Rapidly Draining Batteries
 

Is it common that my batteries would drain an hour for every 20 minutes while recording? The only thing connected to my cam is a Rode shotgun. My only guess is heat.

Actually, cold would have a worse effect. Do you mean that the display on your camera shows battery life decreasing by an hour after only 20 minutes of recording?

Cold has a negative effect on battery life. Could also be that they are old, been recharged too many times and are reaching the end of their useful life. They also drain faster if the LCD is open.

If not that, could you test them on another camera, hopefully the same model? That would at least let you know if it's the camera or the batteries.

Could also be "cheap" aftermarket batteries that some vendors like to sell. They typically don't live as long as the normal or more well known battery makers.

Good point. I hear some reports of them dying suddenly even though the display indicates plenty of time left.

Hmrrr...but aftermarket batteries are so cheap. I wonder if it's any indication that they take forever to charge as well.

BTW, down here in Phoenix we don't know cold. Our cams catch fire every now and then. (The trick is to blow it out without camera shake.) It's a treat to vacation in Washington where the air is naturally cool -- without AC! Wild.

I have a cheap battery that has an extremely shorter life than when I bought it. The way to fix it in my case, is to deplete the battery completely and then charge it completely. After that it goes back to normal... for a while

My 960 can last 3hrs with the LCD on. Usually I record 2hrs