Maximising the life of your camera battery

For the amateur photographer, digital photography has been a boon. One big benefit over traditional or analogue photography is the rechargeable battery pack which comes as standard with many digital cameras. This compares very favourably with the old and expensive specialist batteries needed by 35mm compact cameras.

However, whilst it's easy enough to get your camera up and running again, there are ways to ensure your rechargeable camera battery not only keeps going for longer between charges, but also has a long life span.

Right from the start it is wisest to follow the instructions given. In particular, when you first charge the battery it is vital that you leave it charging for the specified time. It's hard to be patient when you have a new gadget that you're longing to use. But sit tight and let it charge for the correct amount of time. This initial charge can act as a catalyst in switching on the battery's power - leave it for less and you could end up with a shorter battery life.

However, don't worry about the old 'battery memory' chestnut. It wasn't a myth, but it only applied to the old rechargeable Nickel-Cadmium (or Ni-Cad) batteries which suffered from crystal formation during charging and use. The battery charge and discharge is eventually blocked by these crystals, but the Lithium battery packs that come in cameras and mobile phones are not subjet to this problem.

The old advice was to fully discharge your battery before charging, but that doesn't apply to the Lithium battery. In fact, charging little and often is a good idea. Unless you use your camera every day, you might not need to charge it that often, but it would be crazy to let it die mid-shot before you remember. Not only will you probably lose the shot you just took, but you'll also be stuck without a useable camera until you've given it a good 8 hours of charge at home.

Remember that shooting video uses up more power (and memory) than still photography, so if you're about to film a special event ensure your power is topped up and your memory is high.

If you find your camera frequently runs out of juice, you might want to tweak the settings. Simple changes like ensuring the power-save mode is switched on can make a big difference. Powering the display screen takes a lot of energy. You can save power by having a short image preview, cutting the time you spend scrolling through images and not replaying videos. The settings to make these changes should be easy to find in your camera's menu, and if not, dig out the manual.

If you've got a duff battery - and even the top brands are not immune - replacements can be purchased in photography shops or from online stores. There's no need to discard a good camera simply because the battery is not offering you maximum use. Many reputable photography suppliers can even offer you reliable compatible camera batteries at a fraction of the cost of the original item. Many people find they get more use out of the compatible than they did from the original, and they can be a great power back up!

It's easy to be cynical about big business motives - perhaps they're hoping that if your battery dies you'll buy a new camera. Maybe they pour all their research money into the cameras themselves and neglect the power pack.

If your battery is letting you down or you think you may have neglected it, there's no need to get rid of the camera. Just remember to take good care of any new battery, and let it offer you good service for the money you paid.