Nikon EN-EL3e battery suddenly dead

[robert_k1]

<p>My Nikon EN-EL3e battery went dead suddenly (of course, during a shoot this weekend!). Purchased new a year ago, and only charged with the Nikon charger. Been rotating it with two other batteries purchased from Hong Kong at the same time, for less than 15K shots in total. The two Hong Kong batteries are going strong.</p>

<p>There was no prior warning before the battery went dead, i.e. the battery age scale in the D200 menu always displayed 0, indicating NEW. When the charged battery was put in, nothing would show in the Control Panel. When put back in the charger, the LED would blink twice and go off.</p>

<p>Is this how this battery would die?</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Between my wife and me, we have had Lithium-ion batteries from the late 1990's. The ones from over 10 years ago are Sony batteries for her camcorders. Lithium-ion batteries will gradually lose their ability to hold charge so that they will last shorter and shorter, but I haven't had one die completely yet. All of my EN-EL3 and EN-EL4 from 5 to 8 years ago are all still working, but at lower capacity.</p>

<p>Lithium-ion batteries can die, though. That is why Nikon provides no warranties on them and also why in this forum we recommend people to have at least one extra battery.</p>

<p>Moreover, they sell a lot of conterfeit Nikon batteries in China and Hong Kong. Some of those look extremely similar to genuine Nikon batteries. The quality of counterfeit batteries varies a lot.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>I've had an EN-EL3e do that exact same thing. Working great, working great, working great ... <em>dead</em>. Don't know if it took a hit, or if the CPU inside the battery lost a cold solder joint, or what. It's why I always have spares, and rotate them through use so they're always exercised. It's maddening, but it happens.</p>

[kevin_delson]

<p>Yep. It can and does happen; rare, but it happens.<br>

Get a vertical grip..give the camera battery 1st priority, when it dies the vert grip will take up the slack.AND, you get the joy of using a vertical grip for what it was designed for; shooting vertical; go figure. ;)</p>

[kohanmike]

<p>I just had this happen to a Lenmar battery for my D70s. It was my extra one and I did not use it often so I figure lack of use is the culprit. I have two bodies and have never run out of juice in either, even when shooting almost 1000 shots in a session. But, I always like to have an extra in case one just collapses.</p>

[curt wiler]

<p>I would check for dirty contacts in both the charger and the battery itself before I discard the battery. I have had similar problems with some of the smaller batteries for point-and-shoots that were fixed with a simple cotton swab / alcohol cleaning.</p>

[andrew_fedon]

<p><strong>@Kevin</strong> , that only works if the batteries are both Nikon originals unfortunately. If not, then you have to physically remove the exhausted battery from the body, before it can 'see' the other one.</p>

[robert_k1]

<p>Thanks. Contacts are not dirty. Guess I just got a lemon.</p>

<p>Just ordered two more non-Nikon ones from an eBay dealer located in the US.</p>

[kevin_delson]

<blockquote>

<p>that only works if the batteries are both Nikon originals unfortunately</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Untrue. I use a D-300 with a third party (Zeikos) vertical grip, works perfectly.</p>

<blockquote>

<p> </p>

</blockquote>

[andrew_fedon]

<p><strong>@Kevin, </strong>I didn't say the vertical grip doesn't work, I said the automatic power switchover from body to grip or visa-versa doesn't work. Its a known problem apparently because there's no chip in the non-Nikon versions, or so I read somewhere.</p>

[kevin_delson]

<p>Not sure where your info is coming from.<br>

I use the standard EN-EL3 battery in the camera and (AA's) in the grip.<br>

It switches over just fine. Perhaps a non-Nikon EN-EL3 would prevent the switchover.</p>

[andre_noble5]

<p>Why would you order a Nikon Battery off EBAy when we just told you Chinese counterfeits abound there?</p>

<p>Get it from B&H in New York.</p>

[enrico__1]

<p>If have the same thing with two of the three Nikon Batteries I have. They have problem charging and after a while use they have a sudden and massive drop in capacity. Yes, they are all original Nikon, one that came with the camera and another one bought from B&H.<br>

I think one was the original Battery and one I bought later. I now only buy Pearstone, they may not have the same capacity but at least they cost much less.<br>

No wonder why the Nikon/Sony Batteries are recalled so often.</p>