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SD14 Battery Life

rmaki

Member
Am I the only one having a battery life issue with the SD14? Starting with a fully charged battery, I have gotten as few as 18 shots and no more than about 75 shots before the low battery indicator begins to blink. I have had this problem with four different batteries and two different SD14 bodies. I generally shoot with AF and OS both on, and I usually remember to turn off the remote shutter function when I no longer need to use it. I have read several reviews of the SD14 where users claimed that they got anywhere from 200-300 shots from a fully charged battery. Why not me???
 
I had that issue with one of my 4 SD14's....I purchased the grip for it and never had an issue again...since then I have two gripped camera's and one two not gripped...

Also, I started buying the Minolta replacement batteries that are the exact same type just most of them have the gold tabs instead of the steel...something with the steel tab'd batteries that have issues...

Good luck..... Tony C. :z04_cowboy:
 
Remote shutter? You mean IR one? This drains batteries really fast, because SD14 doesn't go into sleep mode this way :(
 
Remote shutter release

Yes, I was referring to the IR shutter release. I'm aware that it continues to drain battery power if the camera is left in the remote shutter release mode, even if the camera itself is turned off. For that reason I make a concerted effort to switch out of that mode whenever I no longer need to use it, but sometimes I forget. My batteries still exhibit short life if I never put the camera into the remote shutter release mode. Thanks for your input.
 
Though i have not got 300 or above pictures from a new, fully charged battery...i have managed a decent 150 odd...

The most amazing number of pictures shot from a single battery is about 700 or so?? I remember reading this figure in a forum...though i am not sure if its just a one off incident or if it can be duplicated consistently by others???

From my experience...the best bet is to stick to the original Sigma batteries. Best power source. Period.

I have tried the clones...some from Amazon and some purchased locally. They just cannot be compared to the Sigma original battery in terms of performance. Poor is the word. Though they are really cheap...sometimes 1/10th the cost of an original Sigma battery!

And the higher capacity ratings published on these clones is just rubbish. (I started buying and experimenting them because of these published ratings!)

When i really have time to kill...i will probably do an in depth profiling of the discharge characteristics of these batteries to see how much they really offer.

I decided to stick to the original Sigma batteries :)
 
Sigma Batteries

Thanks for your input. Two of the batteries that I use are original Sigma batteries, while the other two are another brand. I haven't noticed any performance difference between them.
 
You are welcome!

Also, i would be interested in knowing the make of your non-sigma batteries, where you bought them and the price you paid for it.

Provided its ok with you to share this info. on the forum.

Thanks and best wishes!
 
Sigma Batteries

I bought CTA brand batteries online from Cameta Camera for $14.95 in 2008, and I bought Power 2000 brand batteries online from BestBatt.com for about $14.50 sometime within the past two years.
 
Does your camera go into mini-sleep mode after some seconds? In that mode you have to touch shutter button to wakeup camera (which behavior is actually annoying, but cannot be turned off). (Using IR remote it doesn't.) If your camera doesn't enter into mini-sleep mode, then something is hindering that - I would suspect OS. My only OS lens (18-200) for example caused camera to not able to turn off at all, while in sleep mode.

Do you use continous AF mode? (I don't)
How long are you set live preview time? (Mine is 2sec)
What is LCD contrast and brightness? (Low)
How often you turn LCD on for review? (Rarely)
Have you focus confirmation beep enabled? (No)
What firmware have you installed? (1.05)
Are you using flash? (No)

What is your usual shooting temperature? If below zero (C) for example, then battery capacity is much less than at room temperature

Does charger used (you should have two) make any difference in battery life?

Can you check battery life, using non-OS lens and MF mode, without live preview (and without flash)? This should give more than 18 images for sure (and makes you a better photographer :)). If it doesn't help, then something is wrong with your camera(s) or battery(s).

What about different kind of batteries, to my Sigma original lasts much more than cheapest clones (which in addition tend to discharge over time, even not in use - and one of these doesn't work anymore after 3-4 recharging cycles). I've read that best would be Pentax D-LI50 orignal battery, it has usually even bigger capacity than Sigma one (otherwise they are identical). And find some better charger :)
 
Sigma Batteries

Yes, my camera enters sleep mode automatically, even when OS is turned on.

I do NOT usually use continuous focus.

My image preview time is set for 2 seconds.

LCD contrast is set to medium and brightness is set to normal.

I only occasionally use the LCD to preview images.

Focus confirmation beep IS enabled.

Firmware version 1.08.

I shoot mostly outdoors, so I don't use flash often.

I shoot most of my photos from spring through fall in the USA, so temperatures are moderate to warm or even hot. I'm rarely out shooting in near freezing temperatures.

I have used three different battery chargers - two Sigma units and one other brand.

The problem occurs with two different SD14 bodies used in similar conditions.

The batteries are rated at 7.4v. I used a multimeter to measure the voltage on a freshly charged battery, and it read 7.7v. I also measured a battery after the cameras battery indicator began to flash, and it read 7.4v. Is it possible that the camera's circuitry is somehow misreading the voltage and giving me false low battery indications?
 
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