Goodbye to My Canon M5

[bholliman]

I just don't get more than a 100 or so shots per charge. The M5 was sent back to Canon but they sent it back the next day that it was fine.

Don't know about the M5, but 2 batteries has been often enough for me for a day's shooting with the M6 (as well as the M I had before). In my experience, unless I have the LCD continuously on, even one battery is enough from time to time.

I do turn continuous focus and AI Servo off (two major battery drains).

I have Continuous AF turned off but leave AI Servo on. Is that really a major drain as well? If so, off it goes.

I just finished a day of shooting with my M5 and 18-150 and 22. 428 shots on a single battery and the indicator shows its 50% (the indicator is not very accurate and usually optimistic), I think the battery is pretty much drained. We attended an outdoor festival and later took the kids to a park. I mostly shoot with my EVF, but did some over my head and down-low shooting with the LCD. I was in Servo, high speed continuous whole time and mostly had continuous AF off, but did turn it on twice for limited periods of time.

I've found continuous AF to be the biggest battery drain, so I am always judicious with its use. If you leave you camera on with continuous AF active, the camera will burn through the battery very quickly.

 

[docsmith]

Has anyone compared Eco Mode vs not? Heading to Italy for a few days with my M6, will bring two charged batteries, but need to decide whether or not to pack the charger. It'll be my daytime/backup camera, as I'll have my 1D X along (and I know one fully charged battery will be sufficient, I won't even bother with the second battery, much less the charger).

From image resources review:

"When using the built-in monitor, the camera offers up to 295 shots of CIPA-rated battery life. If you are using an optional electronic viewfinder, the battery life dips slightly to 290 shots. The M6 also has an Eco mode, which provides up to 425 shots when using the monitor by dimming it after about two seconds and then turning it off after ten seconds when the camera is idle."

 

[Talys]

Has anyone compared Eco Mode vs not? Heading to Italy for a few days with my M6, will bring two charged batteries, but need to decide whether or not to pack the charger. It'll be my daytime/backup camera, as I'll have my 1D X along (and I know one fully charged battery will be sufficient, I won't even bother with the second battery, much less the charger).

From image resources review:

"When using the built-in monitor, the camera offers up to 295 shots of CIPA-rated battery life. If you are using an optional electronic viewfinder, the battery life dips slightly to 290 shots. The M6 also has an Eco mode, which provides up to 425 shots when using the monitor by dimming it after about two seconds and then turning it off after ten seconds when the camera is idle."

I wonder why battery life dips on EVF as opposed to the screen.

Also, I wonder how that 295 shots is rated. The problem is, if I'm taking 295 shots, it won't be over a very short period of time. I might take 10 shots in a few seconds, but then I might be looking at the viewfinder for another 10 minutes before I taken 1 more shot...

If you don't take any shots at all, but keep the EVF running, I wonder how long the EVF would last.

 

[neuroanatomist]

From image resources review:

"When using the built-in monitor, the camera offers up to 295 shots of CIPA-rated battery life. If you are using an optional electronic viewfinder, the battery life dips slightly to 290 shots. The M6 also has an Eco mode, which provides up to 425 shots when using the monitor by dimming it after about two seconds and then turning it off after ten seconds when the camera is idle."

Thanks! Since I tend not to chimp, Eco mode sounds worthwhile.

I wonder why battery life dips on EVF as opposed to the screen.

Also, I wonder how that 295 shots is rated. The problem is, if I'm taking 295 shots, it won't be over a very short period of time. I might take 10 shots in a few seconds, but then I might be looking at the viewfinder for another 10 minutes before I taken 1 more shot...

If you don't take any shots at all, but keep the EVF running, I wonder how long the EVF would last.

EVF is higher resolution, more pixels to drive = more power.

CIPA has established protocols, which include powering the camera off/on every 10 shots, and for cameras with an onboard flash, firing that flash every other shot.

 

[AlanF]

I take CIPA battery tests as seriously as diesel emission tests.

 

[neuroanatomist]

I take CIPA battery tests as seriously as diesel emission tests.

Depends on your purpose. US EPA mileage estimates are similar – tell you nothing about real world use, but allow you to say an Accord is more fuel-efficient than a Pilot, or that the M3 gets more/less battery life than the M6.

 

[Rocky]

If you like the camera, Shorter battery life is not the reason to get rid of the camera. If two spare battery is not enough, get two more. I travel with M plus M2 and 3 spare batteries.

 

[BasXcanon]

So do the Godox triggers work on the 6Dm2?

 

[Zv]

Purely anecdotal and non scientific but I find that if I press the preview playback button between shots it saves a little battery life (Press the info button to get the RGB Histogram view which is mostly black screen). I can get around 200-300 shots out of my M/M2 battery that way. If I shoot any video clips that number goes way down. I don't think I've ever needed 3 batteries for a days shooting but I'm fairly casual with my photography.

 

[Ozarker]

So do the Godox triggers work on the 6Dm2?

Only in series and with a 500k ohm resistor.

 

[PCM-madison]

I have not had my M5 long enough to have an example of a time when I used the battery to empty, but so far battery life has not been an issue for me. As an example, I went to a local wetland photographing wildlife today with my M5 + M to EF adaptor + EF 70-300mm F4-5.6 L IS USM lens. Camera settings were mostly continuous AF off, servo focus used with single point or tracking, eco mode on, high speed continuous shooting on. I always composed with the EVF. I occasionally used the back screen to check images and histogram. I took 733 photos and downloaded them to my computer on this battery charge, and my battery charge indicator on the camera still indicates a full battery. I will keep shooting on this battery charge and report back when I have a total picture count.

 

[neuroanatomist]

I took 733 photos and downloaded them to my computer on this battery charge, and my battery charge indicator on the camera still indicates a full battery. I will keep shooting on this battery charge and report back when I have a total picture count.

That's encouraging. I'm headed to Italy for four days next week, I'm going to take two batteries for the M6 and one for my 1D X, and I probably will not take the chargers.

 

[PCM-madison]

I was able to take another 677 photos on this battery charge. Final total 1410 photos on one charge of my M5 OEM battery.

 

[AlanF]

I was able to take another 677 photos on this battery charge. Final total 1410 photos on one charge of my M5 OEM battery.

Nothing like it since 5000 were fed by 5 loaves and two fishes on the mount.

 

[dak723]

I was able to take another 677 photos on this battery charge. Final total 1410 photos on one charge of my M5 OEM battery.

Please let us know your settings. Are you shooting bursts? One shot at a time?

I have taken a total of 1198 shots with my M5. I am not sure if I have recharged the battery 3 or 4 times, so getting somewhere between 250-400 shots per charge. Shooting one shot, with EVF and with Eco mode on.

 

[PCM-madison]

I was mostly shooting with my M5 + M to EF adaptor + EF 70-300mm F4-5.6 L IS USM lens. Camera settings were mostly continuous AF off, servo focus used with single point or tracking, eco mode on, high speed continuous shooting on. I always composed with the EVF. I occasionally used the back screen to check images and histogram. I was photographing wildlife, mainly wetland birds such as osprey, great blue herons, northern shovelers, wood ducks, pied billed grebes, sandhill cranes, etc. Because the subjects were at similar distances, the lens elements did not have to move much to focus between most shots. I was also shooting bursts of frames with high speed continuous shooting where there was minimal movement of elements for focusing. I'm sure these factors helped conserve battery power.

 

[meckley]

I got a used M5 a month ago to take on a 11 day trip to Austria & Germany. In the past, I have used the M and M3, but was unhappy with the auto focus. I was about to give up on the M-Series, but decided on giving the M5 a try. It came with the 18-150 mm lens.

I really enjoyed using the M5. I liked the auto focus better on the M5 than on the M3. It is still not as fast at my 7D2, but I'm not sure I really missed out on any pictures by using the M5. Personally, I would have preferred my 7D2, but it is heavy, especially with two extra lenses and accessories. I can carry the M5 and three EF-M lenses for maybe a little more than the weight of the 7D2 and an attached L lens. Also, the camera bag is about a third of the size of the one I use for my 7D2.

I had three batteries along on the trip. I would go through a battery and a half each day taking about 200 to 400 shots. One battery was charged every night. While I would have liked better battery performance, the picture quality and weight/size make the M5 a good choice for type of vacation. I am glad I bought it.

 

[jolyonralph]

I have five or six LP-E17 batteries - I wouldn't want to go out without at least 2 spare charged.

I bought a cheap 'Neewer' brand USB charger that takes 2 LP-E17s and charges them both at once (you need a full power USB port for this).

Battery life is erratic. But I've also found that often when the red flashing low battery warning comes up it still has plenty of shots left in it until it dies. Depending on temperature to a great extent. And the usual trick of putting a discharged battery in your pocket to warm up for a few minutes is often enough to get those four or five urgent extra shots if everything is depleted.

I have the M3 (converted to IR), the M5 and the M6. I like them all.