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Poor battery life on D100, even with dual batteries in grip

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Drew Loker

Drew Loker

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I have suspected it previously while everybody has been gloating over their awesome battery life. I am just NOT getting the life that some of you all are talking about.

Yesterday, I shot some 500 pictures over a 5 hour period of time. I started a shoot today, and the batteries (two of them in the grip) were showing down 1 bar. I shot another 100 or so, and they were both exhausted. I didn't reacharge last night, not thinking that they would be down, blaming my previous poor performace on the fact that 500 or so pictures were over maybe a couple of weekends. I also had a back up, so I was not overly concerned about not charging them.

But in hindsight, I know one battery normally last about 400 shots. Why didn't I get more life out of both batteries? I feel like I would have done better leaving just one in the grip.

Those of you all who are getting super long life, what is your monitor preview time? Do you use AF? Shoot NEF? Is there anything I can check to make sure my camera is ok? That the drain I am experience is ok?

Thanks!

Drew
http://www.pbase.com/lokerd
http://primerica.itgo.com/
 
I never use the monitor preview function. I use AF and shoot nef uncompressed. I get 4-500 nef shots easily on a single battery, I always carry a full spare.

Sounds like you need to turn off the LCD. it burns the battery.

http://www.digital-life-21.com
Drew Loker said:
I have suspected it previously while everybody has been gloating
over their awesome battery life. I am just NOT getting the life
that some of you all are talking about.

Yesterday, I shot some 500 pictures over a 5 hour period of time. I
started a shoot today, and the batteries (two of them in the grip)
were showing down 1 bar. I shot another 100 or so, and they were
both exhausted. I didn't reacharge last night, not thinking that
they would be down, blaming my previous poor performace on the fact
that 500 or so pictures were over maybe a couple of weekends. I
also had a back up, so I was not overly concerned about not
charging them.

But in hindsight, I know one battery normally last about 400 shots.
Why didn't I get more life out of both batteries? I feel like I
would have done better leaving just one in the grip.

Those of you all who are getting super long life, what is your
monitor preview time? Do you use AF? Shoot NEF? Is there anything I
can check to make sure my camera is ok? That the drain I am
experience is ok?

Thanks!

Drew
http://www.pbase.com/lokerd
http://primerica.itgo.com/
Click to expand...
 
are you using a VR lens? I think I've noticed reduced battery life since getting my 70-200 AF-S VR... could be my imagination.

Bill
Drew Loker said:
I have suspected it previously while everybody has been gloating
over their awesome battery life. I am just NOT getting the life
that some of you all are talking about.

Yesterday, I shot some 500 pictures over a 5 hour period of time. I
started a shoot today, and the batteries (two of them in the grip)
were showing down 1 bar. I shot another 100 or so, and they were
both exhausted. I didn't reacharge last night, not thinking that
they would be down, blaming my previous poor performace on the fact
that 500 or so pictures were over maybe a couple of weekends. I
also had a back up, so I was not overly concerned about not
charging them.

But in hindsight, I know one battery normally last about 400 shots.
Why didn't I get more life out of both batteries? I feel like I
would have done better leaving just one in the grip.

Those of you all who are getting super long life, what is your
monitor preview time? Do you use AF? Shoot NEF? Is there anything I
can check to make sure my camera is ok? That the drain I am
experience is ok?

Thanks!

Drew
http://www.pbase.com/lokerd
http://primerica.itgo.com/
Click to expand...
 
Doogie Barnes said:
Sounds like you need to turn off the LCD. it burns the battery.
Click to expand...
I will keep that in mind...I have turned off the monitor preview in one situation where I was out of town, one battery down, and the other was down 1 bar. I ended up having to really push to get the last few sites. Arrived at a camera store in Houston on the way back home and asked to refresh my battery. That is when I ordered my 3 battery. :)

I do normally hit my shutter release to turn off the monitor preview once I am done, if I know I don't need it.

Acutally, the next reply I think answered it. I was using an AFs lens...I think I recall reading that it uses more batteries.

Drew
http://www.pbase.com/lokerd
http://primerica.itgo.com/
 
Bill Staples said:
are you using a VR lens? I think I've noticed reduced battery life
since getting my 70-200 AF-S VR... could be my imagination.
Click to expand...
I think you hit the nail on the head...sort of...

I was using an AFs lens...I think I recall reading that it uses more batteries. I forgot that. I used it almost exclusively yesterday and today. I just got the 28-70 AF-s in on Friday. I guess I will need to get a 4th battery!!

Drew
http://www.pbase.com/lokerd
http://primerica.itgo.com/
 
Charge your battery. When it is done-Leave it in the charger for another two hours.

Or it may be a bad battery.

Or you may have a poor connection with your base.

Birger
 
Hi Drew,

I don't know about your problem. I went to the circus last weekend and had my camera on for about 9 hours. Shot 374 pix with review on using an AFS VR lens and after reviewing the pictures on a TV three times and downloading them to my computer I was still on full.

I was using 1 battery that I charged that morning. I have my review on 20 seconds but it rarely stays on that long because as soon as you touch the shutter button it goes off.

The next morning when I turned my camera back on it dropped a bar.

How old are your batteries? Mine are only a few months old so maybe that has something to do with it.

Doesn't sound right to me. I hope the battery age has something to do with it.

Have a great day

Hpward
 
Drew Loker said:
Bill Staples said:
are you using a VR lens? I think I've noticed reduced battery life
since getting my 70-200 AF-S VR... could be my imagination.
Click to expand...
I think you hit the nail on the head...sort of...

I was using an AFs lens...I think I recall reading that it uses
more batteries.
Click to expand...
Nope. The VR lenses do indeed use the battery more extensively, but standard AF-S doesn't add any real battery load over a regular lens if used exactly the same way.

--
Thom Hogan
author, Nikon Field Guide & Nikon Flash Guide
author, Complete Guides to the Nikon D100, D1, D1h, & D1x and Fujifilm S2
http://www.bythom.com
 
seriously, i dont know if you are doing this already or not. but the battery light says its fully charged after an hour and a half. if you let it go to two hours you get a much more complete full charge. and i bet anything you will see a difference. i use one battery at a time, and one back up. my batteries last way too long. so long its impossible to keep track of.
Thom Hogan said:
Drew Loker said:
Bill Staples said:
are you using a VR lens? I think I've noticed reduced battery life
since getting my 70-200 AF-S VR... could be my imagination.
Click to expand...
I think you hit the nail on the head...sort of...

I was using an AFs lens...I think I recall reading that it uses
more batteries.
Click to expand...
Nope. The VR lenses do indeed use the battery more extensively, but
standard AF-S doesn't add any real battery load over a regular lens
if used exactly the same way.

--
Thom Hogan
author, Nikon Field Guide & Nikon Flash Guide
author, Complete Guides to the Nikon D100, D1, D1h, & D1x and
Fujifilm S2
http://www.bythom.com
Click to expand...
--
nikon d-100
nikon 24-85 G
sigma 15-30 EX
SB-80dx
currently borrowing a sigma 70-200 2.8
work in camera store...borrow lots of other stuff..
 
just leave the batteries in the charger
they can NOT be overcharged
when it says they are charged... they are only 80 - 90% charged
leave them in there longer and they will be better

greg
 
I've even been told that AF-S lenses use LESS battery power than a "screwdriver" style AFS lens. This from my local Nikon rep, who seems pretty knowledgeable.

Duncan C
-------
Thom Hogan said:
Drew Loker said:
Bill Staples said:
are you using a VR lens? I think I've noticed reduced battery life
since getting my 70-200 AF-S VR... could be my imagination.
Click to expand...
I think you hit the nail on the head...sort of...

I was using an AFs lens...I think I recall reading that it uses
more batteries.
Click to expand...
Nope. The VR lenses do indeed use the battery more extensively, but
standard AF-S doesn't add any real battery load over a regular lens
if used exactly the same way.

--
Thom Hogan
author, Nikon Field Guide & Nikon Flash Guide
author, Complete Guides to the Nikon D100, D1, D1h, & D1x and
Fujifilm S2
http://www.bythom.com
Click to expand...
--
dpreview and PBase supporter.



http://www.pbase.com/duncanc
 
Duncan C said:
I've even been told that AF-S lenses use LESS battery power than a
"screwdriver" style AFS lens. This from my local Nikon rep, who
seems pretty knowledgeable.
Click to expand...
That is what I would have thought. WHich is why I was suprised to have read that the AFs would take more juice. I must have been http://wwwrrrrrong .

I am leaving the batteries on all day today. I had already started leaving them on for a while after the charge cycle was complete. Maybe that still isn't enough to get the full charge through the trickle charge.

Thanks!

Drew
http://www.pbase.com/lokerd
http://primerica.itgo.com/
 
How do you stored the battery? A cold underground or humidity (like near to the window) could dischage the batteries. Also a leak cycle in the camera could be a reason (self discharging over the time). Can you shoot more pictures only on one day? Or is it normal (I do not have the d100)? How old is the oldes batery of the two?
Greetings
Sven
Drew Loker said:
I have suspected it previously while everybody has been gloating
over their awesome battery life. I am just NOT getting the life
that some of you all are talking about.

Yesterday, I shot some 500 pictures over a 5 hour period of time. I
started a shoot today, and the batteries (two of them in the grip)
were showing down 1 bar. I shot another 100 or so, and they were
both exhausted. I didn't reacharge last night, not thinking that
they would be down, blaming my previous poor performace on the fact
that 500 or so pictures were over maybe a couple of weekends. I
also had a back up, so I was not overly concerned about not
charging them.

But in hindsight, I know one battery normally last about 400 shots.
Why didn't I get more life out of both batteries? I feel like I
would have done better leaving just one in the grip.

Those of you all who are getting super long life, what is your
monitor preview time? Do you use AF? Shoot NEF? Is there anything I
can check to make sure my camera is ok? That the drain I am
experience is ok?

Thanks!

Drew
http://www.pbase.com/lokerd
http://primerica.itgo.com/
Click to expand...
 
If you look at Nikon's battery life specs, they are shooting in JPEG/FINE, some (but not much) reviewing of images on the LCD and a little bit of builtin flash usage.

AF-S lenses use less battery than AF lenses. I've gotten over 1000 shots in jpeg/fine using the AF-S24-85G and the AF70-300ED lenses before the battery meter budged. I do not use the LCD except for some reviewing of pictures. I also don't use the bultin flash much. I have an SB-80DX.

Shooting NEFs, you will get somewhere between 400 and 600 images per battery.

If you are a heavy LCD user, then you will be drainig your batteries much more quickly. And as others have noted the VR lenses will drain power when VR is turned on.
--
-----Bear
 
You just might have a short in the electronics somewhere, I have my origional battery from when I got my camera last July 6th. Still rocks, could be a defective camera.
Drew Loker said:
Ursus said:
If you are a heavy LCD user, then you will be drainig your
batteries much more quickly.
Click to expand...
I guess I just use the LCD more than others. Although, at the
wedding on Sat, I did not use it that much. I suppose that I also
am heavy on the camera with the meter.

Drew
http://www.pbase.com/lokerd
http://primerica.itgo.com/
Click to expand...
 
me again, i do not think its a great idea to let your batteries charge all day. estimate 2 hours...at least two hours, over 3 seems bad....but 2 and 1/2 is good, to make sure you didnt miss the at least 2 hour mark.
DrMark said:
Drew Loker said:
Ursus said:
If you are a heavy LCD user, then you will be drainig your
batteries much more quickly.
Click to expand...
I guess I just use the LCD more than others. Although, at the
wedding on Sat, I did not use it that much. I suppose that I also
am heavy on the camera with the meter.

Drew
http://www.pbase.com/lokerd
http://primerica.itgo.com/
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
nikon d-100
nikon 24-85 G
sigma 15-30 EX
SB-80dx
currently borrowing a sigma 70-200 2.8
work in camera store...borrow lots of other stuff..
 
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