Why are both batteries not getting used on my camera?

Alan McFadyen

Alan McFadyen

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I have a Nikon D300s and I have put a battery pack on it. Today my battery warning light came on and I thought both batteries had died. I took my battery back of to replace the battery in camera and the one in the pack, but when I took it of I noticed my battery meter showing full. It was only the battery in my pack that had ran out. Do I have to sync this in some way or something? Im totally baffled and hope the clever people out there can help me, thanks folks.
 
Same as a grip which takes two batteries I assume Alan, only one is used at a time.
 
There's a menu option where you can stipulate which battery is used first - the one in the grip is better in my opinion as you can change it easily without removing the grip.

Once the 1st battery gets low, the battery warning will show on the screen, but the other one will be ok, and will get used when the 1st is completely out.

:thumbs:

Edit: 2000th post :D
 
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u8myufo said:
Same as a grip which takes two batteries I assume Alan, only one is used at a time.
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The grip only takes one battery and the camera holds one, Im lost :) (probably being thick) I thought that when your battery runs out on your grip the one inside the camera would kick in? I had to take the grip off for it to work or am I missing something simple here?
 
OutLore said:
There's a menu option where you can stipulate which battery is used first - the one in the grip is better in my opinion as you can change it easily without removing the grip.

Once the 1st battery gets low, the battery warning will show on the screen, but the other one will be ok, and will get used when the 1st is completely out.

:thumbs:

Edit: 2000th post :D
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:bonk: That makes sense. Thanks guys for all your help, give yourselfs a pat on the back for helping some one who is not technically gifted :)
 
Check the settings and see what the camera is set up for Alan. Could be cam batt first then grip, vice versa or, if you have a third party grip, they d`ont always switch from one to the other.
 
I've just checked the battery info on my 7D and both batteries in the grip are depleting at around an even speed. One is at 73% and the other at 70% and both were put in fully charged at the same time. My is a Mieke grip though so I don't know if it's different with Canon or Nikon grips.
 
Alan McFadyen said:
I have a Nikon D300s and I have put a battery pack on it. Today my battery warning light came on and I thought both batteries had died. I took my battery back of to replace the battery in camera and the one in the pack, but when I took it of I noticed my battery meter showing full. It was only the battery in my pack that had ran out. Do I have to sync this in some way or something? Im totally baffled and hope the clever people out there can help me, thanks folks.
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I'm assuming this isn't a genuine MB-D10....?
 
Flash In The Pan said:
I'm assuming this isn't a genuine MB-D10....?
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No mate its a Meiki, but I see that the previous poster (modchild) isnt having problems with his. I got told today that when the battery grip one runs down to unscrew it until the in camera battery activates then screw the grip back in. Thanks again guys what a great forum this is.
 
modchild said:
I've just checked the battery info on my 7D and both batteries in the grip are depleting at around an even speed. One is at 73% and the other at 70% and both were put in fully charged at the same time. My is a Mieke grip though so I don't know if it's different with Canon or Nikon grips.
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was going to say i thought canon grips and clones used both batteries or at least was a seamless transfer to the other. both are dead when theyre removed from the 20D or 5Dmk2 and lasts much longer than a single cell so i know theyre both being used.

mine are meike for reference.
 
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Alan McFadyen said:
No mate its a Meiki, but I see that the previous poster (modchild) isnt having problems with his. I got told today that when the battery grip one runs down to unscrew it until the in camera battery activates then screw the grip back in. Thanks again guys what a great forum this is.
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Thought so,there have been reports of them not communicating the battery info to the camera correctly.
 
I have a third party battery grip on my D200 - the grip actually has a switch to change from battery 1 to battery 2 - from time to time I get a low battery indication but if I remove the grip and polish the contacts the problem is cured.
 
I posted this on the D90 forum, I have just put a Meike grip on my D90 and fully charged both supplied batteries. I took a few pics and noticed on the info button that only one battery was showing as having a charge. I assumed one was no good as I remember a TPer saying that when she bought a Meike grip from Cam2uk one of the batteries was a dud. However just before I put the genuine Nikon battery in I happened to check the battery capacity in the menu and both were showing over 80% so I'm not sure now what the position is, so I'll just keep shooting but take the Nikon one with me. This does seem to point to the fact that both batteries are being used however.
 
I have a D90 and D300s, both with Nikon grips. The d90 grip houses both batteries and as far as I remember (don't use it often) both batteries drain equally. The D300s has one battery in camera and one in the grip, the camera battery is used first, once completely drained the grip battery is used.
 
Alan McFadyen said:
No mate its a Meiki, but I see that the previous poster (modchild) isnt having problems with his. I got told today that when the battery grip one runs down to unscrew it until the in camera battery activates then screw the grip back in. Thanks again guys what a great forum this is.
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Alan, I have the same grip on my D300. Wheh the first battery runs down just turn the camera off and back on and you should find the battery has changed. I've never needed to unscrew the grip to change batteries.
 
Nick_1981 said:
I have a D90 and D300s, both with Nikon grips. The d90 grip houses both batteries and as far as I remember (don't use it often) both batteries drain equally. The D300s has one battery in camera and one in the grip, the camera battery is used first, once completely drained the grip battery is used.
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My D90 has a genuine grip and uses one battery at a time. I use the Meike (or whatever it's called) grip on my D300 and that does the same. With both grips turning the camera off/on when one battery is close to empty changes them over.
 
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