I have some concerns about the battery life of the EOS cameras, I realise it is dependend on use of AF etc, but during normal usage outside, without flash and with maybe a 50 1/8 how many exposures can the standard battery handle ??? I have seen some mention of 1 film is this due to taking hours to compose the picture ??

-- Nigel Owen (nigelowen@usa.net), January 21, 2000

Answers

My manual says 60, 36 exposure rolls without flash, at 68 F or 20 C. 30 at -4 F or -20 C. When using all flash pictures it can reduce to 12 and 4 rolls depending on temp. I suspect Canon's figures might be a bit high, but from my experience battery life is not a problem. The BP-50 grip/battery pack can be used with AA's as well, but the life of AA's are shorter.

-- Jim Strutz (jimstrutz@juno.com), January 21, 2000.

In my experience, Canon's figures are pretty close. The 2CR5s seem to last forever considering how much they power. I usually get 6-8 months out of one at least. This includes some months with 1 or 2 rolls shot, some with 10-12 rolls, a little use of the built in flash for fill, and a lot of standing around with the IS function activated on my 75-300 IS while I wait for the shot.

-- Brad Hutcheson (bhutcheson@iname.com), January 23, 2000.

I use the BP-50 and have been using Duracell Ultra AA batteries. I usually get no more than 10 rolls of film through without completely draining the batteries. I had the same problem with the 2CR5. I have used the built-in flash maybe 3 times in the past 6 months. I use the 28, 50 and 85mm f/1.8 lenses. I mostly focus manually, and I'm not making 1 hour exposures on a regular basis (although I did use up a set of batteries one night in a few hours of 10 minute to 45 minute exposures -- but it was also pretty cold). I usually leave the camera turned on in Manual mode, but have tried turning it off when not in use, and it made no difference.

Do I worry about battery life? No.

-- Kevin Miles Allen (kevinmallen@worldnet.att.net), January 23, 2000.

I had a serious battery problem with my ElanIIe, which was brand new. I would get low battery warning signals despite having tested the batteries on a voltage meter. At times, my system shut down, again with brand new batteries. Eventually, Canon replaced the body for me. Thank god for warranties.

I get at least ten rolls on a set of batteries in my BP50 or using a 2CR5 6 volt. I use eye-control focus 100% of the time, which contributes to usage, but the benefits far outweigh the cost.

Using the BP50 saves hundreds of dollars in batteries, versus the 2CR5 6 volt ones, because you can use inexpensive 1.5 volt AA batteries.

You also get a second shutter release, making shooting verticals easier and giving you a better grip for holding on at slow shutter speeds. Pays for itself many times over in no time.

ROY

Somewhere on this or another forum, I saw a note about battery problems and Elans. If anyone could direct me to it, I'd appreciate it, though it may have been on another forum--can't find it on either.

-- roy kekewich (roykekewich@yahoo.com), January 27, 2000.