Battery dependence, oh dear.

[rbiemer]

I just got back to Raquette Lake (where I work most of the year) and this winter, I didn't want to have to carry too much stuff across the lake so I pared down the camera gear I brought. 3 cameras, and a few lenses, tripod, cable release(s), a bunch of film. One bag plus the tripod.
Did pretty well, I thought; I covered the focal lengths I use most and the occasional extremes.
This morning, however, I realized that all the cameras I brought require batteries😱. I do have some spares and have ordered some more but this will be the first time in a very long time that I have not had at least one battery free camera as part of my kit.
And, a bit surprising for me, I'm not really worried about it. Which is slightly odd because for most of my hobby, I have had a strong preference for battery independent cameras--cameras like all the FSU cameras I've owned and liked,the Seagull, Yashica, or Rollei TLRs, cameras like the Bessa R or K1000 which use a battery for the meter but are still usable with out batteries.
My first thought was to have my brother pack and send up one of my FSU cameras, but on second thought, I think I will just make sure I have spare batteries and see how this works out for me over the next 3 1/2 months.
It is not as cold as it will get here, yet and that is really my only concern about the batteries. Even that, how ever, is not too much of an issue; typically I carry what I'm shooting with under my coat and only bring it out when I'm actually shooting.

Thoughts anybody?
Rob

 

[payasam]

Except for one, none of my cameras has needed electric power except for its meter. Even so, I have never been stranded. The button cells used in most cameras are small and light, so it is not a problem to carry spares.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Except for one, none of my cameras has needed electric power except for its meter. Even so, I have never been stranded. The button cells used in most cameras are small and light, so it is not a problem to carry spares.

It's not carrying them. It's remembering them. And remembering to replace them when you run out...

Cheers,

R.

 

[kxl]

Your typical weather in the Adirondacks these days are lows of 10 degF and highs of 20degF, and since I assume you won't be subjecting your cameras (and batteries) to that kind of cold continuously for days, I would think that having spares would be sufficient.

OTOH, why risk it? Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Have your brother bring the FSU camera.

 

[KenR]

Cold batteries

Cold batteries

How cold is Raquette Lake in the winter? As I found out a couple of weeks ago when it was in the low 20's here in the Hudson Valley, batteries don't do well in the cold. My Bessa R4a and I were out for about an hour with the camera outside my coat for the entire time. All was well until the walk back to the car, when the camera wouldn't fire. Having just replaced the batteries, I knew it was the cold. The camera worked fine once I drove home and it continues to be fine with the same set of batteries in place.

So, you made need to either keep the camera inside your coat or to have the mechanical shutter camera shipped to you.

 

[Graham Line]

Used to gaffer-tape a spare battery (like an MS76 or two) to the strap of the cameras that needed them. Made it impossible to be caught without. Wrap the battery in clear plastic so it isn't sticky, and use gaffer tape so you can upwrap it when needed.

 

[rbiemer]

The camera batteries I need are not very exotic; the Bessa R2a uses SR44s or 1/3N cells and I have a good supply of recently purchased ones. The EOS camera I have I use AAs in(got a vertical grip accessory that will take either the usual battery or AAs) and the P&S I have uses CR123 and I have a new one in the camera and the other new one on my desk here.
Realistically I don't especially need to worry. With one possible exception: if I decide to do any seriously long exposures--night time landscapes or something--that may be a problem.
I think my post was more about my changing thoughts about the whole battery dependent camera "thing". And that it is not such a big deal for me as it once was.
Batteries certainly have improved a lot since I started photography way back when and that helps!
Rob