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Here's some advice on how
to make your camcorder battery last longer
Treat your digital
camera and camcorder batteries well
When
you buy rechargeable batteries, or get some with your camera,
make sure you read the instructions that came with them. The
most critical issue is whether there is some conditioning you
should do when you first get them. For example, we've seen
instructions to charge the batteries before you use them the first
time, give them a chance to cool down, then charge them again,
give them a chance to cool down again, and then charge them
again.
More common is the instruction to charge the camcorder battery and then run
them completely into the ground before recharging at least the
first two times, and in some cases the first three times, that
you charge them.
When you recharge your camcorder
battery, you're using up a recharge cycle, and
coming one cycle closer to not being able to recharge anymore.
Lithium ion and lithium polymer batteries need very different
treatment, and often come with instructions to charge the
battery every chance you get. With no memory effect, there's
no need to run them down, ever. Keep in mind, however, that
the best way to maximize the battery's life varies even from one model
to another. The rule remains: read the directions that comes
with the product.
There are also some Do's
and Don'ts to keep in mind about your camcorder batteries
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Do make a point of storing your camcorder
batteries in a cool,
dry place at normal room temperature.
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Do make sure that the contacts on your
rechargeable batteries and in your camera stay clean and
make good electrical contact. If they seem dirty, use a
pencil eraser to clean them.
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Do make a point of giving your camera batteries a chance to
cool down after recharging instead of popping them into
your camera immediately.
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Don't leave camcorder batteries — or your camera
with them in it — sitting in places like a hot car in
direct sunlight for extended periods of time. Heat raises
the self-discharge rate — and it isn't a good thing for
the electronics inside your camera, either. Nor should you
leave them sitting in places like a cold car in an
unheated garage in the middle of a New England winter with
temperatures at 17 degrees below zero. Cold also drains
power quickly.
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Don't try to recharge camcorder batteries in
a charger that's not designed for them. Match the charger
to the battery type.
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Digital Photography & Video > Accessories> Rechargeable
Batteries & Chargers
