EN-EL4a lifetime question

[jfriend00]

I have several EN-EL4a batteries that I use in both a D2x and a D300/D700 with grip. Recently one of the batteries just died on me completely. I'd pull it out of the charger and it wouldn't work at all. Then, I discovered that the batteries have a "Charging Life" and the camera will show you where a given battery stands with a rating of 0-4 where 0 is new and 4 is old.

What is known about this charging life? Is this a given number of charging cycles? Or related to total power used? Are these advisory only or does the battery just shut-down proactively and refused to be used any further when it hits 4?

I own 3 EN-EL4a batteries now. Two have a charging life rating of 3 and one says 4. I'm wondering what these numbers mean for the future lifetime of these batteries?

 

[Lance B]

I have several EN-EL4a batteries that I use in both a D2x and a D300/D700 with grip. Recently one of the batteries just died on me completely. I'd pull it out of the charger and it wouldn't work at all. Then, I discovered that the batteries have a "Charging Life" and the camera will show you where a given battery stands with a rating of 0-4 where 0 is new and 4 is old.

What is known about this charging life? Is this a given number of charging cycles? Or related to total power used? Are these advisory only or does the battery just shut-down proactively and refused to be used any further when it hits 4?

I own 3 EN-EL4a batteries now. Two have a charging life rating of 3 and one says 4. I'm wondering what these numbers mean for the future lifetime of these batteries?

I'd like to know this as well.

 

[T O Shooter]

I have several EN-EL4a batteries that I use in both a D2x and a D300/D700 with grip. Recently one of the batteries just died on me completely. I'd pull it out of the charger and it wouldn't work at all. Then, I discovered that the batteries have a "Charging Life" and the camera will show you where a given battery stands with a rating of 0-4 where 0 is new and 4 is old.

What is known about this charging life? Is this a given number of charging cycles? Or related to total power used? Are these advisory only or does the battery just shut-down proactively and refused to be used any further when it hits 4?

I own 3 EN-EL4a batteries now. Two have a charging life rating of 3 and one says 4. I'm wondering what these numbers mean for the future lifetime of these batteries?

 

[Carl Maiorino]

It means just what it says on the screen..."Replace". The battery will work for a while but it is on borrowed time... It's a combination discharge/recharge cycles plus age...

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[Cliff Fujii]

Rechargeable batteries, especially lithium, have a recharge life of about a thousand recharge cycles. Unlike the Nickel-Metal-Hydride batteries of old, rechargeable lithium batteries don't acquire a memory that a complete discharge will erase. This has been known about lithium batteries since their inception. They also catch fire easily but lithium batteries have the highest energy density/weight of any generally available technology.

If you believe that your batteries are about to quit, it's time to replace them.

 

[Alpha Tech]

Adorama has the EN-EL4a on sale, if you buy 2 or more.

 

[G K]

I have a somewhat related but different question. I have a Nikon D200 and a D300 both with their original Nikon batteries. They have over 50,000 clicks on each body yet both batteries show "0" on the life meter. On the other hand I also have a D800E about a year old with only 5000 snaps yet the life meter on its battery is on "1". All cameras are used exactly alike as far as subject matter, used with the VR lenses, etc. So is the battery in the D800E just not as good as those in the other bodies? You would think batteries would be getting better.

Thanks,

 

[jfriend00]

Adorama has the EN-EL4a on sale, if you buy 2 or more.

I see the EN-EL14a and EN-EL15 on sale if you buy 2 more more, but don't see the EN-EL4a. They look like they're the usual "take me hostage" price of $119 each.

 

[Marianne Oelund]

I have a somewhat related but different question. I have a Nikon D200 and a D300 both with their original Nikon batteries. They have over 50,000 clicks on each body yet both batteries show "0" on the life meter.

I'm impressed! None of my EN-EL4 or EN-EL4a batteries stayed at "0" for more than a year. Consider yourself fortunate indeed.

On the other hand I also have a D800E about a year old with only 5000 snaps yet the life meter on its battery is on "1". All cameras are used exactly alike as far as subject matter, used with the VR lenses, etc. So is the battery in the D800E just not as good as those in the other bodies? You would think batteries would be getting better.

The new battery chemistry introduced with the D800 and D4 seems to have a propensity for this behavior. The original batteries in both of my D4's advanced to life "1" within 2 months. I wouldn't be concerned about it at this time, though; my experience so far suggests that there is no reason to assume that the transition to life "2" will be as fast.

Another "feature" of the new batteries is a higher self-discharge rate. If your camera has been sitting unused more than 2 months, you should check the battery charge state.

 

[Marianne Oelund]

I have several EN-EL4a batteries that I use in both a D2x and a D300/D700 with grip. Recently one of the batteries just died on me completely. I'd pull it out of the charger and it wouldn't work at all.

I "lost" one of my older EN-EL4 batteries in this manner last year. If the battery charge is allowed to fall too low, a protective circuit disconnects the battery terminals. This is not recoverable with the charger.

What is known about this charging life? Is this a given number of charging cycles? Or related to total power used?

We can only guess at Nikon's algorithm. One would hope that it considers the depth of the cycles, not just the number. Even better, would be basing the "life" value on the battery's available energy from a fully-charged state. As batteries age, the available energy from a "full" charge diminishes.

Are these advisory only or does the battery just shut-down proactively and refused to be used any further when it hits 4?

The number is advisory. If you keep an eye on the battery's charge level and keep it from going too low, it shouldn't shut down on you.

I own 3 EN-EL4a batteries now. Two have a charging life rating of 3 and one says 4. I'm wondering what these numbers mean for the future lifetime of these batteries?

They're old and are probably not giving you nearly as many shots as a new battery would. Time to start thinking about adding a new battery or two.

--

Qualities possessed by God in infinite proportion: Love, Grace, Power, Righteousness, Wisdom, . . .
Qualities possessed by humans in infinite proportion: Ignorance.
- Marianne

 

[jfriend00]

They're old and are probably not giving you nearly as many shots as a new battery would. Time to start thinking about adding a new battery or two.

They still serve me just fine - lasting well more than the duration of a soccer game which is mostly what I use them for. At Nikon's inflated prices for replacements, I'm not anxious to buy new ones until I really need to. I'm just curious how much life I might expect they have left? I was dismayed to see one just "shut off" with no warning sign in any way which now makes me try to remember to always carry a spare with me just in case another one konks out unexpectedly.

 

[jfriend00]

I have several EN-EL4a batteries that I use in both a D2x and a D300/D700 with grip. Recently one of the batteries just died on me completely. I'd pull it out of the charger and it wouldn't work at all. Then, I discovered that the batteries have a "Charging Life" and the camera will show you where a given battery stands with a rating of 0-4 where 0 is new and 4 is old.

What is known about this charging life? Is this a given number of charging cycles? Or related to total power used? Are these advisory only or does the battery just shut-down proactively and refused to be used any further when it hits 4?

I own 3 EN-EL4a batteries now. Two have a charging life rating of 3 and one says 4. I'm wondering what these numbers mean for the future lifetime of these batteries?

 

[Cliff Fujii]

I believe that you have to have the Nikon EN-EL3e battery to gauge battery life on the D200 and D300. The charging life of 0 indicates a new battery. A charging life of 4 indicates that the battery should be replaced. 3rd party batteries may not indicate correctly. I think the issue with your D800 is not the battery but that Nikon has put a chip into the battery so that the life indicator is more accurate. The D800 has more electrical load than in past cameras, that's why the EN-EL15 was specified for this camera.

 

[Pygmi]

I have a somewhat related but different question. I have a Nikon D200 and a D300 both with their original Nikon batteries. They have over 50,000 clicks on each body yet both batteries show "0" on the life meter.

I'm impressed! None of my EN-EL4 or EN-EL4a batteries stayed at "0" for more than a year. Consider yourself fortunate indeed.

I have D300 and D700 both with some 60k shots. Original En-EL3e batteries show "0". One less used EN-EL4a used in MB-D10 shows "1".

My recent purchase, D3s with just 13k clicks, shows already "1".

So maybe it just so that the EN-EL3e batteries show "0" for longer time...for some reason. Maybe they do last longer?? or maybe they show too optimistic values or...

 

[harrysamuel]

This is what I found. The EN-EL3e goes from 0 to 4 with no stops in the middle. I killed one that was not chargeable on a Nikon charger by trying a non-Nikon charger. The battery worked fine the first time, then I left it on the non-Nikon charger a second time overnight (forgot it) and it died. But as it is 8 years old I guess it is time to replace it. It went from a 0 to a 4 over night.

The EN-EL4a numbering system actually works, almost. I have several of them so I can say the 0 to 4 is for the most part accurate. I bought an older camera to replace one I sold years ago and the battery that came with it, after a calibration cycle, still says 4 but performs like a 2-3 battery.

I have always run my batteries till the are out a power. The D200 and D700 have two batteries and one or the other is run till dead and then put in the charger that night. Everyone says that they have no memory effect, but with some of my batteries at 8 years old and still I will stick to my method. I do run the calibration cycle on the EN-EL4a even if the battery does not call for it.

Keep in mind when outdoors in 95 degree heat the batteries drain fast in a hot camera, and so do I. I get great battery performance in ice rinks. I need to pay more attention to the shot totals at the two extremes, but getting the shots is what I am thinking of, not battery shot counts. I usually never get to my second battery in any given day, but outside in 95 degree weather I actually needed the second battery, and had a third ready to go in case, and total shot count for the day was around 5xx. I was shocked at the low shot count. Might be just the first battery is that old. I start with batteries that are on 4, and usually make the day easy, then use the same battery every day till dead then recharge.

Really wish the D4/D800 used the same batteries as the earlier D2/D3 series, or at least an adapter. Hard to believe a company that can give us these cameras could no have made the old batteries be used in the new cameras. I have yet to hear a reasonable story on that one, Nikon still sells EN-EL4a made in Japan. If Japan changed the rules Nikon could have shifted to anyone of a dozen countries to build the cameras or batteries. Even an adapter to use the new battery in the older cameras would be fine, except what do I do with my chargers? Why could the new batteries not be made to charge in the old chargers and used in the old cameras?

Well at least my lenses work on them all.