3 tips to extend your camera battery's life

By Leonard Goh
06/05/2009

Digital cameras these days are unlike their film counterparts of the past. While you can take more pictures and review them immediately, such shooters consume more power. With film cameras, a pair of battery might have lasted years, but you'll be lucky to get a week of usage with today's digital point-and-shoots if you snap a lot of pictures. Thankfully, there are ways to help conserve battery power.

Tip #1: Proper use of LCD
Of all the components in a digital camera, the LCD display probably consumes the most power. But there are certain measures you can take to reduce its impact on battery life. Some shooters have an option where you can adjust the brightness of the LCD. If your battery is weak, lower the intensity to an acceptable viewing level. Do note that lowering the brightness may affect viewing the screen under sunlight, so use your palm to shade the camera to prevent glare.

Tip #2: Use power-saving options
If you delve into your camera's setup menu, you might find an option that puts the shooter to sleep after a stipulated time. This reduces the power intake of the snapper, but at the same time keeps it ready for action when a picture opportunity pops up. We understand from Sony at a recent workshop that leaving the shooter in sleep mode consumes less energy than switching it on and off constantly. Combine this with the above tip and you should be able to squeeze out a few more shots before the cell goes flat.

Tip #3: Battery maintenance
Caring for your battery is a conscious effort. Most people find their device's cell performance deteriorating after a year or so, and this can be partially attributed to careless maintenance. For instance, you should not charge the battery when it's still relatively full. Also, if you are not going to use the battery for a prolonged period of time, make sure there is constantly some power left in it to keep the juice running. Last but not least, don't drop the battery as it can cause the polarity of the cell to go haywire. Experienced camera users will swear by these tips to keep their cameras' batteries in tip-top condition.

There are more ways to keep your batteries healthy. Here are some quick tips.

If your point-and-shoot has an optical viewfinder, switch off your LCD and use that instead. But do note that some of them may not be parallax-error corrected, so the sides of the image may get cropped off.

In cold countries, keep your gadget warm by hiding it underneath the jacket you're wearing. Low temperatures can cause batteries to drain faster, so warming them with your body heat keeps the batteries in optimal condition for more shots.

Try not to review your pictures too much or to record long video clips when the battery is running low. These two functions are among the most draining on the battery, so minimize these activities if you intend to take more shots.

Tags: Sony Corp., Camera, video, LCD, digital camera