Camera Batteries – Helpful Tips and Tricks

Whether you have a point and shoot or a DSLR, you have at least one, hopefully two or more, camera batteries. They are vital to you being able to use your camera, and they can get expensive to keep replacing. Good care and management can help your batteries have a long life and keep you shooting!

Some of the tips that follow are very basic, others are what I have done to help make my life easier. 😉

  • When you get a new battery, whether with a new camera or you just bought an extra battery, let it charge several hours before using it.
  • The first time you use that battery, drain it down to next to nothing and then recharge fully again.
  • For all subsequent uses of that battery, do not let it drain down to nothing, but recharge when you are at about 1/4 from empty. (This tip comes from my husband and I have found a few places online to back that up, but cannot find the posts now LOL).
  • Do not store the battery fully charged, rather let it get to about 60% before packing away for an extended time.
  • Keep the plastic back that comes with the battery and place the battery in that if you plan to transport it in a less then clean bag or container. You want those battery contacts to stay clean.
  • Keep your batteries away from extreme heat or extreme cold (so no leaving your camera or camera bag with batteries, in your car during winter/summer).
  • Label the battery that came with the camera and any spare ones you buy. You want to be able to identify them if one starts to not hold a charge and needs replacing. I put G1 and G2 on my generics, and label the battery that came with the camera with the model name (so the D90 battery said “D90” and the D700 battery says “D700”)
  • If you want to buy a generic, just read the reviews it gets before purchasing. Many of them have almost as long of a battery life as the name brand, at a fraction of the price. The generic I have cost a third of what the Nikon brand would be.

Do you have any helpful battery tips that should be added to that? I would love to hear from you!

About Amanda

I am passionate about helping others learn how to use their DSLR cameras and editing programs. More information about me can be found at my About page, or by visiting my personal blog.

Comments

  1. I have three batteries, thank heavens, and I carry two on me (one in camera, one in bag). I don’t have any helpful hints, but I do appreciate what you shared with us today.

    Thanks so much!!

  2. How about not keeping your battery inside your camera during ‘storage’ (even a few days) b/c it slowly drains the battery which in turn is hard on it? Any truth to that?

    • How about not “over” charging? I read that that is bad too–leaving it in the charger a long time when it is fully charged. What I read said that (depending on the type of battery) that doing that can shorten your battery’s life.

  3. Hello! As always thank you for the info.

    You haven’t posted in a while….hope all is well with you & your family!
    ~ingrid

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  2. […] How to care for your camera batteries from Everyday Elements […]

  3. […] little trick I do is label my batteries on the ends, so that I know one from the other. And, if battery starts to not hold a charge, it is […]

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