Battery Life with upgrade?

[krimple]

Someone else noted this, but I figured it needed a full thread of its' own. I have had to change my battery twice now since the upgrade. Has anyone else noticed this? I have turned off auto preview. I think it's because now we're all using the histogram more and LCD power, but I'd like to track this.

Ken

 

[rami G]

I was the one who noticed it in the other thread. I did some more experiments. I am under the impression that battery life was cut down significantly with the upgrade. will be happy to hear other's experience. set auto-off to 3 minutes. do not use the review.

 

[RML]

set auto-off to 3 minutes. do not use the review.

Which is exactly what I've done from the moment I got my R-D1. That way I was (am?) able to get 200-300 shots on a fully charged Epson battery. I would feel lucky to get 100 on a fully charged generic battery.

 

[jlw]

I shot a museum reception last night using the updated firmware -- probably about 300 shots.

In the past I'd usually expect to get through this type of event on one fully-charged Epson battery -- but in this case I had to switch to my spare battery for the last 30 shots or so.

However, I did have quick review turned on, and assumed that was the reason for the extra power consumption. Note that using the raw + JPEG capability probably will increase power consumption a bit also because of the extra writing required. Otherwise, I guess the jury is still out on this issue.

 

[rvaubel]

This thread has been quite for a few days. Has anyone noticed any real effect on battery life caused by the firmware upgrade. Or were we all just chimping too much?
Rex

 

[rvaubel]

J Borger
I spoke too soon. I haven't done any formal testing but it seems my battery life is down too. I wouldn't say by 1/2 as some are reporting but noticeable.
Rex

 

[J. Borger]

I have been 2 days out for heavy shooting with the new firmware.
Without using any of the new features in the menus ...... it seems my batteries only last half as long as before the upgrade.
That is - without noise reduction enabled
- with outo off at 3 min (not the default 5)
- without using the new zoom feature
- saving only raws (not raw + JPEG)
- and quick view off
Thus without using any of the new feautures except for the shutter/ LCD interaction fix (which is a relief!)

Perhaps the half as much is ... a bit over the top but it feels that way ..... let's say at least 30% less battery power

 

[Steve L]

Same for me.

They probably left something running all the time that used to be shut down except when being used....how do we report this to them? I'd say it is a bug in the firmware.

 

[rvaubel]

I'd say about 30% reduction also. However, I have
. Enabled noise reduction
. Auto off @ 3min
. Quick view on @ 10sec (looong!)
. Use the zoom feature a lot
. Save raw only

I notice when zooming the camera is obviously writing a file somewhere for processing. Power must be used there.
I'll bet the noise reduction doesnt use any power except for long exposures or refreshment.
I chimp alot so the Quick view doesnt make anything any worse(probable)
I used to get 100 raws between batteries. I obviously am a "power user" in the chimping sense. Now I am getting maybe 60 or 70 shots. I carry 2 extra batteries which use to almost 400 exposures which was plenty. Now I'm down to a little more than 200.
I don't mind changing batteries so much except that charging that many batteries requires a multiple battery charger that I don't have.

I have a feeling that this is a new issue we are stuck with.

Rex

 

[iUser]

lol, some people are never happy

 

[rami G]

I am positive now- battery life is much worse after upgrade. that is a big change, around 50%.

iUse- are you laughing with us or do you really find it funny that people are bothered by a loss of nearly 50% battery life? I never had to worry about battery life with any other camera I own, digital or film. Not even with my battery drainner M7... anybody that uses a camera not only as a decorative element will be concerned about it sooner or latter.

 

[furcafe]

I haven't noticed any significant diminishment in battery life. However, I don't chimp very much & haven't changed the way I use the camera. I like the new menu features (quick review, increased magnification, etc.), but don't use them any more often than I did the old ones. For me, the main advantages of the firmware were the operational & sensor-related improvements (noise reduction, improved auto white balance, bad pixel mapping, etc.), not the ones making the LCD screen more useful.

I agree w/krimple that the reduction in battery life is probably the result of all you guys using the new menu features . . . the same features that everyone was asking for! Epson should hardly be blamed if these new features come w/a cost: decreased battery life from increased use of the LCD. There's no such thing as a free lunch, folks.

 

[rvaubel]

I dont mind carrying 3 batteries or changing them every 80 shots or so. But, when on a trip, charging 3 batteries every night would be a hassle without a 3 battery charger. Does anyone know were to get such a thing?
Rex

 

[RML]

I'm still not convinced battery life is diminished when not using all the new features. I only have the noise reduction and the dead pixel mapping enabled, and even with my generic (non-Epson) batteries I don't seem to be shooting less than before on a full charge. Admittedly, I have yet to try the Epson battery, which will probably happen one of these days.

 

[rami G]

Like RML, I also don't use any of the new features besides pixel mapping and 1600 noise reduction. I don't use the review LCD any more than before (and that is- hardly) and I do only when I want to chekc the histogram, whcih I generally don't. I guess it would be nice if members here (furcafe and others) would not make assumptions about other's use, as if we are discussing the games of 5 years old kids with a new toys. Most of us are unlikely to "use new features" just for the fun of it- we use the R-D1 to take picutres, and at least I use it as close as possible to the way I was always using my Leica cameras, that is, using it like a manual camera and not like a computerized toy. I think such assumptions disturb the possibility of a serious discussion.
BTW, as far as I remember, few years ago one of canon's cameras (10D, 20D don't remember exactly) got a firmware upgrade which reduced battery life significantly, and after a while it was corrected by a new firmware which solved that problem. Now who is the next one to scream No Free Meal? It is not trivial at all that a firmaware upgrade would lead to change in battery life. Very often, in fact, firmware upgrade contains a better power management which increases battery life significantly. (had that with my Kodak slr/C as well as with my Treo Palm...)

 

[iUser]

I am positive now- battery life is much worse after upgrade. that is a big change, around 50%.

iUse- are you laughing with us or do you really find it funny that people are bothered by a loss of nearly 50% battery life? I never had to worry about battery life with any other camera I own, digital or film. Not even with my battery drainner M7... anybody that uses a camera not only as a decorative element will be concerned about it sooner or latter.

There's no change on my R-D1 and you're the only member claiming a 50% drop in life.

I'm not saying there might not be extra power used with the new f/w, I’m just sick of people being given something for free then ALWAYS finding new things to moan about, it’s NEVER going to be perfect. And as to a bug in the f/w, who’s to say the 3rd party batts being used aren’t to blame? As it's been said many times before, this camera is a first and small issues like this are to be expected.

 

[RML]

I’m just sick of people being given something for free then ALWAYS finding new things to moan about, it’s NEVER going to be perfect.

Well, I wouldn't call 3000 euro exactly for free. 🙂

Besides, if the new firmware indeed increases power consumption that is newsworthy. It's something we need to be aware of as we expect our batteries to last a certain number of shots. So far I haven't been able to see a dramatic drop in power consumption. I did observe such a thing right after I had the new firmware installed and had all the new options on but no longer after I switched them all of (except for the noise reduction and the dead pixel mapping). I don't shoot RAW+JPG, I don't use the 3 sec preview, I do chimp but don't use the zoom or the histogram, and I switch off the camera when I'm not using it. The camera usually doesn't have 3 minutes to power down by itself. 🙂

 

[rami G]

iUser, first, 50% only an estimation, maybe less than that, but a significant change. (I have been using the camera a lot in the last few days, had few jobs with it). I don't use any third party batteries.... I use only Epson's original batteries. This forum is, apparently, a great place to share Epson related information. Apparently, there are some channels from this forum to Epson engeneer team of the R-D1 (I believe Sean Reid's opinion, at least, is familiar to some). Where else should such an issue be reported? As I pointed out above, a firmware upgrade is not a mechanical change. There is no real reason that it will cause a faster battery drain. It does, sometimes, and it can be fixed and had been fixed by canon's further upgrade, for example, as I have pointed out.

And on a more personal level: " I’m just sick of people being given something for free then ALWAYS finding new things to moan about, it’s NEVER going to be perfect."

Well- I didn't get my R-D1 for free, don't know about you. I paid more than 3000$ for it and had so many issues like I never had before with any other camera. I love the camera but I think the "features" that I use (hot pixel mapping) are something that we ought to have given from the first place. However- and that is the personal thing- unlike you, I don't tend to get sick of people. Not even when they make pointless arrogant comments like you just made. Somehow, I guess that someone who does not only tend to be "sick of people" but also doesn't hesitate to share his emotions on a public forum has more than one occation a day in which he is sick of people- so let me not take any more of your time!!! 😛

 

[iUser]

I don't get sick of people, I didn't say that. I get sick of people moaning about a free firmware, and it is free. No one had any idea the rd1s would be coming when the rd1 came out so you didn't pay for the extra toys.
Don’t you think it's funny how my rd1 and other members don't have your issue? How can this be a bug?
However if you feel it's an issue why don't you ask the people who made the camera instead of posting on this page and hoping that a member of epsons engineering team are reading it (instead of working) had anyone even done this yet??

EDIT: I’m getting ahead of myself. I apologize if I’ve offending anyone, it’s just I’ve never understood the point of complaining on a UBB instead of going direct to the manufactures.

I’ve got a shoot on Thursday. I’ll record how many shots I get from one Batt.

 

[iUser]

I've just shot 303 files on three 1gb cards
Full format 4 times
Adobe 1998
Turning off when uploading cards
ISO200
Preview on
RAW only
Auto WB
Batt took 5 mins to recharge (edit: it's come back on so it's still charging.)

the batt meter is still on full but goes to next to full when shooting.