Help to understand Canon R5 LP-E6NH USB battery charging

[mikenott]

I am struggling to find a way to charge alternate R5 LP-E6NMH batteries in a hide using a stand-alone charger base, a power bank and a USB cable. It's the stand-alone USB powered charger that is the issue. Nearly all those I see online talk about the lower mAh E6 and E6N batteries but few, if any, refer to the 2130 mAh E6NMH. I do realise that the in-body battery can be charged via the camera USB port, but this can only be done when the camera is turned off and I am trying to find a way to rotate two or three batteries to keep shooting capability

1. Is battery life a problem for others?
2. Does anyone have experience of doing this? Would be really interested to see how you do it
3. Will an E6 or E6N USB charger simply take longer to fully charge an E6NMH or doesn't it work that way?
4. Any good referrals on USB chargers, power banks or replacement E6NMH batteries?

Any info gratefully received!

Michael

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[VegasCameraGuy]

1. I don't have any problem with battery life, especially with the BG-R10 grip. While the battery life is a little worse with the EVF, I've never had a set of batteries go dead in a day. I leave the camera turned on most of the time and just hit the shutter to wake it. I'll normally shoot about 1,000 - 1,500 frames on a model shoot.
2/3. Charging time depends on the initial state of battery charge and bigger batteries take longer to charge. It's the same as filling up your gas tank. If you're on empty it takes longer. To my knowledge, there is not a "fast charge" option like cell phones. Any charger for the E6 style of batteries should work. I use both the standard and high capacity E6 batteries without any problems in my R5.
4. Amazon sells third party E6 chargers and batteries. You can get 4 batteries and a charger that charges two at a time for $30-$40. I just bought on Prime Day a Zendure Power Bank, SuperTank 27,000mAh External Battery with Dual USB-C PD for $100 which should technically be able to not only charge the battery grip but external chargers and my laptop. (fingers crossed). When buying batteries look at the mAh capacity and compare that to your Canon batteries.

I normally have 2 batteries in my grip and two extra sets of batteries in my pocket which should allow me to shoot more pictures than I'd ever do in a day without worrying about charging on the go. Certainly, Canon batteries are probably higher quality and last longer but aftermarket batteries are a fraction of the cost.

 

[VegasCameraGuy]

1. I don't have any problem with battery life, especially with the BG-R10 grip. While the battery life is a little worse with the EVF, I've never had a set of batteries go dead in a day. I leave the camera turned on most of the time and just hit the shutter to wake it. I'll normally shoot about 1,000 - 1,500 frames on a model shoot.
2/3. Charging time depends on the initial state of battery charge and bigger batteries take longer to charge. It's the same as filling up your gas tank. If you're on empty it takes longer. To my knowledge, there is not a "fast charge" option like cell phones. Any charger for the E6 style of batteries should work. I use both the standard and high capacity E6 batteries without any problems in my R5.
4. Amazon sells third party E6 chargers and batteries. You can get 4 batteries and a charger that charges two at a time for $30-$40. I just bought on Prime Day a Zendure Power Bank, SuperTank 27,000mAh External Battery with Dual USB-C PD for $100 which should technically be able to not only charge the battery grip but external chargers and my laptop. (fingers crossed). When buying batteries look at the mAh capacity and compare that to your Canon batteries.

I normally have 2 batteries in my grip and two extra sets of batteries in my pocket which should allow me to shoot more pictures than I'd ever do in a day without worrying about charging on the go. Certainly, Canon batteries are probably higher quality and last longer but aftermarket batteries are a fraction of the cost.

Just a follow up on my new Zendure Power Bank from Amazon $100. This is a 27,000 mAh battery pack which outputs USB-C PD (Power Delivery) to charge stuff. I just tested my EOS R5 with the BG-R10 battery grip and it recharged the batteries in the camera fine. The Amazon link is https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P7P2L75 and also to avoid paying $150 for a Canon charger, I'm using the Lenvon 65watt GaN USB-C PD charger to recharge the camera battery grip at home. It's priced at $22 prime. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08C797B59/ Note: These are non-Canon products but seem to work okay for me.

 

[DavidJoarnt@gmail.]

Get the battery grip problem solved, I shoot all day with the R5 and a 600mm III EF lens. the lens is more of a battery hog the the body. On a typical day i will shoot upto 3000 shots and usually only change the batteries late in the day. i have one aftermarket duel charger in the truck just for an emergency and the stock one at home and can charge 4 batteries up at night with the stock charger. I normally carry 4 spare batteries E6NMH and have 4 older ones as the last resort.

 

[VegasCameraGuy]

I went out yesterday afternoon and did a photoshoot. Using 2 Canon E6NMH batteries in my grip, I was down to 70% on both after 425 shots.

Charging the batteries in the grip appears to be slower than charging them alone. Initially the charger supplies about 1,400 mAh when charging a single battery. It charges one battery and then the second. It may not be slower but appears to be. Of course not having to remove the batteries is a benefit.

I don't have the 600mm lens but my 100-500 has dual motors and I could believe that telephotos might be more of a load on the batteries because of that.

 

[DavidJoarnt@gmail.]

I went out yesterday afternoon and did a photoshoot. Using 2 Canon E6NMH batteries in my grip, I was down to 70% on both after 425 shots.

Charging the batteries in the grip appears to be slower than charging them alone. Initially the charger supplies about 1,400 mAh when charging a single battery. It charges one battery and then the second. It may not be slower but appears to be. Of course not having to remove the batteries is a benefit.

I don't have the 600mm lens but my 100-500 has dual motors and I could believe that telephotos might be more of a load on the batteries because of that.

The 100-500 with the new motors uses less power then the 600 III EF. Set your sleep mode to go on standby at 1-3 min the camera comes on almost instantly this consurves battery. i only use the back screen for my data settings and then change the info settings to check my shots. If you are using machenal shitter it will also use more power. when shooting wildlife i use electronic 20 fps.

 

[VegasCameraGuy]

The 100-500 with the new motors uses less power then the 600 III EF. Set your sleep mode to go on standby at 1-3 min the camera comes on almost instantly this consurves battery. i only use the back screen for my data settings and then change the info settings to check my shots. If you are using machenal shitter it will also use more power. when shooting wildlife i use electronic 20 fps.

Thanks for the tip. I don't normally turn my camera off when I'm shooting and just let it go to sleep. It wakes almost instantly. Battery life is not an issue for me as I carry two sets of batteries in addition to the two in the grip as that's cheap insurance.

 

[Dockland]

I went out yesterday afternoon and did a photoshoot. Using 2 Canon E6NMH batteries in my grip, I was down to 70% on both after 425 shots.

Charging the batteries in the grip appears to be slower than charging them alone. Initially the charger supplies about 1,400 mAh when charging a single battery. It charges one battery and then the second. It may not be slower but appears to be. Of course not having to remove the batteries is a benefit.

I don't have the 600mm lens but my 100-500 has dual motors and I could believe that telephotos might be more of a load on the batteries because of that.

This!

Thanks. Is there a way to see if the charging is completed? As you stated, it's charging one battery at a time, but when they're full, does the green light/indicator turn off? (Well I guess I'll see in a couple of hours if nobody answers this