Storing a DSLR, battery or no battery?

sparker

sparker

Messages
528
Name
Simon
Edit My Images
Yes
Good afternoon, Due to work commitments and the fact it stays dark for longer in the mornings, I'll not be able to use my camera for longer periods of time. Is it OK to leave the battery in the body or would it be better to take it out? Do camera batteries leak the same as normal batteries?

Many thanks
 
FWIW. I have never removed the batteries from cameras or other types of equipment and never a problem.
Only 'normal' batteries seem to give long term problems.
 
I would remove if I was storing the camera with no intention of using it again. However, for intermittent use, I would leave the battery in. I normally keep a fully charged battery standing by so can swap that in just before I use it,

Dave
 
Remove it and store the battery so the electrodes cannot be shorted - in its plastic cover or a container of its own.

All batteries have the potential to leak.
 
I've made the mistake before of leaving AA batteries in a new Canon T90 to come back to it a couple years later and find the less than top quality battery had leaked. If i'd had placed Duracells in there i wouldn't have had that problem.
 
IMO leave in........plus every month turn on and check battery level status. Once below 1/2 charge, recharge i.e. avoid Li-Ion batteries discharging and left empty!

Edit ~ as above, older types non rechargeable ones and indeed Ni- Cad best not left in IMO.
 
Last edited:
Storing with the easily accessible batter removed will lead to the small battery (which keeps the clock etc. working while the main battery's out) becoming completely discharged and getting at that to replace it isn'tr as easy as opening the door and sliding it out.
 
I have been in the electronics repair industry for almost fifty years and have had to repair countless items that have been damaged or destroyed by leaking batteries. If you want your equipment to survive DO NOT leave batteries in it.

Modern batteries are much better, but they still leak - only a couple of months ago I had to condemn a few radio ham walkie-talkie type handsets due to leaking NiMh batteries. The batteries were destroyed and so were the handsets.

Nod is correct in that your internal clock 'battery' may go flat, but that's better than having your precious kit destroyed. It's unlikely to be a battery anyway (because they leak) and will far more likely be a slow discharge capacitor.
 
Sky said:
I have been in the electronics repair industry for almost fifty years and have had to repair countless items that have been damaged or destroyed by leaking batteries. If you want your equipment to survive DO NOT leave batteries in it.

Modern batteries are much better, but they still leak - only a couple of months ago I had to condemn a few radio ham walkie-talkie type handsets due to leaking NiMh batteries. The batteries were destroyed and so were the handsets.

Nod is correct in that your internal clock 'battery' may go flat, but that's better than having your precious kit destroyed. It's unlikely to be a battery anyway (because they leak) and will far more likely be a slow discharge capacitor.
Click to expand...

@sparker did not specify the type of battery, that is why I mentioned to be aware of what type he is refering to in post #6

On regard to Li-Ion batteries.......in storage they do keep their charge for very long periods.

However, I have to hear of consumer grade (camera batteries) Li-Ion ones leaking if maintained as I suggested. This type of battery had become the mainstream one for powering electronic gear with 100's or even 1000's of millions of them in use and other than faulty or shoddily made ones overheating/exploding I don't recall reading of leakages???
 
Sky said:
I think they'd 'probably' be considered to have leaked after they had exploded or caught fire.
Click to expand...

Oh yes! but compared to the sort of chemical leaks of Ni-Cad, Ni-MH, alkaline, Lithium and those much older ones of yore.......... do Li-Ion ones leak and if so under what conditions and by % terms how many???
 
I wouldn't have a clue without doing an internet search. Much, much less that's for sure - they're about the most reliable we have (other than LiFePO), but they're still batteries and my experience tells me to NEVER trust a battery.
 
Sky said:
I have been in the electronics repair industry for almost fifty years and have had to repair countless items that have been damaged or destroyed by leaking batteries
Click to expand...
I'm sure you're right but the real question we need to ask is: what are the failure rates over all equipment and types of battery? It would be nice to think that someone has gathered those figures for the benefit of customers but I've not come across them yet.

My experience is that the alkaline standard batteries and their derivatives can leak when left in equipment for too long without being cycled or inspected but I've yet to come across leakage in any Lithium Ion batteries despite the many of all sizes that I've used.
 
From a different perspective, some types of capacitors need to have their charge refreshed in order not to break down. I would suggest leaving the battery in and switching on at least every 6 months. My background on this is guitar amps, where electrolytic caps will fail after a couple of years if not refreshed. Doing a 'cap job' is very common to restore an unused amp.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sky
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top