Why do the batteries in my digital camera go dead so fast?

Most NiMH rechargeable batteries lose charge and should be recharged when not used for two weeks, but the 2000mAh batteries mentioned below are new formula NiMH batteries that hold charge for one year when not used. Also, 2000mAh batteries seem to have a longer life. Did not like them at first, but have 12 of these batteries over five years old that are still as good as new.

Higher mAh batteries that are about half as old still work well in flashlights, but won't start my camera. This link is about prolonging the life of lithium-based batteries which typically last from two to three years, but are very expensive. The Sony series G rechargeable 960mAh lithium-ion battery is $49.88 at Walmart.

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm ...

A friend asked me to clean and charge her new 2000mAh Duracell batteries as described in the last link. Those batteries are still going strong after four months of normal use and haven't been recharged.

Camera reports batteries low, but is it low charge or bad electrical contacts? Overcharging can ruin good batteries! The secret to making digital cameras work better is having good electrical contacts between batteries and camera.

Click this link for complete instructions on cleaning camera and battery electrical contacts.

http://www.google.com/base/a/4210404/D137019730939...

Digital cameras require lots of power. Bad electrical contacts can cause lots of problems so battery and camera contacts must be cleaned properly. Batteries may be fully charged, but camera will indicate "low" if contacts are not really good. The LCD screen is a low steady load, but when lens extension, optical zoom, focus, and flash charging are added in the capture mode; the load is very heavy. Bad contacts make cameras do strange things like making bad pictures or shutting off with the lens out.

CAUTION Do not overcharge! Batteries can be damaged. Use an automatic two or more hour Energizer Compact smart charger with temperature monitor, trickle charge technology, and safety timer ($9.76) at Walmart. Use pre-charged 2000mAh Duracell ($12.97) or RayOVac ($5.97) batteries (both hold charge one year) and a full cycle charge. To preserve battery charge, use the viewfinder.

NiMH batteries should be recharged when camera reports batteries low. Old batteries can discharge over night, but may provide normal service immediately after being charged. Battery pairs no longer usable in cameras may work well in flashlights. Do not drop batteries or allow voltage below one volt.

CAUTION To prevent memory card corruption, keep batteries charged and don't delete. Wait for lights to stop flashing then turn camera off before removing memory. For card readers, double click Safely Remove Hardware. Select, then click Stop and OK.

Never touch battery ends or camera electrical contacts. Oil from fingers will contaminate contacts. Use batteries in matched pairs of same brand and rating. Do not mix old and new batteries. New will only do as well as old.

Digital cameras reset to original settings if batteries are removed for one minute. Time varies with function/camera. Check display/setup menu for non-auto functions and date/time. Remove extra memory to eliminate this as a possible problem. Insert fully charged/cleaned batteries and restart camera. The ultimate non-physical repair for software-using devices is reset by removing power ... VCR/DVD players one month.

Click this link for other camera tips and complete instructions on cleaning camera and battery electrical contacts.

http://www.google.com/base/a/4210404/D137019730939...

If you are using a digital camera with a LCD screen, then you should expect to go through a LOT of batteries. That little screen sucks up juice like a thirsty runner in a marathon, and honestly there isn't much you can do about it. A good option would be to invest in some rechargeable batteries, or a rechargeable battery pack. Another good option would be to remove the batteries from the camera when it is not in use, because many electronics tend to continue to trickle drain battery life even when not in use. Something to do with the continuous connection I guess, not sure exactly.

Two weeks. You can't be using it much. You need to get some rechargeables. That's just what digital cameras do. If you don't use the screen or the flash they last a bit longer.

Its common in most of the digital camera. Even if you kept the camera off also battery get drain.

Basically because the LCD screen on you camera uses a lot of juice with live view. If you have a viewfinder turn off the live view and they will last much longer.

Because digital camera's just use the batery so much. a couple of weeks is pretty good.. i get maybe 3 days worth out of mine =P

some cameras get full use of battery life very quickly, others are not depending on inside components.i also found duracell batteries lasts longer.

If you have a viewfinder,use it, rarely use LCD screen. Buy rechargeables. Each one says NiMH on it.

Funny, I was wondering the same thing myself

i reccomend rechargebles

i have a coolpix (dark blue)

and it doesnt run on anything but rechargeable