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1DMkII battery advice needed...
Next week I'm leaving for a month-long motorcycle trip in Asia. While gear space and weight is at a premium, I'll be taking my 1DMkII, a 24-70L and maybe a 70-300DO. The DO is heavy and I might decide to leave it behind. Anyway, my conundrum is what to do about batteries for the 1DMkII...
The charger is pretty big and bulky and I'm wondering if I'd be better off taking four charged batteries with me rather than two batteries and a charger. That would give me about one battery per week for the trip. I'll have a portable hard disk/screen (Jobo Giga Vu Pro) for review purposes and I plan to carry the small but annoying power brick for that.
The question I can't answer is whether the Ni-MH batteries will discharge themselves significantly (even without use) over the course of a month. If that's the case, I'm probably better off taking the charger.
Any suggestions from the dgrin brain trust?
The charger is pretty big and bulky and I'm wondering if I'd be better off taking four charged batteries with me rather than two batteries and a charger. That would give me about one battery per week for the trip. I'll have a portable hard disk/screen (Jobo Giga Vu Pro) for review purposes and I plan to carry the small but annoying power brick for that.
The question I can't answer is whether the Ni-MH batteries will discharge themselves significantly (even without use) over the course of a month. If that's the case, I'm probably better off taking the charger.
Any suggestions from the dgrin brain trust?
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The one variable you don't mention is your shooting style. Are you a one-a-day guy, or will you be shooting hundreds of shots?
Personally, I go along with the others in saying the security and unlimited juice of 2 batts + charger is a lot more appealing than having a finite resource you're trying to ration. It's lighter, too.
Where ya goin'? This sounds fantastic.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
This is one area where a 20D is a great camera (when traveling space it tight). The batteries are smaller and so is the charger. I have been thinking about a smaller camera 20d or 350D for a travel camera on the bike or hiking, it would be a lot more user friendly. So talk to andy, buy a 20D and a spare battery for the trip, the 10-22 lens, use them and then sell them when you get back (andy can help with selling equipment too).
It sounds like you have a good trip planned, keep us posted.
I would take two batteries plus the charger. You don't say how often you'll
be able to plug in but I gather often enough. With the 2x batteries, you should
be able to get several thousand shots (do you chimp/delete in the field? That
might lower the number.). I almost regret spending the money on a second
battery.
If you've got a power outlet on the katoom, you might consider an inverter
if travel has you away from civilization for too long. Charge on the run.
Have a great trip.
Ian
This is my first post with Dgrins.
With regard to the batteries I agree with all the others. Take a charger. The Ni-MH batteries have a lot of power and take hundreds of charges. However, they have little shelf life before the voltage starts to drop. Nothing worse than having a pocker full of batteries only to find that they are dead.
Perhaps it was here I read a thread regarding a solar charger from Good Stuff. They sell a portable pannel that can be attached to your back pack. About two days in the sun will do the trick. One model will hold four batteries.
Go wi th the sage advice of the elders, batteries and charger.:D
Bob
Ian
You're right, the batteries are heavier than the charger plus cord. The charger is more bulky though. Since I'm trying to get all my gear down to what will fit in a small dry bag and a knapsack, I was thinking more about the volume than the weight.
Decisions, decisions. The tough one is that 70-300DO--it feels like it's made out of cast iron.
TML Photography
tmlphoto.com
I'd refresh and charge all four the night before leaving. Cut down the on camera screen view or turn it off and even consider such things as turning off the on camera sharpening which can save battery power.
The charger is a pain to carry much bigger (with cables and adapters) than two batteries and the nuber of shots I've seen quoted per battery can be well over a thousand. Did you charge and discharge the batteies three time when new?
Your taking a power brick for the Jobo Giga Vu Pro is there an eos power cable available? I use the Digitalcamerabattery 60w and run my eos from that at times.
For the bike I think the batteries are best if your in the countryside is there even anywhere to charge from?...Use them wisely and save power unless your gonna shoot over 4 or 5 thousand shots you should be ok..
Bod...
Jerry Lodriguss - Sports Photographer
Reporters sans frontières
batteries.
Ian
I think the OEM battery is good for 1,000 exposures if you don't run the display too much or use IS lenses. I've got some of the knockoff batteries that use 2200 MAh cells and I don't know how long they last because I've never actually run one dry from normal use. I doubt that I'd be able to use up four fully charged batteries on a month-long trip.
Even so, It turns out the charger and cords fit perfectly in a spare Sigma flash bag--nice and tidy. It doesn't make the charger any smaller, but it's easier to pack now.
The JOBO power brick puts out 9V which is too little voltage to run the 1D. On the other hand, I could probably hack the Canon charger to include a 9V output and thus avoid multiple bricks.
http://www.mydigitaldiscount.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.-109/it.A/id.449/.f
were as good as the Canon or Belkin sub.
Ian