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Check Your Batteries

Check Your Batteries

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Camera batteries can fail or deteriorate without prior warning, so make sure you check each one before you travel to a remote destination where replacements are hard to come by.

The image shows the eight NP-FW50 batteries I own for my older Sony A7RII, which I use underwater. They are a mix of original Sony-branded batteries and some third-party batteries. Of the eight, the four on the left are completely dead for some reason. Note that this includes two original Sony batteries. The two in the middle, both third-party batteries, discharge rather quickly and are hardly usable. 

The only two good ones, shown on the left, which appear to hold a charge, are both Sony-branded. This means that six out of eight batteries are now destined for recycling. That is rather poor.

Flukes or pattern?

I also have similar issues with the set of larger and newer NP-FZ100 batteries I use in my A7RV, which rules out the possibility that the problem is specific to one camera. The frequency of these failures is particularly noticeable, as none of the batteries have been subjected to mishandling, complete drainage or extreme temperatures, and there are no signs of swelling, leakage or corrosion. While lithium-ion batteries are susceptible to capacity loss over time and with repeated charge/discharge cycles, they should not fail completely. Yet, it evidently happens, even with the original branded ones.

While the originals appear to fare a bit better overall, that is not very reassuring. The only remedy I can suggest is to test each battery you plan to bring on a trip beforehand to check if it will hold a charge or work at all.

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