Mirrorless Shooters: Critical Advice About Battery Life (plus 8 tips for longer battery life)

[@frando2479]

Steve, you are a very good teacher. Thank you for putting so much effort and heart into your content. All the best from Germany!

[@howardholtzman1331]

I'm a Canon shooter. No matter what platform your on this video has some excellent tips.

[@georgedavall9449]

Hi Howard. Especially if you're a 5D4 user ( DSLR. ). Eats those sad LP-E6N batteries for Lunch! I have found the ‘NiteCore’ version of the LP-E6N batteries to be rather good! Give them a try. Take care

[@NickTheGreek-m3x]

N o matter what camera you use take EXTRA batteries with you.

[@KyleClements]

I've noticed with my Z5 and Z6 I get about 500-700 shots if I'm out shooting like normal, but I'm getting 1500-2500 shots when I setup for a timelapse - the same number of shots I got with a DSLR that used the same battery. Thanks for doing the work to figure out what features drain the most power.

[@realnikonlover6207]

Steve thanks for posting this. Great information.

[@anthonyhitchings1051]

The scientific method at work, well done, Steve

[@youknowwho9247]

Yeah no. What he's done is great testing and gathering solid data, but actual science is a completely different animal. I like Steve, I like this video, but can we please stop calling everything that goes beyond someone's subjective opinion "science"? It's a misuse and devaluation of the term.

[@fusionsmartband2206]

Good tips. Especially setting the camera to "Prioritize Viewfinder."

[@callline7183]

I use this and a standby time that I shorten if I want to save battery.

[@NickTheGreek-m3x]

Hi Steve! Is there any idea on how to set up the new sony a6700 for wildlife photography? And, do you think that it is a good choice if I combine it withe the sigma 100-400? LOVE your worh!!! You are my favourite photographer!

[@dalekeith4961]

I carry one extra charged Nikon battery when I am using either Z body. Steve's comments are great. I have also found cold weather shooting makes a difference in battery life for a particular shoot. Thank you for another great to-the-point review.

[@georgedavall9449]

Well said. S.P. ( Steve Perry ) Could stand for “Super Practical”. 😊👍✌

[@GulbransonPhoto]

Define cold. 40 degrees? 20 degrees? I’ve shot at -28F before the windchill and have never had a problem with a battery (I shoot Nikon, can’t speak to other manufacturers), but every lens I had quit autofocusing and the camera was covered in ice from my breath. So when it’s cold, I’m more concerned with the lens functioning and controlling my breathing before I worry about a battery.

[@georgedavall9449]

@@GulbransonPhoto It seems You have already defined Cold! You bring up some really valid and interesting points. I can’t say I have ever shot in quite as cold conditions as You, but I have had several of my old DSLR’s out in the Winter, and especially my trusty old D700, which kept right on shooting, with a light covering of snow on top! It have a grip on it, with the larger battery, which does fine. Now I have heard of people having issues with batteries and cameras being ‘sluggish’ in really cold temperatures, as in below freezing. If a camera is left up on a tripod, and not being handled often, might be a problem? I think a photographer gripping the camera helps the battery compartment to some extent? Excellent point on lenses not auto focusing; lubricant and precision focusing motors and gears no doubt can be effected by very cold temperatures, and would be much more problematic than a cold battery. Some swear by Lens Coat and similar covers helping in this regard, and I know of some that will not use lens covers. As for your breath, if it is that cold, I personally would be wearing some type of ski mask, balaclava, etc. Good comment. Stay safe.

[@GulbransonPhoto]

@@georgedavall9449 it was painfully cold, lol. I have mad respect for Morten Hilmer and his shooting in Svalbard. When I was shooting in those conditions, I use a neoprene balaclava, but your breath still gets on the camera. Best practice is to control your breathing and not exhale when looking through the viewfinder. Anyway, just wanted to add my experience with cold weather and batteries here in Minnesota. :)

[@georgedavall9449]

@@GulbransonPhoto I agree with regards to Morten Hilmer! Glad to hear you taking care of yourself in those conditions, and You are spot on with the breathing and all. I’ve long been a fan of the Vikings, but never have set foot in Minnesota. It is on my ‘bucket list’ though. Love to have some of that cold Minnesota air right now! :-)

[@roybixby6135]

There is also a small drain on the Z8/Z9 when the camera is off. I didn't notice this until I was concentrating on the new Z8 and ignoring my Z9 for awhile. I now take the batteries out when not in use ... 🦘

[@tamashaasz]

I know it's an 8-month-old comment. However, I've noticed the same recently when my Z8 was in a drawer for several days with all connections (Bluetooth, wireless, network, etc.) turned off and airplane mode on. I had a fully charged battery in the body, and it lost 5-10% charge over 5-6 days.

[@j.m.hunter1590]

Thanks Steve, Great advice for my new Z8.

[@washingtonradio]

Great tips and a great comment about work flow/methods and using the tips

[@QVL75]

Excellent tips. Thanks!

[@amitdutta8768]

Very nice tips. Thanks Steve.

[@davidsneddon2242]

First class Steve, EVF priority for me , excellent 👍

[@RollTideUK]

A great video, I already do a couple of them but I will try the LCD tip and see how I get on.

[@randyschwager2515]

Great advice! Thanks Steve!

[@kylegreene3773]

I had a Pentax ME Super also back in the film days. Lots more changing rolls of film than batteries for sure!

[@Bob-oq5du]

Great video, yes, time is a better measure than shots. I have the Canon R6ii. I always recharge the battery as soon as I get home. One evening, I put a freshly charged battery in the camera but then forgot to turn the camera off! The next afternoon, about 20 hours later, I picked up the camera and expected to find a dead or nearly dead battery. However, it was at 98% charged! Because of the very low power consumption in sleep mode, I always have the camera on, even when walking around, so I'm ready for any wildlife action that may occur. I find that servo tracking takes a fair amount of power, especially with a longer lens, but I've never made a formal test.

[@shotsbyscott6243]

Great tips as always Steve!

[@marc5279]

great as always steve I always do the screen switch off when shooting wildkife and leave the camera on. Ive got a z6ii and cant handle user setings going default after changing them on the field and turning the camera off, plus waiting for it to wake up whenever i turn it on doesnt fit my habits

[@georgedavall9449]

Another Super Practical (S.P. ) Video, from Mr. Steve Perry (S. P. ). 😊 Thanks for Your effort and good advice and information Steve! Carrying a battery on One’s person is a good idea and practical, but I would remind folks to watch those terminals! Coins/ keys, etc, can make contact, albeit a rare chance, but still… The caps that Nikon supplies fit fairy well, but still easy to lose. A short piece of Gaffer tape to the rescue. Happy Shooting to all! A lot of great comments in here! 👍📷✌🇺🇸

[@MikeJamesMedia]

Thanks, Steve!

[@selianboy8508]

Something else to consider is that the Z8 & Z9 can be switched on instantly. There is no lag whatsoever in the viewfinder popping on. Other makes are catching up on this factor but presently, at moment of typing, the Z8 & Z9 are the only ones that can truly achieve this. This means that you should really turn the camera off whenever it is appropriate to save on battery power. Besides, when you do this it is better all round for the camera anyway as switching off these cameras 'locks' everything down. The sensor blind closes (assuming your settings are set to do so and why would you not have this set up like that!!?) and VR and stuff like that are stabilised, therefore being saved from being battered about as you move the camera about the place between locations etc. etc. Good vid Steve and keep the good work up.

[@backcountrygallery]

Agree - and I thought I mentioned something about that in the video, but maybe not.

[@selianboy8508]

@@backcountrygallery I don't recall anything of the added bonus of 'locking' your camera up when you switch it off. I am sure you did though as you usually cover everything in great detail. Great videos and so well sorth watching you... even after some 40+ years of professional photography!

[@jimbolic0809]

Awesome video. I'm embarrassed to learn that there are some features on my camera I didn't know about, too.

[@garybrenner2801]

Great tips Steve, I've been wondering why my batteries for the Z9 don't seem to last very long. You've confirmed some of my suspicions about this & pointed out some things that I didn't even think about. I've also been wondering, does it hurt the battery to keep it on the charger too long after it's fully charged? I heard or read somewhere that the battery should be taken off the charger immediately when fully charged or it can hurt the battery. That seemed a little strange to me, can you tell me if that's true? Thanks Steve, this video was very helpful!

[@backcountrygallery]

Thanks! Modern chargers won't overcharged battery. No worries.

[@garybrenner2801]

@@backcountrygallery Thanks for the reply Steve!

[@johndonaldson5126]

This is why I like the a6600 has the On/Off switch around the shutter button. I can press the shutter button, then if I'm not going to need the camera for a while I can flip to Power Off saving power. My Panasonic camera has zoom In/Out around the shutter button and the Power On/Off on the mode selector so I have to use my left hand to turn the camera off. Not as convienient as the Sony. However I do like the zoom In/Out by the shutter too.

[@merkin22]

Thanks, Steve. The last tip, just turn the camera off, is a habit I'm still trying to learn :) I still routinely will hike 10 km in a morning with the camera on hanging around my neck or on the end of the tripod over my shoulder.... As you note, comes from the 'change the battery every few weeks' days of my D3 and D6 LOL

[@xavidub]

One other thing I'm sure you've mentioned before Steve is keep your spare battery in your pocket if it's cold out, you'll get more life from it

[@rolandomunari588]

Thank you, all good tips as usual!

[@lennyvlaminov9480]

Nice take Steve. I'd like to add autofocus and prerelease capture to the list, quite some computational power/ data shuffling are required. I usually set focus manually close to where I think the action is going to take place and don't engage in every situation (you risk missing a better action sometimes). Pre release really drains the batteries (Z9), practicing timing and learn behavior is key I'd say. Keep it up!

[@AndrewCummings-v1j]

This video is spot-on. I love my Z9, but I shoot underwater with my D500 and D850 where I cannot simply pop in a new battery. I will never go mirrorless for this type of work.

[@llggpagm]

Great tips! Certainly, the Z8 is power-hungry, and these tips help! By the way, does your Z8 need to go to the shop for the recall? Thanks!

[@MarkNF1]

Thanks Steve, as always very useful video. Do you happen to know if the LCD is still using power if it is turned around so the glass part is facing in against the body? That's the habit I developed long ago to stop myself from chimping too often.

[@backcountrygallery]

I don't believe they use any power when flipped, although there could be exceptions to the rule with some brands. Still, I think it's highly unlikely.

[@MarkNF1]

@@backcountrygallery Thanks, that’s what I would expect also. BTW, when doing landscape time lapses I’ve noticed that battery life is greatly reduced. Even with the LCD off.

[@backcountrygallery]

@@MarkNF1 That makes sense. The sensor is still cycling during the shoot and the camera's CPU is running.

[@jss27560]

I’ve said something similar in FB and other comments. If you continue to shoot pictures s you will get more shots per battery. Some of the other things I didn't think about some of the main things you mentioned.

[@skakdosmer]

Once again I'm so happy I'm still using DSLRs. Btw. How many batteries should you bring? I bring as many as I could possibly need - plus one.

[@backcountrygallery]

LOL, that's how I do it (DSLR or mirrorless).

[@rayspencer5025]

I have long carried 3 batteries for my DSLRs and now my Canon R7. I have very rarely needed to use a 2nd battery because I am frugal with my camera use (a highly ingrained behavior from the days of shooting film), but one time when I did need it, I had accidentally grab a dead battery. That is why I carry a back-up to the back-up battery .

[@johntriebe7441]

Hi Steve, I've got both a Sony A1 and an A7R V. How can I determine the battery life on those. I've set all the settings you show in the video, but where do I see the times you show?

[@backcountrygallery]

Those times where done using the procedure in the slide that preceded the time results slide. There's no way to see it anywhere, I timed it.

[@josephparks4270]

On my Z5, the EVF appears to consume A LOT more power than anything else, including the screen. As long as I ration EVF use to those situations where I'm looking for a shot, a battery lasts several hours, usually longer than my outing. If I'm curious about something, like what ISO the camera wants to use, I use the screen and battery consumption doesn't seem to suffer.

[@pierrederumine1295]

Excellent Tips on battery Life, thanks again. I hope you will also create one on HOW and when to create the necessary presets with the Auto capture menu. AND how to set up the best menu choices for bird photography on the Z9 F.W. 4. Especially how to trigger this menu on the Z9.

[@backcountrygallery]

I'm looking at that now in fact. It'll be in my Z8/9 wildlife setup guide for sure. I may do a video, I'm not sure yet. Videos that are super-camera specific for one function seldom do well.

[@robertstonephoto]

Excellent work!

[@biologyuppsala5389]

Four hours for Z9 fits quite well with using the Auto Capture feature. Setting the Z9 up in the evening in my garden, I found that the battery had run out by the time dawn arrived, meaning the chance of catching some images disappeared. The camera runs pretty hot as well by the way.

[@tanmay110]

Nice informative video.

[@MrTmiket0007]

Thanks so much for sharing another wonderful video like always Steve, can you make a video for white birds photography? Keep up with the awesome content 👌👍

[@backcountrygallery]

That's a great idea! Thanks!

[@daviddrake8433]

The trick I use to save battery life on my Z7ii is to set the Standby Time - Power Off Delay (C3) to 10 seconds. As I am walking between possible targets everything has gone dark. Then, when I see something of interest, I have conditioned myself to automatically press the half-down shutter button as I am lifting the camera to my eye. By the time I am ready to look through the EVF, or at the LCD screen, everything is ready to go. If I'm busy on a complex shooting situation I simply reset C3 to a longer time. Works great.

[@sturek]

Good tips Steve, I've been using several of those on both my A1 and Z9 and have gotten spoiled with how long the batteries last....sadly haven't had a chance to really give my Z8 a run as I'm one of the lucky ones that fall under the service advisory and have shipped it off.

[@backcountrygallery]

Mine is under the same advisory - still in my bag though. :)

[@sturek]

@@backcountrygallery I thought about that since the two 24-70 and 800 I tried both locked just fine....but I hadn't taken it out and fallen in love with it yet so decided to just get it over with.

[@brucephilipps6105]

Thanks for tips Steve! I bought the Z8 a few months ago and was blown away by how fast it depletes the batteries. I could get almost a whole day with 1- battery on my D850 and that’s with it on all the time.

[@backcountrygallery]

Yeah, mirrorless battery life (any brand) is a shock when coming from a DSLR. My D5/6 would often go several days - even a week sometimes - before I thought about charging. Although, I don't really think about it anymore - at the end of the day / session, depleted batteries hit the charger :)

[@cpalspfsp]

I believe that the use of GPS via Snapbridge consumes battery by using the bluetooth of the Z 8 camera all the time.Thanks for the video on Battery life.

[@NickTheGreek-m3x]

Great tips!!!

[@selkiemaine]

You are SO right. TY.

[@stephfran9761]

Thank you for the information. Batteries are not a fun topic Recently, I lost a $300 battery for my camera!

[@brucesummers7448]

The Z9 GPS is always on when the camera is on and in the past this has been a significant source of battery drain on my DLSR cameras.

[@backcountrygallery]

That's why I keep mine off. I don't use the data anyway.

[@paul-webster]

Steve, what would be the reason my gals z8 went dead even when she's not using it? When it was off and hasn't been shot for 3 days it went dead? Is there something running in the background when it's off?

[@backcountrygallery]

I'm not sure. I know over time a battery will go dead in a camera, but 3 days seems fast. I've not experienced that. About the only thing that comes to mind is putting into into Airplane Mode, but if the camera is switched off, that shouldn't matter. You may want to contact Nikon about it, that's not normal.

[@paul-webster]

@@backcountrygallery thank you Steve, I really appreciate you responding.

[@NikonDave]

Especially on the Z8 and Z9 the camera's turn on an off so quickly that it's really not an issue to flip that switch and save some battery.

[@backcountrygallery]

For sure. One of the most underrated benefits of the Z8/9 IMO.

[@jeffolson4731]

Great tips on saving battery life. The CIPA rating can be somewhat helpful if you do the math to figure out how long the camera was actually being used during their test. One shot every 30 seconds then after 10 shots turn it off, wait and repeat until the battery is dead. They could help by changing the results to indicate time, not shots.

[@backcountrygallery]

That's a good point - thanks!

[@karlgunterwunsch1950]

Since there is a significant difference between EVF and rear display use the major drain isn't the sensor but the used display technology...

[@raysanders332]

What do you think about using a power bank while shooting?

[@backcountrygallery]

Too much of a hassle for the kind of photography I do. It's just not that big of a deal to carry an extra battery and pop it in. The only way I'd use a power bank is if I was filming something and had to film for longer than my battery would last and there was no way to interrupt the sequence. Just not something I've ever run into.

[@raysanders332]

@@backcountrygallery Thanks, Steve

[@ernreeders5583]

Thanks Steve. I understand that the EVF uses rather more juice than the monitor. And you can be walking along holding the rig and the EVF sensor is being triggered by the body, so this is wasted power. I found moving from the A9 to A1 that the latter uses far more power, approaching double. It has about double the pixels and it has a second processor. It also has a higher EVF refresh rate option that I use. So I follow most of your tips but still have to carry a 2nd battery where the A9 allowed me to get away with one. The price of progress I guess.

[@selianboy8508]

Use a Z8 or Z9 and switch off between shooting as it will pretty much solve your problem. Instant turn-on nirvana.😉😂

[@selkiemaine]

I have one additional suggestion - though it's probably Canon specific. I can separately control the time for EVF standby and camera standby. I have the EVF standby set for 3 minutes - and it comes on instantly when I touch a control. But, the entire camera takes a little longer to come up from standby, and it will lose some of the more ephemeral settings - like if you are using a preset mode set to "don't remember changes" and have made a temporary change. So, that's set to a much longer time. So, this way, I can save quite a bit of power by dimming the EVF, but not lose settings.

[@bassangler73]

I will go through a bunch of batteries probably when I go mirrorless..lol...Im still primarily a raptor photographer ( amateur ) and im still clinging to my D500 and 200-500...The new 180-600 for Z mount had me thinking on switching to a Z8 but im still thinking Nikon may give us a D500 replacement professional Z body...,But i can see it not happening because with the high mp's the Z8 and Z9 have you can just put it in crop mode and be right around 20mp if i remember right..

[@backcountrygallery]

The reason the D500 was so popular was that it gave you similar performance to the D5 at a third of the price. While you can go into crop mode on the Z8, it's still a pricy camera. If they can pop out a pro-level DX at $2000-$2500, I think they would have an enthusiastic market for it.

[@chadpeterson2033]

I like to keep my LCD flipped over backwards into the camera so it's not turning on at all, unless I'm shooting in Live mode. I review images in the EVF which is better in bright conditions anyway.

[@anandbhargava667]

On Sony cameras point 1 makes major difference 👍👍👍

[@bfs5113]

We should be able to get an appropriated mAh used If we point our MILC at the TV screen (fast action program) for an hour with either the LCD or EVF on. As well, measured the actual mAh available with a battery using a USB power meter (if applicable). For my Z9, I charge the battery via a USB C PD cable + power meter most of the time and a full discharge & charge the first time and now & then to get the actual battery mAh.

[@bubuli]

my technique is to remove the battery from the camera then just put the camera in the cabinet and just use MidJourney to create images.

[@kaijan2808]

I wish you could set the camera in a way that EVF and LCD are always off and only the EVF switches on if you lift the camera to your eye. This should save a lot of battery life in my opinion

[@backcountrygallery]

That's how most EVFs work. When my eye is away from my Z8, Z9 or a1, the VF shuts off after a moment. And, as noted in the video, most cameras have an option to keep the rear LCD off unless you're using it for menus or photo review.

[@dr.dilipdesarker8118]

Very important

[@dr.dilipdesarker8118]

Steve , will it affect my Z7 camera when under unavoidable circumstances I put the USB 3.0 jack of Z9 into the USB 3.0 socket of Z7. I see it is charging. Z7 is not provided with charger with USB 3.0 jack during purchase.

[@ramlivny6046]

Thank you

[@2009kronos]

For wildlife shoots maybe shut of the lcd live view!

[@backcountrygallery]

I mention that in the video - great minds think alike :)

[@stanmah1588]

I would drain a whole battery, just trying to set up my menus. :) I have a total of three 15C's during a shoot. At the end of the event, 2 batteries were changed out (drained).

[@callline7183]

That's because the rear LCD takes a lot of energy and it's constantly running to view the menu

[@stanmah1588]

@@callline7183 Most of the drain at the event is when I am holding focus waiting for the golfer to swing. As I get use to the camera and familiar with the settings, I will use the LCD less.

[@carlosquijano2827]

I had read that the evf consumes more power than the screen, so I use the automatic switch. Now I am confused 🧐…

[@backcountrygallery]

The EVF on most cameras shuts off when you take your eye away. So, set as recommended in the video, you won't have any screen actively on once you take your eye from the viewfinder.

[@carlosquijano2827]

@@backcountrygallery thank you Steve. Regards from Colombia.

[@gsworld223]

No.9 stick to your D5

[@sergiollag1]

this is more critical for underwater photography

[@backcountrygallery]

For sure - tough to change the batteries!

[@youknowwho9247]

Good tips. Having said that, I ignore most of them because they're impractical at events and weddings, and my (gripped) Sony bodies last pretty much all day anyway. I feel like the notion that mirrorless comes with inferior battery life is obsolete these days - if you're a Sony shooter, that is.

[@francisschweitzer8431]

I have my timer set up to sleep the camera while I am walking and looking

[@backcountrygallery]

Keep in mind that even in standby mode the camera is using power. Not much, but it's still a drain vs shutting it off.

[@francisschweitzer8431]

@@backcountrygallery I am glad this topic came up.. I had thought that in SLEEP the lens is in sleep too… and I have noticed my 500 PF getting warm in the middle possibly from the VR stayed awake … and I do believe it is affecting my sharpness. So I did a test… shoot… shut off… shoot. This is only a test of the warm spot and sharpness… without and viable way to check battery life aside from a Wild Guess that it lasted longer.. So, the lens.. I think I have an issue with the 500 PF because shutting off keeps it cooler and sharpness isn’t effected ( THIS IS ONLY MY EXPERIENCE Y’ALL ) Anyway Steve… Thanks for the comprehensive information

[@francisschweitzer8431]

First ??

[@backcountrygallery]

You win!!

[@birdswithbeau]

Second!?! Hey Steve!