Picture this: you’re at your kid’s birthday party and he’s about to blow out the candles on the cake. Quite rightly, you want to capture this moment for posterity’s sake so you whip out your camera to take a photo. Just when you depress the shutter – the LCD screen flashes a warning “battery low” and switches off after advising you to change the battery. While you berate yourself for not changing or charging the batteries earlier, you do wish there were easier ways to ensure your camera batteries don’t give you the slip when you most need them! Camera batteries represent a small but persistently niggling investment for any photographer. Here are handy tips to extend the life of your batteries:
Turn off your camera when not in use
If your camera remains on, the LCD can drain the battery in a matter of minutes - especially if it's large, brightly back-lit, or has a touch screen interface. Another corollary to this tip, don't take a photo unless you're sure you want to take the photo. Even depressing the shutter halfway sets a series of little systems into process that utilize battery power. On the other hand, don't switch your camera on and off repeatedly. This is because every time you power it on, the processor has to run the software that the camera runs on, the optics has to slide out, and the LCD screen has to be powered on. When you switch it off, everything has to be parked inside the body of the camera. This can drain the battery of the camera extremely quickly.
Take out batteries when not in use, Keep spare batteries
It is always advisable to remove batteries from the camera when it is not in use. Remember that rechargeable batteries grow less powerful the more you use them. It's advisable to keep a spare at hand.
Selectively use the Viewfinder, Zooming too much isn't right
If your camera has an optical viewfinder, we recommend you use it as much as possible. The LCD or electronic viewfinder can be a real power hog. Keep it switched off whenever you can. Again, once you've taken the photo avoid admiring it for longer than necessary; you can always do that once you've downloaded it on to your computer. Every activity that entails movement of any part of the camera leads to battery consumption. So avoid experimenting with the optical zoom, because each time the lenses expand and contract it requires energy.
Avoid the flash, Tone down the LCD brightness
Wherever possible avoid using the flash. Obviously, this little bulb can drain a lot of battery juice. Instead, fiddle with exposure and/or ISO settings. You'll be surprised by the quality of photographs taken with these creative settings. Most cameras have a Power Savings option which when activated reduces the power consumed by the camera unit. Also, take advantage of the Stand-by mode available in all cameras - this is similar to a hibernate function in a laptop. While this reduces the power consumed by the camera it also keeps it ready for any photo opportunity.
Charge-Discharge frequently, Store your batteries in a cool and dry place
Don't fall for the old story that you need to completely drain your battery before you recharge it again. The fact is, most modern rechargeable batteries run just fine on frequent charging-discharging cycles. Some of them like Li-ion thrive on it. This is even indicated in the packaging. Exposing batteries for long periods to sunlight or other heat sources would cause rapid loss of capacity. Following these simple guidelines can help extend the life of your batteries to extraordinary levels & shoot without worrying about battery discharge when you most need it!
