Is draining batteries using a MB-200 good?

[david lloyd]

I've read in various places where it's not a good idea to completely drain Li-ion batteries for it may shorten

their lives. However when I use two in a Nikon d200's MB-200 battery pack, is does appear to drain one

completely before using the other one.

 

Can anybody comment on this?

[johnmarkpainter]

That is the way the grips work. They just use on Battery at a time. I never thought about

wear and tear on the battery....

[juan_parm_nides]

The Lithium-Ion batteries has no memory effect, so you can charge it almost at any charge condition. However, normally we run the baterries until a 10 - 15% charge and then full reload it. But if you completely drain, as the MB-200 works, still no danger for the batteries. I have the MB-200, large use, and no problems with batteries.

[cappoldt]

I so far, as a casual shooter, have found that I've got to have a pretty long day of shooting to fully drain a battery - even one- when using the MB-D200 with the camera. Even when spending full days in Rocky Mountain National Park, I wasn't killing whole batteries. I usually only use about half a charge during any photo venture, tops, then have the opportunity at home to pop the battery back into the charger.

 

Are you going on long shoots? I imagine that a football game or something, using a VR lens with a lot of chimping (reviewing on that giant, energy-suckign LCD), might be cause to blow through a few batteries...and if you're shooting an entire football game, it might be wise to invest in extra batteries so that they can be swapped out.

 

I guess I'm saying that if you're shooting so much that you're sucking batteries dry on shoots, a few backups is likely the diligent way to go so you can still get a long life out of those batteries.

[aaron l]

I used my MB-200 to do a time-lapse HD shoot of the thunderheads rolling east of San Diego last night. Fired off a total of 3,800 shots, killed the first battery and the grip switched to the second. Love that feature! The battery level gets way down but I don't think it totally went to zero. The camera starts to complain and shut things down when the battery level gets to low. Plus batteries do bounce back a bit.

 

In theory, you shouldn't drain Li-ION batteries all the way, but that may be 'net heresay. I've sucked my laptop batteries down to zilch and they've lasted forever, some 6+ years without trouble. Li-ION are much more sensitive to charging, temperature and such. Some die fairly quickly.

 

My approach is use it until it fails and then buy another one. I have three in total so I'm ready for whatever comes my way in a shooting day. Apple and Dell have taken big hits with faulty Li-ION manufacturing.

[david_h._hartman]

Here's to your batteries health...<br>

<br>

<a href="http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-23.htm"

target="_new"><u>http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-23.htm</u></a>

<br>

<br>

<a href="http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm"

target="_new"><u>http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm</u></a>

<br>

<br>

Enjoy.

[david lloyd]

Thank you for the responses. I just carry on regardless. It'll probably not make much

difference, if any. Maybe there is always a tiny bit of charge left in the battery, even if the

camera says empty anyway.

[david_h._hartman]

<em>Maybe there is always a tiny bit of charge left in

the battery, even if the camera says empty anyway. --David

Lloyd<br>

</em><br>

Lithium-ion batteries have a CPU and memory. The battery monitors

itself and shuts itself down for its own protection when

depleted. A battery that has shut itself down should not be

stored in that condition. If batteries are stored they should

have about a 40% charge. From what I read if a battery goes

totally dead your charger will not charge it. Some can be started

by special equipment while others may be lost. Most of this comes

from the links above but Ive read similar advice on other

sites.<br>

<br>

The main items are, protect the batteries from heat and dont

run them flat regularly. It should be simple enough to switch the

batteries in the MB-200 when the battery meter starts to fall

then run the second one low and if necessary switching back to

the first. Finally recharge them both.<br>

<br>

There is no penalty for charging early and none for leaving the

battery on the charger over night as there is no trickle charge.

When the battery knows its fully charged it thanks the charger

and charging stops. There is also no penalty for removing a

partly charged battery and using it. The memory in these packs is

RAM not a chemical sort associate with NiCd batteries.<br>

<br>

Lithium-ion battery packs are smart packs. They call the shots,

not the camera or the charger.<br>

<br>

Best,<br>

<br>

Dave Hartman.

[david lloyd]

Hey, that's a good idea. When one of my batteries in the MB-200 gets low, I can swap them.

I'm still not sure how much life I'll add to my batteries doing this, I guess if I knew it would

make quite a difference then I'll have the motivation to swap in use.