Battery life & S5

[smakkythecamel]

Hey everyone. Just after some advice regarding battery life in the Fuji S5. I read somewhere that I can get about 400 shots on a full battery, I'm wondering if using the D200 battery grip and filling it with AA's is a better option as I think the AA's are higher power.

Any input appreciated.

Cheers,
Owen.

 

[Raket Cdric]

Owen,

it all depends on how you use your camera of course. 400 shots represents what's possible using their testing methods, but in real life use you might get totally different figures.

For my part I shoot between 900 and 1000 pics with one S5 battery. I'm not reviewing images a lot and don't use the internal flash at all! I guess with the vertical grip and two batteries installed I could go up to 2000 shots which ain't bad...

So I'd say it also depends on your shooting "style" and the way you handle the camera.

You can't go wrong using the grip + 2 batteries. It should possibly give you quite some shooting!

Ced.

 

[smakkythecamel]

Thanks mate. I'm looking at getting one for shooting weddings, so a situation similar to yours I think. Thanks for the response!

 

[Walter S Matthews]

Use of the internal flash will reduce the number of exposures by at least 2 and so will using the VR mode on a lens. If you are using the SB800 flash unit, make sure that you do not have the VR turned on. It does nothing at all to improve your shot in the Flash mode and it eats up battery power. I get somewhere between 600 to 800 shots on one battery charge. And don't be fooled by the fact that the symbol on the top of the camera will tell you that the battery is getting low. Untill it runs to the bottom, you still have a lot of shots left. When the guage says 1/2 empty, I'd say you have about 1/4 left. With older Fuji cameras when the indicator says the battery is low, you need to change right away because the camera will be stopping within a few shots. The S5 can still deliver 200 or more shots after the indicator says half empty.

 

[SMPhoto]

I'm about to shoot my second wedding on my new S5 today, but I was taken a little by surprise at my first shoot after reading posts suggesting 400 or so shots per battery. I had 2 full charged batteries in the MB-D200 and 6 AAs in the pack as a back up. Shooting with no VR and no internal flash I used up the 2 primary batteries in about 300 shots and had to switch to AA pack while i recharged a lithium. It was all flash shots in relatively dark conditions with the SB800 on a bracket with the SC29 off camera cable attached, which is the cable with the built in AF assist lamp. Not sure if the AF lamp on that cable is powered by the camera via the hot shoe, or from the flash, so I don't know if that could have been a factor or not. Also, I was shooting in Raw+jpg mode, so lots of data writing. So, my point is, your mileage may vary, take a charger and spare batteries and don't count on getting 800-1000 shots out of your first set.

 

[sevlow]

It's ridiculous to go to the expense of a battery grip when it takes less than 10 seconds to change a battery.

Ray

 

[grazuncle]

It's ridiculous to go to the expense of a battery grip when it takes
less than 10 seconds to change a battery.

Ray

--
Quote: If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.

Have fun
Sooty

 

[dayv]

i use 4 batteries, 2 s5 bodies for weddings/events. never encountered any recharge in between.

--
cheers,
dave
http://imageEvent.com/dayv

(equipment on profile)

 

[ljclark]

Let's see...

-- it depends upon WHEN those 10 seconds are. Two batteries online allows you to choose when you change one...if at all.

-- some people prefer the extra length in the right palm that the MB200 gives them.

-- some people actually use the vertical grip as a vertical grip (although that might seem to be pretty radical).

-- Having the option to switch to AAs may be purely mental relief, but what price confidence?

It's ridiculous to go to the expense of a battery grip when it takes
less than 10 seconds to change a battery.

--
If you don't talk to your cat about catnip, who will?

 

[otumay]

I'm experiencing an interesting phenomenon regarding battery performance with the S5: The camera somentimes informs me that my battery is completely discharged (although it is not), and stops working. When I take the battery out and reinsert a few times, it's OK again. Anyone?

 

[ljclark]

In-camera battery, or double batteries in the grip?
--
If you don't talk to your cat about catnip, who will?

 

[philinnz]

....that several of us have had. Seems to be a problem with the connection between lens and camera. Turn it off, depress lens lock and twist a couple of times. Turn camera back on. Seems to decrease problem. Mine hardly ever does it now

--
Phil A
FCAS Member #100
http://www.pbase.com/philinnz

 

[otumay]

In camera batteries, without catnip!

 

[otumay]

Even taking out the batteries and inserting them again helps. But weird, isn't it? Causes time lags and startled subjects in nature photography, especially when only one shot is possible, i.e. the bird flies away after hearing the shutter release sound.
Thnx anyway.

 

[SMPhoto]

Making a statement like that is what's ridiculous..... For one, I find the vertical grip makes the camera balance much better with a heavy lens and fit much more securely and comfortably in my hand. Secondly, I specifically stated in my post that i was shooting with a flash bracket. Have you ever shot with a flash bracket attached to your camera? I guess not, because if you had, you would realize that with one bolted to the bottom of the camera it would require complete disassembly to get to the battery door if you were bottom loading batteries.

 

[ryan erickson]

I have the S5/mbd200 grip filled with the two batteries. When I shoot weddings, I average about 1500 captures. The lowest I've seen the battery life bar go on the top screen is half way. I would guess that you can get 1800-2000 captures with the two batteries fully charged. I review my images frequently using the LCD so that sucks up some juice. How much you chimp your shots will of course affect your battery life. I always keep the 6 AA cartridge full and ready to go just in case the main batteries fail.
Best
Ryan

 

[Bo Photo]

I shoot alot of weddings and have been using the d200 with grip untill I got my S5's, with both camera's I get about the same # of frames with 2700ma AA battery's. I have to change out the AA's at about the seventh hour of a wedding and that's around 1800 to 2200 images, the powerex 2700ma battery's are around $16 for a set of 6( why pay $39). I use a RRS flash bracket and like the feel of the extra grip with the shutter release button for vertical shooting.

Bo

 

[Walter S Matthews]

it would require complete disassembly to get to the battery door if you were > bottom loading batteries.

It makes me wonder if you have used a bracket. A simple loosening of the screw on the bottom, usually 1/2 a turn and you can turn the flash bracket to the side, not take it off and it gives you plenty of clearance to change batteries. If your bracket doesn't have a thumb screw, use a coin. I do it every wedding and it takes less time than the time it takes to change memory cards.

 

[sevlow]

It's no problem at all to fit a flash bracket off to the left of the S5 (looking from the rear).

It is only when flash is to the right that battery door would get covered.

Ray

 

[SMPhoto]

You got me, but I did see a friends uncle use one once....I've only used a bracket at a few hundred weddings. Fine, sure maybe "complete disassembly" was an overstatement. Excuse the over dramatization, call me Scarlet, whatever. My response we simply addressing what I felt was a crazy blanket statement that the MB-D200 grip was a waste of money. Yes, my Stroboframe bracket has a thumbscrew (pretty much worn down from use), no it can not be adjusted to cover just part of the bottom of the camera and still balance the way I like. However, I do not like things moving around on me during a shoot, nor do I like carrying around the pliers I use to tighten the aforementioned worn thumb screw in my pants. Call me crazy, but I wouldn't imagine that too many other photographers would want to take the time to go over to their bag, grab the pliers, loosen the bracket, rotate it, replace the battery, re-tighten, blah blah blah, when they can just put 2 batteries in the grip and shoot and if they run out, pop a spare battery in the grip.