Australian_Photography_-_March_2016_

Camera battery goes

flat too fast

Q

I recently bought a new Olympus

OM-D E-M1 and discovered

the battery does not have the

life I’ve come to expect after years using

a Canon EOS 60D. In a previous answer

some years ago you mentioned a brand

of replacement battery which, from

memory, had a greater capacity than the

standard batteries. What was the brand of

that battery?

• Toby Bainbridge, Maryborough Vic.
  Birubi Beach

A

In the April 2014 Q&A Column,

Wasabi Power batteries, using

Japanese-made cells, were

mentioned as a long-life alternative for

Canon cameras.

Many factors are at play in the comparison

between a Compact System Camera

(mirrorless) and your previous DSLR.

Other users of the Olympus OM-D

E-M1 have been reporting good battery

life, hence the difference could well be in

how they have their cameras set up, what

and how they are photographing, and

their shooting style.

From p. 122 of the E-M1 user manual:

“The camera’s power consumption

varies widely with usage and other

conditions. As the following consume a

lot of power even without shooting, the

battery will be drained quickly:

• Performing auto focus repeatedly by
  pressing the shutter button halfway in
  shooting mode.


• Displaying images on the monitor for a
  prolonged period.”

12 AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Prashphutita

A. Greco AP answers your

photographic queries

AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY MARCH 2016

From a design point of view the

challenge is to keep the size and weight

of the battery to a minimum while still

ensuring the camera has sufficient power

to meet the needs of an average shooter.

Of course there will be compromises and

they may not necessarily suit the way you

actually use the camera.

It would be worthwhile experimenting

to determine whether using the EVF

(Electronic Viewfinder) rather than Live

View mode yields an improvement in

battery life.

As far as practical (eg. when

photographing indoors, or outdoors

in shade), turn down the rear LCD’s

brightness as much as you can, while still

retaining usability. (An LCD requires a

lot of current from the battery.)

Blue Nook sell a Wasabi Power

battery suitable for your model of

Olympus, as a kit comprising two

batteries and a charger. From the Blue

Nook website –

http://www.bluenook.com/Wasabi-Power-

Battery-Charger-Olympus/dp/

B00SLY5ETE – “This Wasabi Power

battery replaces the Olympus BLN-

1 battery pack. This battery features

1300mAh which provides a longer

run-time between charges. It is made

with premium Japanese cells to provide

maximum battery life and also comes

with a 3-year manufacturer warranty.

Additionally, the Wasabi Power battery

is completely compatible with all

original equipment including the

charger and camera.”

As I have no experience with this

particular battery, I cannot vouch for this

• but please let me know your experience.
  Another alternative, if it suits your
  needs, is the accessory Olympus HLD-
  battery holder and vertical grip.
  Note: Toby has since followed up with
  Blue Nook and found it cost more for

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