Olympus E-30 Battery

[mylifethrulenses]

<p>I have recently (6 months ago) switched to E-30 from E-510. I do have 3 spare batteries (BLM-01) (2 of them are brand new) that I keep fully charged all the time. I have not noticed the battery life until I started to use the camera in Colorado in the last 30 days. Even if I keep the camera in the car or in house during composition, I can hardly take 3 pictures with one battery when I mounted on the tripod when the weather temparature is around 30F. I shoot RAW and use remote control (wired one not the wireless). It seems to be taking a way too long a time to have the picture written on the card once I tripped the shutter as opposed to the experience that I have had in normal temparatures even with the 1st picture. After the the third one, camera shots itself off and I need to replace the battery. Any idea and/or recommendations will greatly be appreciated.<br>

Thank you very much.</p>

[porter]

<p>Are you using the viewfinder or live-view to compose? Since the cold drains batteries I would say live view is a bad idea, but if you are using the viewfinder then I am a bit stumped. I found that I got much better battery life when I added a battery grip; maybe because the heat produced by the battery helps heat the one next to it and increases battery life overall... Temperature I am currently shooting in is around -10C</p>

<p>Regarding your long write times: Maybe look at an updated cf card with a faster write speed to minimize the effect cold is having on your equipment. If you already have a fast one then I have no help for you in that department...</p>

[mylifethrulenses]

<p>Using the viewfinder. I have SanDisk Extreme III CF (8GB).<br>

I actually do not experience any problem in writing when I am in Dallas and/or indoors. It seems that the cold temparature is the only time. I have also called Olympus and they are doing a research.</p>

[ken_max__parks]

<p>Cold weather and camera batteries don't mix well. Inclusive to an attached battery grip, I always keep extra batteries, fully charged in my pant pockets. At the below freezing temperatures, I swap batteries often, recycling the warmed up batteries after a few shots. <br>

<br />The reason for the slow processing times to a CF card is related to a few factors. (1) The speed of the card. I use the SanDisk Extreme III and IV. (2) Low battery condition. (3) And, shooting in RAW which takes more than 3X the processing of a JPEG image. Using an auto-focus lens also puts a drain on the battery. In very cold conditions, I use manual focus to avoid battery drain.<br>

<br />If you've noticed, there is a disproportionate amount of photos taken in cold harsh weather conditions. <br>

<br />BTW, shootiing the Rockies is breathtaking.</p>

[mylifethrulenses]

<p>It took me 1 phone call to Olympus...They are replacing the camera with a brand new one. What a delightful customer experience! I have not been an Olympus customer for long but they have definetly won me as a lifetime customer with their professional and speedy service.<br>

In the meantime, I thank you all for your quick responses to my posting.<br>

Have a happy and safe holiday season...</p>