D200 Battery life

[SloYerRoll]

So I've read all over the web about short battery life on the D200.
I had my first chance to really put my new D200 through the motions this past weekend and it blew away all the reviews regarding battery life. (everything else was just as good as they said:D)

I took over 1200 exposures. around 50 of which were long exposures (1+second). The remaining shots were taken firing either a strobe directly mounted or PW to fire remote strobes. The avg temp was about 37 deg F. All shots taken within 4 hours. (side rant: Wow, I need allot more memory than my D50 ever did to shoot RAW!)

I know I'll get a bunch of YMMV. But taking your best guess. Do you think I can continue to see this performance? I don't mind buying a second battery, but if it's gonna run like this. battery #2 is way down on my list...

Cheers,
-Jon

[Seymore]

battery #2 is way down on my list...
You may say this now... but I still strongly suggest a 2nd. This allows you to rotate your batteries and gives you a backup you may only need once in a blue moon. But that once may actually save your bacon and then you'll remember this thread and your statement. :wink

[Red J]

I bought four batteries, logic being I wanted a spare pair for my battery grip.

Now that I've run it a while, I don't use the battery grip unless I know I'm shooting candids, which isn't all that often.

If I had to do it all over again today, I'd forgo the grip but I'd own two batteries minimum, maybe three. My camera runs through them pretty fast.

[nightowlcat]

FWIW, I got a second battery for my D50, and as soon as I remember, I will be ordering a couple of new batteries from batterybarn for the D1h I just recently acquired. I wound up going through the D50's second battery twice one weekend. :rofl (music festival weekend)

[GP Images]

I only get about 400 shots on my D200 but I use the display a bunch to watch what is going on with exposures and to dump pics I don't like. Saves me time with processing. My D70s definitely has much better battery life.

[dangin]

i've got 2 D200 bodies and 4 batteries for 'em. each battery is good for about 500 shots w/ minor chimping before i'll swap it out (normally down to about 20% left at this point). so i guess in theory, i could probably shoot more, but this is usually about the same time i'm swapping in a new cf card too. my d3 on the other hand goes for well over 1500 images and doesn't even whine about needing a fresh battery.

[SloYerRoll]

Thanks all.
I guess I'll keep a fresh battery on the top of my list. Id did seem kind of strange that my batter would last as long as it did (in the cold to boot).

Like Seymore said, I will remember this thread if I don't buy a battery and kick myself.

Another question, So if you have two batteries. Why not a battery grip?

Cheers,
-Jon

[dangin]

Thanks all.
I guess I'll keep a fresh battery on the top of my list. Id did seem kind of strange that my batter would last as long as it did (in the cold to boot).

Like Seymore said, I will remember this thread if I don't buy a battery and kick myself.

Another question, So if you have two batteries. Why not a battery grip?

Cheers,
-Jon

i'm cheap. additional weight and bulk. i'm cheap. :wink

[Mike02]

So I've read all over the web about short battery life on the D200.
I had my first chance to really put my new D200 through the motions this past weekend and it blew away all the reviews regarding battery life. (everything else was just as good as they said:D)

I took over 1200 exposures. around 50 of which were long exposures (1+second). The remaining shots were taken firing either a strobe directly mounted or PW to fire remote strobes. The avg temp was about 37 deg F. All shots taken within 4 hours. (side rant: Wow, I need allot more memory than my D50 ever did to shoot RAW!)

I know I'll get a bunch of YMMV. But taking your best guess. Do you think I can continue to see this performance? I don't mind buying a second battery, but if it's gonna run like this. battery #2 is way down on my list...

Cheers,
-Jon

Considering less than 10% of your shots were long exposures, and assuming you werent chimping at every or every other shot for more than a second, that wouldnt be surprising., sometimes, on 10% I can squeeze out another hundred shots when I'm careful enough to use the power sparingly.

P.S. you should need more memory to be shooting RAW, but as long as you're shooting compressed, it should only be a bit more than twice as much space on your memory cards..

[Mike02]

Thanks all.

Another question, So if you have two batteries. Why not a battery grip?

Cheers,
-Jon
You dont want to spend money.

[Icebear]

If you want to see your D200 suck the life out of a battery, shoot tethered. I don't understand why downloading via USB2 eats so much current, but when I shoot tethered, I only get around a hundred shots out of a newly charged EN-EL3e (I have two). That sux. It's a pita to have to use the A/C adapter, but that's what I end up doing.

[SloYerRoll]

Yea I have a laptop set aside already for shooting tethered. I have no need to shot tethered. But I'd like to give it a whirl just to see what all the hypes about.

And no this isn't a hijack since it's my thread.

[Seymore]

Another question, So if you have two batteries. Why not a battery grip?

Cheers,
-Jon
I luv the grip. Gives the 2nd shutter button and controls for port. But I also have 2 200's... the 2nd without. It all depends on what you shoot and your style. I use both and have spare "sets" for both. YMMV... :wink

[SloYerRoll]

Sounds like our pockets MV as well:rofl

[Seymore]

:agree ...all I have is lint these dayz! :doh