Does your camera battery drain too fast when you use it? There’s nothing worse than running out of power when shooting a wonderful video or taking images, so having a spare camera battery is essential. A high-quality RAV Power rechargeable camera battery allows you to power your camera for extended periods. Furthermore, it means avoiding transporting many batteries when on site.
I know that in the current digital photography and filmmaking era, cameras have developed into a necessary instrument for recording priceless moments in life. Whether you’re a serious amateur, a budding professional, or just taking pictures of your friends and family, a dependable camera is essential. However, the quick battery depletion that many camera users experience is an irritating problem. Your ability to get the ideal photo might be severely hampered by this phenomenon, which can also make you feel disappointed and constrained in your creative endeavors.
With a few simple adjustments, you can often increase your camera’s battery life. Here, we’ll talk about why your camera battery could deplete more quickly than you anticipate. Additionally, you’ll discover possible fixes for these issues.
What is A Camera?
A camera is a piece of hardware that uses photosensitive film or a plate inside a light-proof enclosure to capture pictures. The camera shutter opens and closes to expose the photosensitive film to light, which then imprints the image onto the film.
Digital cameras, webcams, and cell phones replace classic cameras like those in the image. A roll of photographic film serves as the light-sensitive medium in film cameras, and it is chemically developed to create a physical picture. The electronic sensor used by digital cameras, on the other hand, comprises a variety of pixels—photosensitive components. These pixels produce an electrical charge proportional to the light that hits them. Then, a memory card or internal storage is used to save the digital signal created from this charge as picture data.
There are many different types of cameras, including small digital cameras, smartphone cameras, security cameras, professional DSLRs (Digital Single Lens Reflex) & mirrorless cameras, and more. Since they enable us to capture and preserve memories, record events, and express our creativity via photography and videography, they have become essential to our life.
Reasons Why Camera Battery Drains Fast
If you’re like most photographers, you most likely bought a DSLR as your first camera. During the first several months, you learned a lot about your gadget and how it functions. You may have also noticed that your battery runs down faster than you’d like. With a few simple adjustments, you can often increase your camera’s battery life. We’ll talk about the potential causes of your camera’s sudden battery depletion. Additionally, you’ll discover possible fixes for these issues.
📷Utilizing the LCD Screen
The most common error is setting up your photo using the LCD screen rather than the viewfinder. The LCD is used to preview and evaluate images before and after they are taken, so it shouldn’t be surprising that it requires a lot of battery power.
If you can’t completely quit using it, reduce how much time you use it. Turning off post-shot feedback and reducing brightness are two recommendations.
📷Over Zoom
One of the fundamental principles of photography is that you shouldn’t use Zoom unless you are unable to approach the subject closer. It will produce nicer pictures most of the time, and you’ll also notice that your battery lasts a little longer.
The motor that moves the lens is solely responsible. It spins around whenever you zoom, depleting power with each rotation. Keep further usage of the lens motor to a minimum if you want to extend the battery life of your DSLR camera since turning on and off your DSLR is already problematic, particularly when carrying a heavy lens attachment. Battery life is seldom an issue for the numerous DSLR cameras with a manually adjustable zoom ring.
📷Bigger Lens
This idea partly relates to the previous one. You may need to utilize a telephoto lens. Examples include taking certain kinds of portrait photos and landscape pictures while standing far from your subject. You do not need to have one on your camera for every kind of photo.
A telescopic lens will deplete Your camera battery faster than a smaller one. Try to utilize a wider-angle lens if it’s not necessary. Anything you decide you don’t want in your photo may be cropped.
📷Autofocus Setting Continuous
Bringing your topic into focus is easier than you would imagine. The issue is that the Autofocus is managed by small motors, each powered by a battery. The worst culprit is constant attention. You may depend on the one-shot and Autofocus Single mode, which has a minimal effect on your battery if you don’t require it.
📷Pressing the Shutter Button
Everyone commits the same battery-draining error of lightly pressing the shutter button to focus the photo before taking it. However, each time you click the button, the lens refocuses and resets, igniting those tiny motors again.
When used alone, the battery life of anyone, such as an LCD, continuous focusing, or shutter half-press, is minuscule. Reducing your dependence on these settings and habits, though, may significantly influence how often you require a recharge of the camera’s battery, especially if you’re the sort of photographer who uses all three frequently.
📷Automatic Flash Switched On
How often does the flash on your camera light a scene when it isn’t necessary? When increasing the ISO level doesn’t yield decent results for nighttime photography, having automatic flash on is a great option. But for daylight shooting, you hardly ever need to turn it on. An issue exists if your flash activates in broad daylight (perhaps caused by an overhanging tree throwing a shadow on the sensor). But turning off the flash completely is this situation’s wisest course of action.
📷Active Features
Most of the functions on your DSLR are probably used by someone other than you. For instance, post-production tools like Adobe Lightroom and Capture One let you create overlays. Additionally, even though image stabilization is helpful while shooting handheld, it is unnecessary when your smartphone is placed on a tripod. You may turn off beeps as well as other sound effects from your camera’s settings if you are using them.
📷Camera in Record Mode
One issue with using a gadget in video camera mode is that you could forget it is still recording. If you’re employing the LCD and the usual stills mode, the picture from the viewfinder will be seen on the screen. The same is true with the video camera mode; however, the screen looks similar, besides a few minor icons. You will only sometimes see you are in video mode with a fast look. Therefore, always turn off your camera before putting it away and turn off the video camera feature as soon as you are done using it.
📷Forgot the Power Saving Mode
Enabling the power-saving mode on your camera is one technique to prevent the issue mentioned above. If you forget to turn the camera off manually, this feature, if engaged, will extend battery life by turning the camera off after a certain amount of inactivity. Check the instructions for your device to identify and enable the power-saving options, which may be found in various locations on cameras made by various manufacturers.
📷Photography in RAW
To be clear, RAW format is necessary for shooting the greatest pictures and achieving the best results during post-processing. However, RAW is only sometimes necessary. You could convert to a different format for scenarios like family outings to the park and decreasing resolution to save energy. For situations requiring exceptional quality, such as client work, landscapes, & beauty portraits, you may reserve RAW.
📷Not Charged the Battery
Although it could seem like the most apparent error, it is nevertheless a mistake. The time it takes your camera’s battery to discharge depends on how thoroughly you charge it between usage.
Make sure to use your in-car charger or other available options to recharge the cell as often as possible. Make sure you have a backup battery that is fully charged so you can switch to it when the primary battery runs out if, for some reason, this isn’t achievable.
📷Taking Pictures in Colder Weather
The most enchanted season of the year for photography is winter. However, if you want to film in chilly weather, you must prepare. You’ll have to cope with that cooler weather often causes your battery to discharge rapidly.
You can attempt a couple of strategies even if you can’t regulate the temperature. For instance, consider shooting during the day when it’s a bit warmer. And if you must take pictures in frigid locations, search for a battery that will endure low temperatures better. Instead of taking pictures outside, consider doing it indoors.
How To Improve Camera Battery Life
A digital camera’s unfortunate drawback is that it often loses power when you need it. You can squeeze extra power out of your battery. Here are the steps to take.
☑️Change the Old Battery
Rechargeable batteries lose their capacity to keep a full charge as they age. If you purchased your battery a few years ago, switch to a RAV Power rechargeable camera battery.
☑️Utilize the Viewfinder
Turn off the LCD and compose photographs using the viewfinder instead. If you must use the LCD, reduce the brightness to protect the battery since it takes a lot of power. Additionally, avoid repeatedly navigating the camera’s settings or scrolling through saved images.
☑️Activate the Battery Saving Mode
If there is no action after a certain time, this function turns the camera off. That is, if you fail to switch it off manually, it might assist in conserving the battery. It is accessible through the camera’s settings.
☑️Investigate for Corrosion
Corrosion might happen if the battery is left inside a camera that hasn’t been used for many weeks, particularly in a humid area. Corrosion is visible as green and brown streaks on the metal connections. If the accumulation isn’t removed, the battery won’t charge correctly.
☑️Avoid Shooting in RAW
RAW picture files capture much information, but the format calls for higher resolution and quickly depletes batteries. In light of this, only use the format if extensive post-production editing is desired.
☑️Get a Backup Battery
You can be confident you will have enough energy for a project with a RAV Power rechargeable camera battery. Most rechargeable batteries are model specific, meaning they cannot be used in other cameras. Therefore, choosing the appropriate rechargeable battery for your camera is crucial.
Tips to Make Your Battery Life Last Longer
The battery life of today’s cameras is becoming shorter due to the addition of more devices and gizmos. Our batteries deplete more quickly than they used to due to larger sensors, quicker processors, more memory, built-in WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS, among other things. When using your camera outside, it’s usually a good idea to have extra batteries with you. Even with extra batteries, though, a prolonged period without energy, such as a trip, may quickly deplete them altogether.
📌Turn Off the Wireless
Like our phones, Sony cameras have a genuine “Airplane Mode.” This rapidly turns off several functions that may use a lot of battery life, including WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS. You’ll have to navigate settings for most manufacturers to turn things off manually. Consider adding some of these choices if your camera has a “Favorites” menu.
📌Turn Off the Stabilization
This is one that I often do. I wouldn’t say that I despise VR since it may be quite useful, but most of the time, I shoot without it anyhow. I use it when I feel the need. But turning it off will save some electricity if you often leave it on. You’ll be forced to work on your handholding skills as well.
📌Turn Down the LCD Brightness
Even if you turn off the picture review, our LCDs will continue to appear while we navigate menus and go at the footage we’ve captured. Lowering the LCD’s brightness won’t have as large of an impact as not using it in particular, but it will still have a significant impact.
📌Turn Off the Sensor Cleaning
This one should only pose an issue if you follow the second recommendation listed below: to turn your camera off while not in use. I and numerous other portrait photographers I know automatically turn the camera off after a brief burst of shots. We switch it back on after turning to speak with our subjects and getting ready to resume filming. It’s merely a behavior that many portrait photographers have developed.
Your camera puts more strain on the battery to do the automated sensor cleaning each time you switch it on and off. Even while you’re not likely to have a lot of dust in there on most projects, particularly if you’re not changing lenses, if you’re turning it off & on a few hundred times over a shoot, this may pile up.
📌Turn Off the LCD Image Playback
This is a no-brainer. LCDs use a considerable quantity of electricity, and the longer they are on, the more power they consume. Duh! Because of this, many camera batteries don’t hold a charge for very long while recording video. They have to maintain the LCD on to show the scene and really gaze at it. This can be a convincing case for getting that external field recorder or monitor you’ve always wanted. But keep in mind that you’ll also need a battery for it.
📌Turn Off the Camera After Using
In contrast to what was described in the video, my experience with this was different. I discovered that whether the camera’s power switch was turned on or off didn’t matter with my pairs of D100 bodies (which were released in 2002). In each case, it lasted the same length of time. Of course, anything may half-press the shutter on your camera if you leave it in your backpack while it’s turned on, triggering your metering system. Your battery will suffer from this.
Modern cameras have improved efficiency, but they also feature more battery-draining components. Turning off the camera will undoubtedly prevent WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS from using power for a while, even if you don’t entirely deactivate all the abovementioned capabilities. I have included some helpful videos for your camera battery draining fast.
Choosing the Battery for Your Camera
🔋Select the Proper Size
You need AAA batteries if your camera uses them. Check the camera or the owner’s handbook to determine the right battery size.
🔋Choose the Proper Battery Type
NiMH and lithium-ion batteries differ from alkaline and lithium batteries, respectively. To make the best decision, learn how the chemicals affect battery life and performance.
🔋Choose Between Single-use and Rechargeable Batteries
Single-use batteries can only be used once, although they are more economical and have a great shelf life. Rechargeable, however, may be used again, making them more economical.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do cameras use a lot of battery power?
The camera’s battery may discharge more quickly than usual for various reasons. Rechargeables that have aged gradually lose their punch. Power is needed in plenty for features like the LCD screen and the automated flash. Or you failed to charge it, which would constitute an operator mistake.
How long does a battery last?
First of all, be aware that battery life is finite. As a result, it is common to see a loss of autonomy over time. Generally speaking, a vehicle battery should last at least two years, provided it is kept in good condition if the battery in your automobile is less than two years old. Therefore, we suggest you see whether your camera is still covered by warranty. In this situation, you can submit it to after-sales service, who can change the battery for you.
How much should a battery lose in an hour?
A 5–6 hours battery life is shown by 20% draining in a little over an hour. Most modern smartphones advertise a battery life of 10 to 15 hours when used frequently. You are using your phone two to three times faster than usual. Depending on what you’re doing, it could be typical.
How long should it take a camera battery to charge?
It takes a drained battery two hours at normal temperatures to completely recharge. Depending on the environment temperature & the battery’s remaining capacity, the time needed to recharge the battery might vary significantly.
When not in use, do camera batteries still drain?
Your camera will signal as soon as the power is low enough to need recharging. Batteries gradually lose voltage due to self-discharge over time and will “die” if left unused in long-term storage.
Final Words
The battery life of modern cameras is longer than that of earlier models. This does not, however, prevent them from emptying fast, particularly if you are careless. Fortunately, you often need to make minor adjustments to lengthen your camera’s battery life.
The advice I’ve provided in this post is a great place to start. However, you could also get one or two extra batteries. It’s a good idea to bring your charger along for longer journeys. I hope you get that by using this information; you may prolong your photography sessions and capture moments without worrying about your battery draining quickly.
