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5D MkIV battery % is easily thrown off, shows lower than actual life left
- EOS Bodies
- 26 Replies
For a while I have been pretty alarmed by the rate at which my 5D4 was draining batteries. It had gotten to the point where I was thinking that there must be something wrong with the camera. There were times when it would be down to about 75% after taking only about 15 photos. 
But, recently I also realized that even a freshly charged battery would show only about 75% when it was loaded into the camera, so I knew that something was a little fishy.
It's important to note that I'm using 3rd party batteries, but a brand that always seemed to work well in my 5D3. However, it's also important to understand that I normally keep my batteries charged up before every time I go out with the camera. I mean, why would you not?
Well, I'm now realizing that this habit of always charging the batteries seems to severely throw off the 5D4's estimate of remaining battery life. And I don't recall the 5D3 having this much of an issue with it.
I came to this conclusion because I decided that it would be good to just try letting a battery actually run down in the camera to see how long it would truly last, regardless of how fast the camera said the battery was going down. And I'm happy to report that, even though the battery level reported in the camera dropped steeply off in the beginning, I kept shooting without charging the battery over a few days, and the camera has been consistently revising the percentage up higher as the battery got used up.
It seems as though not letting the batteries go very low was really skewing how much capacity the camera thought the battery had. There was one point at which I went out, took some photos, ran the battery down to about 12%, left the camera set overnight with the battery in it, and when I went back to it the next day, the reported battery percentage had shot back up to thirty-something percent.
All in all, I shot a little over 700 photos on one battery (with minimal chimping), despite an initial steep decline in battery percentage which made me think it wouldn't even be able to make it to 100. It was still showing about 8%, but I was in the middle of taking photos and did not want to have the camera actually die on me, so I swapped the battery at that point.
So, I guess this post is more of just a notice that, especially if you're using third party batteries, if you are constantly topping off your battery after only one or two hundred photos, the 5D4 seems to get very confused about how much battery is truly left, and may cause needless worry about a quickly draining battery. Like I said, I don't recall this happening when using similar batteries in similar ways in the 5D3.
But, recently I also realized that even a freshly charged battery would show only about 75% when it was loaded into the camera, so I knew that something was a little fishy.It's important to note that I'm using 3rd party batteries, but a brand that always seemed to work well in my 5D3. However, it's also important to understand that I normally keep my batteries charged up before every time I go out with the camera. I mean, why would you not?
Well, I'm now realizing that this habit of always charging the batteries seems to severely throw off the 5D4's estimate of remaining battery life. And I don't recall the 5D3 having this much of an issue with it.
I came to this conclusion because I decided that it would be good to just try letting a battery actually run down in the camera to see how long it would truly last, regardless of how fast the camera said the battery was going down. And I'm happy to report that, even though the battery level reported in the camera dropped steeply off in the beginning, I kept shooting without charging the battery over a few days, and the camera has been consistently revising the percentage up higher as the battery got used up.
It seems as though not letting the batteries go very low was really skewing how much capacity the camera thought the battery had. There was one point at which I went out, took some photos, ran the battery down to about 12%, left the camera set overnight with the battery in it, and when I went back to it the next day, the reported battery percentage had shot back up to thirty-something percent.
All in all, I shot a little over 700 photos on one battery (with minimal chimping), despite an initial steep decline in battery percentage which made me think it wouldn't even be able to make it to 100. It was still showing about 8%, but I was in the middle of taking photos and did not want to have the camera actually die on me, so I swapped the battery at that point.
So, I guess this post is more of just a notice that, especially if you're using third party batteries, if you are constantly topping off your battery after only one or two hundred photos, the 5D4 seems to get very confused about how much battery is truly left, and may cause needless worry about a quickly draining battery. Like I said, I don't recall this happening when using similar batteries in similar ways in the 5D3.
AF performance 70D vs 80D vs 7D2?
How is the AF performance of 80D compared to that of 70D and 7D2 especially in macro photography? I just played with my EF 100mm f/2.8L (+ 25mm extension tube) and noticed that the AF of 70D was complete crap compared to 7D2. Too few AF points and options, inconsistent, went back and forth...7D2 was much faster, consistent, smooth and silent and easier to frame. But how does the 80D compare? I'm consider it to replace my 70D, but if it cannot match 7D2 at all I think I'll get another 7D2 
The 70D has done well in wildlife photography with longer lenses, but this macro experiment was disappointing.
The 70D has done well in wildlife photography with longer lenses, but this macro experiment was disappointing.
TDP review of the 24-70 f/2.8 GM for Sony
TDP continues it's testing and reviews of Sony gear:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sony-FE-24-70mm-f-2.8-GM-Lens.aspx
With this lens, the A7R II's IBIS was good for 3-4 stops of image stabilization in his hands. Impressive.
Less impressive: the lack of a distance scale and only focus by wire for $2,200.
Of note is a telling passage of what happens when 'keep it small' mirrorless platform and the inevitable request for pro glass gets married together:
"A lens of this weight requires a good grip on the camera. The a7R II is made to be compact and, while it has a decent grip, there is not quite enough room for my medium-sized hand's fingers to fit between the camera and the lens. At the edge of the first diameter increase, the lens presses quite firmly into the first joint of my middle and ring fingers. Of course, the lens is not soft and the grip is not comfortable. The pressure is lessened if the lens is hanging downward from a loose grip or if I rotate my grip away from the lens, but ... that does not give me the grip assurance I would like to have."
- A
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sony-FE-24-70mm-f-2.8-GM-Lens.aspx
With this lens, the A7R II's IBIS was good for 3-4 stops of image stabilization in his hands. Impressive.
Less impressive: the lack of a distance scale and only focus by wire for $2,200.
Of note is a telling passage of what happens when 'keep it small' mirrorless platform and the inevitable request for pro glass gets married together:
"A lens of this weight requires a good grip on the camera. The a7R II is made to be compact and, while it has a decent grip, there is not quite enough room for my medium-sized hand's fingers to fit between the camera and the lens. At the edge of the first diameter increase, the lens presses quite firmly into the first joint of my middle and ring fingers. Of course, the lens is not soft and the grip is not comfortable. The pressure is lessened if the lens is hanging downward from a loose grip or if I rotate my grip away from the lens, but ... that does not give me the grip assurance I would like to have."
- A
Your own definition of fast prime
- By Dylan777
- Canon General
- 39 Replies
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