Battery Charging- Am I Being Anal?

Am I being anal?? When I charge my camera batteries I stop charging around 15 mintues after charging is complete.. I keep an eye on the charging process.. Can I damage my batteries if I leave them on charge over night for example??

It depends on your charger, but most of them should switch to a trickle charge after they've completed charging. This just keeps the batteries "topped up", since NiMH rechargeables naturally lose power over time. Generally speaking, I keep about twelve AAs in the chargers at all times (i.e. on trickle charge). When I go out on a shoot, I'll rotate those out with the batteries that were in my equipment from the last time I went out. I've been doing this for several years now with no issues.

What battery and charger?

Yes you are being paranoid.

Unless it is a really bad third party charger, it will shut off when full charge is attained and not attempt to charge again. The only real risk you run is an extremely remote chance of fire if there is a catastrophic failure of your charger, battery and circuit breaker/fuse.

I actually just finished a small write up on this

http://alexgorbatchev.​com …8/19/powering-your-flash/

if you get a good charger, you don't have anything to worry about... better management will probably do more good.

OP is asking about his camera batteries.......

Great write up .

As we type I am staring at 4 AA Recharge on a "El cheapo" Energizer charger but using some Kodak 2500mah that seem to be doing good , but the last time I charged then I left them over night and I found that the did not last as long and were very hot , so I am sitting here waiting to take them out as soon as they finish charging .


Oops sorry now seeing that It was the Camera Batteries not the AA's .

I have left Canon 511a's in the charger (both single and dual slot Canon) for 2+
weeks with zero problems over the past 3 years - same 6 batteries rotated between a 5D and 20D.

DDCSD wrote in post #6141561
OP is asking about his camera batteries.......

Still not much of a difference. I've NEVER come to the point where I've overcharged a Li-Ion battery. I think it just trickle-charges them, just the same as NiMH.

I dont think you have to be that paranoid, but I never leave mine on the charger any longer than I can help it. Usually an hour or two tops. Just when I notice its done I take it off.

Thanks guys,, spose I am being a bit paranoid.. I'm using a Canon CB-2LTE charger for my 350D batteries (Canon) which are over 3 years old and still going strong and a Canon CG-580 for my 20D batteries which are 3rd party batteries..

So far all batteries are good..

its like any other charger, it charges the battery till its full, then switches over to full charged mode, where it stops charging but just keeps the battery topped off

its like AA batteries and chargers, stops charging once full but keeps them topped off

theres nothing to worry about

I charge mine over night most times. I charge a second battery while I am at work for 8 hours. Never any problems so far.

Ridebmx wrote in post #6144966
its like any other charger, it charges the battery till its full, then switches over to full charged mode, where it stops charging but just keeps the battery topped off

its like AA batteries and chargers, stops charging once full but keeps them topped off

theres nothing to worry about

there are cheap, stupid chargers and there are good, smart chargers

cheap, stupid chargers CAN damage batteries by permitting the 'trickle' to be at too high a level of output.

leaving batteries in a stupid charger for days can damage, where a smart charger is safe even for weeks