Get the Most From Your Camera Batteries
By Former Battery Engineer, Joe Swanny
Our camera’s battery tends to be an afterthought—until it doesn’t work as it should. This week, we’re sharing a few tips on getting the most out of your camera’s battery life, which our student, Joe Swanny Photography, a former battery engineer, shared in our community. Thanks, Joe!
Handling
Avoid touching the contacts on your batteries! The oil on your skin will block the contact, causing it to corrode.
Usage
Don’t let your battery drain entirely. Using all its charge makes it less capable of returning to a full charge and will degrade much faster. With modern batteries, there’s no such thing as a “memory.” That is no reason to drain your battery.
Rotate
Make sure you’re using your entire stock evenly. Regular discharge/charge cycling will give you the best battery life.
Temperature
Avoid extreme temperatures. Please don’t leave your batteries in the car or anywhere they will get very hot or cold. Either one will degrade the battery’s life.
Important: never use a battery that feels hot or cold to the touch. It could deform and get stuck in your camera.
Battery Storage
Charge your batteries fully after use and store them in a way that covers the contacts. Most come with plastic covers. Use them. Don’t store your batteries on the charger. While you can’t overcharge the battery, you could corrode the contacts, which will lessen it.
Camera Storage
Never store your camera with the battery in it, especially in the long term. Even with the camera off, it will draw a small amount of electricity, corroding the contacts.
Replacing
Purchase several batteries for each camera and replace them regularly. Under normal weekly usage, camera batteries will last three to four years.
Copy/Paste
Use these suggestions for all your camera gear batteries to get the most from them.