Cameras, off camera flash, mobile phones, laptops, tablets, music devices all rely on batteries to make them portable and convenient for us to take with along in our daily lives. However without adequate battery power, the fun can be short lived. Some batteries can take hours to recharge, so that’s why it’s always a good idea to charge your batteries well before leaving home to avoid disappointment.
It’s all fun and games until someone forgets to recharge their camera batteries!
When it comes to camera batteries, I find it is a good idea to always carry at least one spare battery with me. If you are carrying more than one spare battery it can be confusing to remember which battery is charged and which is not. However most camera batteries these days come with a plastic cover. What I do is make sure that once my batteries are recharged I put one charged battery in the camera and the other charged batteries in my camera bag with the plastic covers on. Only the charged batteries have the cover put on them. When the battery runs out of charge I put the flat battery straight into my bag without the cap. This way I know which batteries are charged and which ones aren’t.
When it comes to using ‘AA’ or ‘AAA’ batteries for your compact camera or off camera flash I would recommend using rechargeable batteries. They cost a little more initially, though you end up saving money in the long run. Energizer now have batteries that hold their charge up to 1 year and Sanyo have batteries that hold their charge up to 3 years!
To keep track of your charged batteries you could always mark your batteries with numbers or letters and keep track of them that way. If the batteries in the camera or off camera flash are marked #1, make sure you replace them with #2. When those run flat, replace them with #3. If you keep going in order, it’s easy to keep track of where you are. An alternative is to keep the charged batteries in a separate plastic bag or pocket. Once the batteries in the camera lose charge, do not put them back into the plastic bag or pocket, but keep them loose inside the camera bag. When you get home you will know these are the ones that need charging.
Another good tip is to rotate your batteries. What I mean is don’t always just keep using the same battery in the camera. Batteries last longer if they are used frequently, so swap them around and make sure you use your spare batteries as well.
Lastly, if you can afford it, only buy your camera manufacturers batteries (Canon, Nikon, Sony etc) and not third party ones. This is because the charge in third party batteries never lasts as long as the camera manufacturers batteries. I have found the third party batteries almost always fail, no matter what the sales assistant says when you are in a camera shop.