Battery issues

Another thing I may as well ask about, when I get a battery warning, I'm lucky to get one more shot out of my *istD before it dies completely. I'm using NiMh batteries with battery pack as well.
If I only have 4 more fully charged batteries, and I stick them in the battery pack, they're as good as useless, another shot or 2 and the camera dies; however, if I take off the battery pack and put them in the camera body, all is ok.

Also, it seems that if I turn the camera off but leave the battery pack turned on, the batteries in the pack go dead, is the camera meant to turn the pack off? It appears it doesn't.

Thanks all.

That doesn't sound right to me.
Check your contacts between the grip and body.

But having said that, I'll double check mine.
Matt

I've found a similar issue with my *ist D since adding the battery grip. From what I can gather, the camera is supposed to draw power from the highest voltage source, be it camera or grip.

I have found that this 'decision' seems to be made at the time when the camera is turned on but it depends on whether the grip is turned on first. I have recently had the situation where the batteries in the camera died but the ones in the grip were ok.

Turning the camera on first displayed the flashing battery icon (dead) turning the grip on at that point made no difference ie, the camera did not then 'decide' to take power from the grip. Turning the grip on before the camera displayed a healthy battery icon even though the camera batteries were still dead (as you might expect).

I use 2350mah rechargeable NiMH batteries in my gear. I do think that it is important to use the same battery type in both camera and grip, but that's personal preference, I don't remember reading that it is mandatory.

Pete.

I concur with Philip and Mannesty, I've had this sort of problem (there was a thread somtime last yeat on this) from day one. I thought it was due to shooting in cold weather (winter football down to -5 + winchill) but the batteries always should a heathy charge when I put them in the charger. Now I have got into the habit of switching the grip on before I switch the camera on. I've also had a few instances like Philip where the camera gets totally bamboozeled especially when there is an SMC-A attached, switching off and on again seems to clear it.

Like all electronic devices that are controlled by software you just have to find a way around the bugs, patches usually fix a 100 problems but in my experience they also create 10 new ones, welcome to the digital age!!

The power switch on the grip doesn't seem to make any difference where the power comes from.
If you take out the body batteries, the grip powers the camera - even if the grip is set to off.

My guess is that the firmware is going a little kooky. Maybe it's in some sort of half-standby mode when you leave the grip on.

I'll try some combinations and see what I get...
Matt

Have also had various problems with the grip and camera declaring batteries empty. Have not done any scientific tests as to whether happens more when camera is turned on first, before the grip, or vice versa or what. What I have foubnd is that sometimes have to power camera and grip down, open grip battery compartment, slide batteries out/ push back in/ re-close and away we go again - for an indefinite amount of time (ie quite a long time!). This appears to happen even if both sets of batteries are still reasonably charged.
Am using 2 sets of 2400mAh NiMH
Andy

Hi All

I think alot of the problems you are talking about in this thread could stem from the fact that you all seem to be using NiMH cells, as most do.
These batteries are great except for the problem of monitoring them. 1.2V per cell, everything OK, 1.1 V per cell everything shuts down when the camera wants to draw current, writing to card etc.

The discharge curve for NiMH cells is virtually vertical from 1.1V per cell, making any metering system difficult. In other words you wont get much warning with NiMH batteries, they either work or they're exhausted.

Leaving a battery for a few minutes allows the cells to partially re-form allowing a bit more discharge.

I think the metering system is tailored around Lithium batteries, these are what is supplied with a new camera after all, and have a much more gradual discharge curve than NiMH.


Chris

Hi Chris,

That's useful information for the forum.

However, these problems occur when you have two sets of fully charged NiMH as well. There's definitely something kooky when you use the grip.

I had it showing completely depleated battery, power off then back on, and it shows full. In the same session I took a shot, the shutter/mirror release sounded a "bit sick" and the camera powered off while saving the RAW file (losing it!). As soon as I removed the grip batteries, it was fine (From memory I had the grip on before powering up the camera... but I could be wrong!)

I'm gonna get to the bottom of this somehow...

Matt

Go for it Matt...please!
Andy

Andy: I've started a new thread - HERE

Matt,
Noted with thanks
Andy