Battery care.

iant

iant

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Ian T
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Quickie question for you guys.

In respect of batteries, do you run yours totally flat and recharge, or top them up fully after each use?
 
I run them as flat as I can then recharge them. Lithium ion batteries have a chip in them that doesnt let them get completely flat because that would damage them. If my batteries have been left for a while and I know I'll need them I'll put them on the charger for half an hour to top them up.
 
I tend to run mine near flat before I charge them, unless I know I'm going to need them the next day or something. Then I'll top them up that night.
 
I use my batteries in a grip so as soon as one goes flat and the 2nd one kicks in, I take the flat one out and recharge it. That way I always have at least one working battery in my camera.
 
fabs said:
I use my batteries in a grip so as soon as one goes flat and the 2nd one kicks in, I take the flat one out and recharge it. That way I always have at least one working battery in my camera.
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Dumb question but how do you know when one battery has gone flat? I presumed my grip (on a 350d) used both batteries at the same time?
 
Jamesemt said:
Dumb question but how do you know when one battery has gone flat? I presumed my grip (on a 350d) used both batteries at the same time?
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I don't know what camera you use and it is probably different for each brand and maybe even model, but on mine the batteries are used consecutively and the power is indicated in percentages for each battery on the camera's LCD screen.
 
I just make sure all my batteries are charged before I go out somewhere, there's not much point as far as I'm aware to run li-ion cells down as they don't have a memory like Ni-Cds.
 
Yes there is NO memory effect on Li-Ion batteries but the one thing that absolutely KILLS Li-Ions is going completely flat!

All batteries have their own characteristics advantages/disadvantages. Li-Ions loose charge gradually over time as most batteries do SO if you let a Li-Ion go down to its "dead" state (as mentioned earlier this is not actually completely dead) it will be fine so long as you then recharge it straight away or soon afterwards. If you do not then it will continue to loose charge to a point where permanent damage will result.

Li_ion advantages/disadvantages

+

  • no memory effect
  • good storage density
  • fast re-charge
-

  • leave them to go flat and fail to recharge straight away and they DIE.
  • normally the self discharge rate is high so they do not normally have a good shelf life.
  • cost.
 
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