Without batteries, our beloved gear would pretty much be useless, nice looking paperweights. Now, batteries are not that expensive to purchase – a Canon LP-E6 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack for my Canon 5D Mark II only costs $59. Even though they are fairly inexpensive, you still want to take care of them to ensure a long life and optimal performance (plus, I can think of lots of better things I want to spend my money on – not another boring battery!) Nothing is worse than being in the middle of a key moment during a wedding and having your camera battery blitz out on you (been there, done that…thank goodness for second shooters).
In the following video, Canon Service and Support gives some basic recommendations on caring for your camera batteries. This is second in a series of videos on how to properly maintain your gear, and though made by and geared toward Canon customers, these simple tips can apply to whatever camera brand and battery you use.
[REWIND: CANON’S USEFUL TIPS ON HOW TO CLEAN AND CARE FOR YOUR CAMERA]
The short ~3 minute video gives pretty basic, common sense tips such as charging your batteries, if they need to be drained completely before charge, keeping the metal contacts clean, etc. Most of the information you may already know, but it’s a good reminder to take care of that little battery. For me, I always like to hear this stuff from an “expert” because I need reassurance that I’m doing things correctly.
A good chunk of the video talks about counterfeit batteries, which I actually never even considered before this article: CAMERA BATTERIES: CAN YOU SPOT THE FAKE? In any case, this video is worth a watch especially if you are a beginner or novice.
