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Battery drain

Started Dec 20, 2021 | Discussions
markyboy81 Veteran Member • Posts: 4,778
Battery drain

I've noticed that the battery on my NX500 drains when left in the camera, but this doesn't seem to happen with the NX1. Any ideas why? I have taken to removing the battery but this then messes up the date/time after a while.

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Samsung NX1 Samsung NX5 Samsung NX500
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kypfer Contributing Member • Posts: 985
Re: Battery drain
2

Obviously, your main battery may have reached the end of it's life (got several of those!) else it can be classic symptoms of a failed clock battery … the little rechargeable coin cell soldered to the system board.

If you're having a really bad day, it's possible both batteries are failing

Once this coin cell fails it (usually) causes excessive drain on the main battery, my NX5 has this problem and I've experienced it with other cameras.

The only total solution is to source a suitable replacement coin cell (easier said than done) then either disassemble the camera and replace the cell yourself (needs good soldering skills and appropriate tools), or pay someone to do the work for you.

Personally, I just store the camera(s) without a main battery fitted and insert a fully-charged battery and reset the date/time if/when I want to use that particular camera. After a while I've learnt to live with it … it just takes a few seconds, provided I've got a charged battery ready to go

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OP markyboy81 Veteran Member • Posts: 4,778
Re: Battery drain

Ah that's interesting, thanks! I think I'll remove the battery and just update the time. If I forget to do that (which I will inevitably do) then I'll just change the exif data.

Do you know if it's just the clock that's affected? Because it seems to remember the other settings, which is the most important thing.

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Sony ZV-1 Samsung NX1000 Samsung NX3000 Samsung NX1 Samsung NX500 +9 more
kypfer Contributing Member • Posts: 985
Re: Battery drain
1

markyboy81 wrote:

Ah that's interesting, thanks! I think I'll remove the battery and just update the time. If I forget to do that (which I will inevitably do) then I'll just change the exif data.

Do you know if it's just the clock that's affected? Because it seems to remember the other settings, which is the most important thing.

The camera will remind you when you switch it on with an on-screen message if the date/time needs to be set

From my experience, it's only the date/time that's affected on modern cameras, all the other user settings seem to be stored in flash RAM or similar, so are not dependant on a battery. The clock needs a battery 'cos it's continuously running, whether the camera is active or not.

This wasn't necessarily true for all settings on older cameras. My Fuji 4900z would lose everything, including the frame number, if the battery went totally flat … right pain 'till I figured a work-around!

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OP markyboy81 Veteran Member • Posts: 4,778
Re: Battery drain

The weird thing is that I don't get any such warning. Also, the date is still correct but it seems the time sets itself to midnight as soon as I insert the battery!

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kypfer Contributing Member • Posts: 985
Re: Battery drain

markyboy81 wrote:

The weird thing is that I don't get any such warning. Also, the date is still correct but it seems the time sets itself to midnight as soon as I insert the battery!

I'm at the end of my experience with these symptoms, not sure I've got any more ideas … have you got more than one battery and if so does it happen with all batteries?

If so it's got to be something weird with the camera, which realistically leaves you with two options … learn to live with it or replace the camera, assuming repair isn't an option.

I'll guess the "Enter Time & Date" option only happens when it's totally reset, yours seems to be only "half-faulty", which is probably even more frustrating!

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OP markyboy81 Veteran Member • Posts: 4,778
Re: Battery drain
3

I'll try with some other batteries. If that fails I'll just live with it. It's a non issue really.

I took the 85mm out for a spin again yesterday. That lens never fails to impress.

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