Home >> Battery F.A.Q >> Camcorder Battery Related Questions

Camcorder Battery Usage Tips

1) A new camcorder battery comes in a discharged condition and must be charged before use (refer to the devices manual for charging instructions). Upon initial use (or after a prolonged storage period) the digital camcorder battery may require three to four charge/discharge cycles before achieving maximum capacity.

# When charging the camcorder battery for the first time the device may indicate that charging is complete after just 10 or 15 minutes. This is a normal phenomenon with rechargeable batteries. Remove the digital camcorder battery from the device, reinsert it and repeat the charging procedure.

2) It is important to condition (fully discharge and then fully charge) the camcorder battery every two to three weeks. Failure to do so may significantly shorten the battery's life (this does not apply to Li-Ion batteries, which do not require conditioning). To discharge, simply run the device under the digital camcorder battery's power until it shuts down or until you get a low battery warning. Then recharge the battery as instructed in the user's manual.

3) If the camcorder battery will not be in use for a month or longer, it is recommended that digital camcorder battery be removed from the device and stored in a cool, dry, clean place.

4) The milliamp-hour (mAh) rating of the Hi-CapacityT camcorder battery will often be higher than the one on the original battery. A higher mAh rating is indicative of a longer lasting (higher capacity) battery and will not cause any incompatibilities. A Hi-CapacityT digital camcorder battery will, in most cases, outperform the original by 30% to 50%.

5) New camcorder needs to be fully charged and discharged (cycled) a few times before it can condition to full capacity. Rechargeable batteries undergo self-discharging when left unused. Always store a digital camcorder in a fully charged staged for storage.

6) Don't short circuit terminal or store your digital camcorder with metal parts. Don't connect and disconnect the camcorder within a short interval to prevent irregular charging of the rechargeable battery.

7) It's okay to use different brands of digital camera batteries in the same device -- for example, Energizer, Duracell, and generic. Voltage is voltage, and the device neither knows nor cares that made the camera batteries you put in it. Remember, you can mix brands but not types

8) Camera Batteries self-discharge quicker when it's hot. They're fine at room temperature, but once it's over 90o or so, they'll start losing their charge faster. So don't leave digital camcorder in a hot car.

9) Don't overheat. Do not attempt to charge non-rechargeable batteries. This will overheat them and could cause a fire. Keep camcorder batteries out of hot places, like your car. Your car can be an oven, and baking your digital camcorder batteries shortens their life.

What can I do with my camcorder battery after it has stopped working?

Once the life of your battery has ended, you need to dispose of it properly. You do not want to throw it in the garbage, bury it or cremate it, because they are not bio-degradable, and they will explode in extreme heat. What you can do however is recycle them. To recycle them all you have to do is check your phone book or look on line for a place that recycles batteries. Also, many battery sellers will help you with this process, such as online sites or even local stores just call first to verify that they actually accept batteries for recycling.