Battery consumption in 10D

[robertwgross]

I just saw this posted in another newsgroup by an anonymous poster, so take it with a grain of salt:
-------------------------------------

Here are some current measurements of a Canon 10D. The power supply
was a single, full-charge, 3rd party BP-511, 8.2V. Various
operations:

off 0mA (probably something in the microamp area)

idle 98mA

active 406mA (shutter half-press; exposuring ongoing)
388mA (no shutter button contact)
421mA IS only \
672mA IS + AF > shutter half-pressed
665mA AF only /

AF measurements are "peak".

imaging 1150mA (peak - _very_ brief)

editing 250mA/315mA \ LCD bright
233mA |
214mA >
195mA |
186mA/250mA / LCD dim

writing 150mA (with bursts of 220mA)

bulb 345mA (holding the shutter open in 'bulb' exposure)

The lens was an EF 500/4, but others (EF 20/2.8, EF 300/4) didn't
change much. Note the relatively low impact of using IS, and the
large impact of the AFing (the lens was racking from close to
infinity). Also note the low image write current.

Peak current of 1.15A was measured during a 9 "raw" frame pipeline
fill/drain episode. This peak was unaffected by IS or AF, suggesting
that it is still an underestimate (unlikely given the Fluke meter I
was using), or that AF (the larger of the two) is briefly disabled
during mirro flip, shutter open, etc. Note that the act of taking a
picture should demand a fair amount of energy given how fast these
moving parts are moving.

-----------------------------------
If you get into some battery checking, it is always nice to know what normal performance is.

---Bob Gross---

[Kenski]

I would be curious of how much it would change with a microdrive even though I would never use one....

[robertwgross]

For a microdrive, I would expect all of the numbers to increase by a tiny amount except for the "writing" number, and it would increase more.

---Bob Gross---

[PacAce]

So what's this telling us? How many shots are we supposed to be getting out of the battery. I'd do the math myself but my brain's been on vacation ever since I graduated from college with a degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering. :mrgreen: :wink: :wink:

[Kenski]

For a microdrive, I would expect all of the numbers to increase by a tiny amount except for the "writing" number, and it would increase more.

---Bob Gross---


You think only a tiny amount??? I thought that thing spins as long as there is power present...

[Jon]

Just when being written to. I haven't noticed a significant difference in my battery life (D60) with a 1 GB CF or a 1 GB MicroDrive.

[robertwgross]

You think only a tiny amount??? I thought that thing spins as long as there is power present...

What's a few Amps among friends?

---Bob Gross---