How Healthy Is Your/My (Nikon) Battery?
Discussion
I use a couple of EN-EL4a batteries. Both have got to 3 on the scale. Oddly, the one that was only on 2 until recently managed to drain from 76% to dead in only about 2 hours, 40 shots and no chimping yesterday. Normally it's good for around 1000 shots (again minimal or no chimping).
I can't remember when I last pushed the button to recalibrate either of them - the camera has never indicated it was needed. But that's the first thing I did yesterday evening and it has charged back up (well, showing 99% at the mo) as it should. Should I be re-calibrating more often?
I wonder if I am now on the fast track to the end of, at least one of, their lives. No big problem either way - and my aspiration is to change the camera this year anyway, so will probably haggle for new spare battery at the time. But any views from other users?
I can't remember when I last pushed the button to recalibrate either of them - the camera has never indicated it was needed. But that's the first thing I did yesterday evening and it has charged back up (well, showing 99% at the mo) as it should. Should I be re-calibrating more often?
I wonder if I am now on the fast track to the end of, at least one of, their lives. No big problem either way - and my aspiration is to change the camera this year anyway, so will probably haggle for new spare battery at the time. But any views from other users?
Simpo Two said:
I didn't know you could 'recalibrate' a battery. All five of mine seem fine after several years and many weddings.
Ah, yes. They're not all the same in Nikons, are they?The newer ones are basically a bit smart (probably too "smart" for their own good!) with a chip in them - does yours have that, I cannot remember?
How it works? I thought that the point was that the battery could tell the camera to 1%-point accuracy how much charge was left. I am not sure if it is any more clever than this.
So, what I meant was that maybe it needed recalibrating because it was actually about 10% left but was misleading me into thinking it was 76% left. But also the readout indicates battery as New,1,2,3,4,Replace and also whether it should be recalibrated. So when you pop it in the charger you hold a button down which basically drains the battery before recharging it from zero - so-to-speak.
K12beano said:
They're not all the same in Nikons, are they?
No, mine are EN-EL3e (as you may remember!)They have the 'fuel gauge' thing which shows the amount of charge 1-100 and battery condition 1-5.
K12beano said:
So, what I meant was that maybe it needed recalibrating because it was actually about 10% left but was misleading me into thinking it was 76% left. But also the readout indicates battery as New,1,2,3,4,Replace and also whether it should be recalibrated. So when you pop it in the charger you hold a button down which basically drains the battery before recharging it from zero - so-to-speak.
Ah right. Well all mine are still on Condition 5 do I haven't got that far yet, and the chargers don't have a button that I've noticed. But I expect the D2X, being Victorian technology, is harder on batteries. Does it have a 'coal' option...? 
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