're able to achieve at least
75% of the battery life that the manufacturer claims, that's a good starting
point.
Newer batteries
work better
To
obtain the longest life from your batteries, don't fall for the myth that says
you should fully drain the battery before recharging it. In reality, a battery
has "X" number of hours of use in it. If you're using some of those
hours to simply drain the battery, it won't last as long over its lifetime.
Just use the battery normally, and charge it when the battery needs a charge or
when you're done shooting.
A
partial charge isn't going to significantly affect the life of the modern
battery. That may have been the case with rechargeable batteries from several years
ago, but it's not true with newer batteries.
Don't turn the
camera on and off repeatedly
Each
time you restart most cameras, the introductory screen will appear for several
seconds. Although this doesn't seem like much time, if you turn the camera on
and off 10 times, you'll probably lose at least a minute of battery power,
which may be the difference between snapping that last great photo and seeing
the "battery empty" message. Use the "sleep" mode instead,
which I discussed earlier.
Consider replacing
older batteries
Finally,
because all rechargeable batteries tend to hold less power as they age, you may
simply want to purchase a second battery and have it charged and available. If
you find yourself constantly altering your photography habits to try to
conserve power with an older battery, you're better off buying a second battery
as a backup or an "insurance policy."
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