Battery Eating 20D

[WestFalcon]

My new 20D is a fantastic camera with one exception....it guzzles batteries. I charged the new one up and the next day it was on 1/4 power after shooting maybe 30-40 test shots ....5-10 were flash. I am now using the older batteries used in the 10 D. I have two in the grip and after a few days in the camera, they are down to 1/4 power. The camera uses battery power just laying around in the off position. I doubt that this is a software issue. Does it sound like it should take a trip to Canon? I'm in Illinois so I could send to NY or California. Any recommendations? I have the original software and have not done an upgrade yet ...not that it would help but if I send it in, I'll just let Canon do it. Thanks to all responders.

[Morden]

That sounds suspicious to me; I leave the battery/batteries in my 20D when I'm not using it, and they're still OK when I come back to it.

[tumb]

3 days and 350 pictures before I charged mine the first time.

[WestFalcon]

My 10'd's go for ever on the batteries...not this guy tho

[HJMinard]

Mine has been amazingly efficient - noticeably better than my previous 300D. I'd send it in ... something's out of whack.

[Cal Maier]

I'd try another battery before I would send the camera in for service. It's possible that you have a bad cell in your battery and that would cause poor battery performance. I've seen this more with various types of multi-cell batteries.

It's worth a try before sending the body in.

Cal CPS432

[Morden]

I'd try another battery before I would send the camera in for service.

Agreed.

[drisley]

My 20D is much better on batteries than my old 300D. And my old 300D was pretty darn good on batteries!

[pcasciola]

If the same batteries go forever in the 10D then you definitely have a problem with your 20D body, because one of the major improvements on the 20D is battery life with the DIGIC II processor. When I first got my 20D I thought my battery meter was not working, because after close to 1,000 pictures over a 10 day period it still read full. I topped the battery off just in case, and it was still about 50% full when I put it in the charger. At least 20-30 of those were with the built-in flash too. You probably still have time to exchange it which would probably be faster than sending it in to Canon for service.

[WestFalcon]

I've used old 10D batteries and the new one....both get used up too fast. At first I thought the new battery was bad but it works fine in the old 10D's. I guess its going in since I've had it for slightly less than a month. I don't think I can still send it back to B&H for an exchange can I?

[pcasciola]

B&H's return/exchange policy is 2 weeks from purchase. I didn't realize you've had it for a month. I'd call them anyway. They're usually pretty nice on the phone, depending on who you get. :wink:

Good luck.

[WestFalcon]

The battery display shows about 1/8 or 1/4 on the camera but one of the two batteries when put on the charger showed that it had a 75% charge. I wonder if the battery condition read out is defective since the camera has not failed to work due to battery depletion.

[Malaxos1]

I got around 1,000 photos before I needed to charge the battery...Dean

[robertwgross]

Normally, a camera like that will not use batteries so fast. OTOH, if you had an I.S. lens on it, and if there was enough vibration to keep the I.S. mechanism going active, then it would eat up a lot more battery power then for a non-I.S. lens. Still, it shouldn't be that bad, and when the camera is shut off, it should drain virtually zero.

---Bob Gross---

[malla1962]

not even charged my 20d battery yet,got loads of 300d ones to use.but they last for ever.

[CyberDyneSystems]

In Short,

Your battery life is definately abnormal. There is something wrong somewhere. :?

[Torcidas]

Yesterday i shot whole basketball game (around 600 photos) with single battery (one from 300D) with 20D. So don't know that's strange with you

[Milner]

3days of shooting, camera on for 8+hours each, filled a 512 and 256 card everyday, and only one fully charged battery for the whole time.

[WestFalcon]

Good News....B&H says that its past normal return time but since I'm a good customer(ie...I spend a lot!!), they will take my camera back and send me a replacement. That's why I like B&H....Do you think the "Crooklyn boys" would take it back? The only thing I hate is to be without a 20D for possibly a month. Oh well, such is life

[robertwgross]

B&H ... will take my camera back and send me a replacement.

I wonder if that is a new replacement, or a refurbished replacement.

---Bob Gross---

[WestFalcon]

Bob....I hope its new since they said the bodies are on backorder and I won't get one for 2-3 weeks.