40D battery grip discharging

We had a discussion about how the batteries in the BG-E2N grip are used, but I can't locate the thread now. Maybe somebody else can?

Anyway, I know I'm gonna shoot quite a lot tomorrow, so I'm charging batteries here.
Took the left battery out of the grip, into charger. Took quite a while for the charger to switch from single to dual flashes on the charge indicator.
Took the right battery out, when the first was charged. Took 20 seconds for it to change from one to two flashes.

Before this charging, both batteries where charged immediately after each other.
So once again, what I see says it uses first one battery, then the other, not both in parallel.

Yep thats right,it uses the power from one battery then the other depending which battery has more power at the time.

That’s my understanding too.
I’ve read that quite a while ago, but I can’t find the link..

This is interesting. So which side gets used first?

On BG-E3, at the bottom of the battery magazine, etched into the plastic, there are symbols for batteries.
The one closest to the door has pictures of both the battery and the AC adapter, so I presume that it gets used first..

My BG-E2 only started to use one battery at a time just recently, in the past 2 months after owning the grip for 1 year.

Coffee999 wrote in post #6109747
This is interesting. So which side gets used first?

As I wrote, the left battery needed much more recharging than the right one.

I think the pictures showing how to install the power supply module, if you don't want to run on battery, is close to the door just to let the cable in easier. If you use only one battery, you can put it in any slot.

Sorry to hijack this thread but, would you recomend a grip for a trek in the himalayas. What would it give me that afew spare batteries won't?

The thing is i won't be able to charge for 2 weeks.

Thanks

Ian

It will give you more weight to lug around. Plus the ability to use ordinary AA batteries for emergency power.

But otherwise, carrying spare batteries only is probably a better idea then. I want the grip mainly for the grip, when shooting vertical, but if you are carrying it around for two weeks, then I'd not even bring the 40D, but the lighter 400D, with the grip removed.

Thanks for the info

Ian

I always thought the pcb in the grip just worked out whatever batt had the most power and used that first.I seem to remember when the BG-E2 grip had a batch problem a few years back it was was due to the fact the grip having problems with the contacts and the battery sensor not being able to work out which battery was full or not.This caused incorrect readings at the battery indicator.

THE TROOPER wrote in post #6111814
Thanks for the info

Ian

Hi Ian,

AA batteries are sort of a last resort. They will not last very long.

I'd recommend you look into a solar powered recharger. I know they exist, just not sure if there's one available that can be adapted to use with BP511 batteries.

apersson850 wrote in post #6108646
We had a discussion about how the batteries in the BG-E2N grip are used, but I can't locate the thread now. Maybe somebody else can?

Anyway, I know I'm gonna shoot quite a lot tomorrow, so I'm charging batteries here.
Took the left battery out of the grip, into charger. Took quite a while for the charger to switch from single to dual flashes on the charge indicator.
Took the right battery out, when the first was charged. Took 20 seconds for it to change from one to two flashes.

Before this charging, both batteries where charged immediately after each other.
So once again, what I see says it uses first one battery, then the other, not both in parallel.

Canon say in the bumf that came with my grip that it uses both batteries simultaneously but personally I find the evidence is to the contrary:

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gofer wrote in post #6114006
Canon say in the bumf that came with my grip that it uses both batteries simultaneously but personally I find the evidence is to the contrary:

And only lately do I find the same evidence. I'm thinking of selling it and buying a new one... Maybe I'll call Canon service and see what they say about it, but it is out of warranty.

If you are judging how discharged a battery is based on Canon's wonderful flashing lights then that's not a decent indicator.

The Grip is wired to use both batteries in parallel and it does. All batteries vary slightly from each other but if you use a decent charger like the Hahnel one I have that shows battery capacity in percentage then you'll see that the batteries are always within a percent or two of each other.