A Couple of Notes on Batteries

There is a reason why so many complain about short battery life in laptops, cellphones, GPS units and yes, cameras.   A battery's capacity and duration are largely affected by improper use, charge time and storage.  The manuals say it all and you should heed the warnings both for the sake of preserving the battery's useful life as well for safety's sake.

After purchasing a Canon 20D, I realized having an extra battery on hand was a must, especially while traveling.  However, who wants to spend another $50-70 bucks on a battery??  Car batteries come cheaper!  I ended up buying an aftermarket version from my preferred online store, noting that it appeared to have a longer life (rated in milliampres, or MaH) and at half the price.  Unfortunately, the aftermarket battery died within six months of purchase.  I've since tried everything to keep from spending the money on OEM batteries - new chargers that claimed to work on any models, other aftermarket battery brands, etc.  The bottom line is rarely do they work like the original manufacturer version nor last as long.  You get what you pay for.  Buy the darn original batteries for your spares!  And don't throw away the dead ones, please recycle the Chinese Cheapos.

Lithium-Ion (so-called "memory-less") batteries do last longer than their Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) predecessors, but can be overcharged which will severely curtail their useful lifespan.  Never charge them longer than the time recommended by the manufacturer.  If the charger has a light or makes a sound to indicate the battery is fully charged, remove the charger from the wall (they use energy even when a battery is not cradled) and the battery from the charger.  No light or sound?  Use a kitchen timer or watch.  You won't get more life out of your batteries by leaving them charging for a week and staring at the green light. Green means "GO!"  So stop watching it and go take pictures.

Overcharging can also generate a lot of heat over time and can be a fire hazard.  Leave a laptop plugged in for more than a couple of hours and even when it is off, feel the bottom of it for kicks.

Similarly, batteries that won't be used for a long time should be fully discharged and stored in a cool, dry environment.  Even when the camera is off, the battery is still draining because the contacts are running through a closed circuit.  Rechargeable batteries will lose a charge over time by themselves, but even moreso if stored in the camera.

You've heard all of this before.  Now obey the battery gnomes - buy OEM, charge responsibly (though you can drink and charge without side effects, unless you forget where you plugged the charger) and store properly.

Happy shooting.