Li ion batteries are one of the most popularly used batteries for digital cameras. This is mainly because they have high discharge rates, fast charges and high capacity. This makes them very suitable to be used in a range of digital cameras. But, there are certain pros and cons of Li ion batteries which need to be considered when purchasing them.
Li ion batteries can be used in cameras that do not have built-in flashes. Because Li ion has high discharge rates, they work best when they are charged and discharged slowly over a long period of time. They are therefore better suited for using on cameras that require steady shooting. But when you use them on digital cameras that have built-in flashes, li-ion batteries can be overcharged as the discharge rate gets too high and damage may occur.
Li ion batteries can be used for both continuous shooting and single image recording. It is not advisable to use them for continuous shots as they tend to drain a lot slower than other types of batteries. For one thing, continuous shooting requires the use of a power source can only be sourced if the camera is plugged into a wall socket. As Li ion batteries are quite heavy, they need to be placed in a particular place where they can be charged. But their weight also means that they cannot be put into delicate positions like those required for taking photos in a moving vehicle. For this reason, it is better to keep Li ion batteries in the trunk of your car or kept in places with soft ground so that they do not fall down.
Recommendation on using a Li Ion Battery
For single pictures, Li ion batteries can be charged directly from your camera battery. To do this, you will need an additional cable which connects your Li ion battery to the computer. Once your Li ion battery is full charged, you can use the computer's AC adapter to charge the battery. This is a much faster way of charging than connecting the battery directly to your camera. If you decide to use this option, it is necessary to make sure that the computer on which you are using the software has an outlet for AC power. Otherwise, the power supplied to the Li ion battery will be too weak.
If the Li ion battery is overcharged, it will lose its capacity and performance will be lower than normal. To prevent this from happening, you should charge the battery only after using the camera for at least a few minutes. This ensures that the power supplied to the battery is sufficient enough to charge it.
If your Li ion battery is fully charged, it should be ready to use straight away. But if you find that it takes more than half an hour to charge up to full charge, you should remove the battery and allow it to charge up more. You might have mistakenly left it on the charger for a longer time as the initial charge rate was lower than anticipated. Once the charge is up to maximum, you can connect the accessory box. The LCD screen will show the current charge level and the remaining time until full charge is achieved.
You can test the battery if you want to know the actual power level that is being consumed through the battery when you recharge it. Or if not charging, you can simply wait for about half a day and then test the battery. If the display shows 100% fully charged, then you can conclude that the Li ion battery has been fully utilized and there is no need to top it up. If, however, the display shows that it is only half charged, you can conclude that your battery needs some recharging.
Once you are done recharging, you can now use the Li ion battery to charge the camera. You should leave it until the power levels have been restored to normal. During this time, the camera body will get warm due to the heat of the Li ion cell. You can take pictures without any fear of damage to the camera body as long as you leave the Li ion charged and within reach. However, before you reattach the battery, make sure that you follow the manufacturer's instructions to avoid damaging the cells.