Is a second battery necessary for a day in the parks?

[BabyFu18]

I was just wondering if a second battery pack is really necessary when in the parks all day, I know it depends on how you use your camera and all but just asking.

If we go to the parks and stay all day and I turn my camera on and off a lot and change settings a good bit will I need to carry an extra battery or will one battery likely last all day (to be recharged at night before the next park day)?

I am looking into a new camera and one brand I am looking into only excepts branded replacement batteries (panasonic) so if I buy that camera and will need a extra battery it will cost more than I was planning. I have only ever had cameras that took AA batteries, so going to a rechargeable battery will be different for me, but I was hoping I'd be a better choice.

 

[boBQuincy]

For me a spare battery is a necessity. Granted, I may take 1000 photos in a day but depending on how I use the camera (Canon Xsi) it has run the battery down in as little as 500 images. I do not wait until the battery quits, I replace it when the indicator shows it is low.

If your usage is less than this you might be ok with one battery but as always Ymmv... I would be *so* unhappy if I ran out of battery power before the day was over.

 

[oregondaddyof2]

I purchased a battery grip for my D60 that holds 2 batteries... I actually went a month ago and bought 2 more batteries as a backup, so it may be a little overkill, but 4 batteries is in my arsenal... I could not have a good time if my camera went dead and I didn't have a back up

 

[rtphokie]

For me a spare battery is a necessity. Granted, I may take 1000 photos in a day but depending on how I use the camera (Canon Xsi) it has run the battery down in as little as 500 images. I do not wait until the battery quits, I replace it when the indicator shows it is low.

If your usage is less than this you might be ok with one battery but as always Ymmv... I would be *so* unhappy if I ran out of battery power before the day was over.

I shot 2000 frames over 2 days a few weeks back with my Canon XT on a single battery charge.

A 2nd battery is a good idea though. If you forget to charge each night, you've got a backup.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

It depends on the camera, the shooter, whether IS is used a lot, how long your previews are displayed, how often your camera is on, etc.

I took a recent trip during which I shot up over 900 pictures in 1 day. I started each day with a full battery. I carried a second battery just in case, but I never used it.

 

[jann1033]

the problem is , if your battery goes and you don't have a backup your are done with photos for the day. being neurotic i always have at least one spare even though i rarely use it...i also carry a charger in the car "just in case" like i said neurotic..never has happened except when my old camera wasn't working but just in case it ever would.....
it should tell you someplace, like maybe the manual how many photos a charge should lasts...then divide that in half and see how many you normally take per day.( you might have to check for a downloadable manual). also being at WDW and having funit's possible putting it on the charge at night could slip you mind and if you have a spare you'd still be ok.

 

[handicap18]

I went a little more than a day with 1 battery in Disney last week. Then one night of shooting in EPCOT drained a whole battery in about 3 hours.

So it will depend on what your going to shoot.

I ALWAYS make sure I have 2 batteries with me. Better to be safe than sorry. The batteries aren't very big

 

[Suburbanmom]

I would definately have an extra battery, whether I thought I'd need it or not. I'd also bring an extra memory card or two.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Even though I only needed one battery, I'd always try to bring a backup. I've been caught without a working spare battery and it isn't fun. I turned of IS and image review. I shut my camera off immediately after each shooting opportunity. No fun.

 

[wdwwishes]

It's not a bad idea. At the very least, if your charger fits into your bag, bring it along. I plugged mine in for a bit while we had lunch at Col. Harbor House. I've also read somewhere that the camera shop right there on Main Street will allow you to charge batteries there.

 

[mtdewlarissa]

i have forgot my extra battery at home and had no back up. i was soo sorry. it is easier to carry an extra one than to have to lock up the camera in the car.

 

[Sewfun]

I was at Disney World last month, and had 3 batteries with me. I usually used 2 each day, so the third was a back up just in case.

Tammy

I was just wondering if a second battery pack is really necessary when in the parks all day, I know it depends on how you use your camera and all but just asking.

If we go to the parks and stay all day and I turn my camera on and off a lot and change settings a good bit will I need to carry an extra battery or will one battery likely last all day (to be recharged at night before the next park day)?

I am looking into a new camera and one brand I am looking into only excepts branded replacement batteries (panasonic) so if I buy that camera and will need a extra battery it will cost more than I was planning. I have only ever had cameras that took AA batteries, so going to a rechargeable battery will be different for me, but I was hoping I'd be a better choice.

 

[oogieboogieman]

Usually later in the week when I don't feel like taking the camera bag, I will take 1 extra battery, 1 extra memory card, and lens cleaning cloth, just to keep thing lite. Then it will always rain and I scrambling to the gift shop to get a plastic bag for the camera.

 

[WillCAD]

I always bring a spare battery, because the ONE time I juiced out my primary battery, I didn't have a spare, and missed some important pics that night.

So now I never go anywhere without several spare memory cards and a spare battery.

 

[zackiedawg]

I am a bit more of a chancer myself...I don't have more than 1 battery for each of my 2 cameras. I used to carry a few spares when I had a P&S camera that took AAs...but currently both of my cameras take larger lithium batteries, and both seem capable of holding a charge for, well just about ever. The battery on my DSLR is a beast - I have shot well over 2,000 shots, all stabilized, including slow shutter night shots using live view LCD, on a charge and still had spare charge left. I've shot for two consecutive days at Disney on 1 charge, and still had spare left over. I like cameras that give you a time remaining readout on the battery display, instead of the chintzy little 4-position bar graphs - it really helps knowing exactly how much more the battery can handle.

On my P&S camera, a Sony T100, I usually set the display to the power-saver mode, which is about 3/4 as bright as the normal mode, and turns off the display if no buttons are touched for 30 seconds or so. The battery on that one is amazing too...easily lasts me the whole day, using the big LCD screen (it has no viewfinder, so that's the only way to shoot), and can handle 300+ shots spread out over the whole day.

I find AA batteries have the advantage of cheap and easy replacement potential if they run down...but the disadvantage of not lasting as long and not giving any accurate form of battery meter. Lithiums have the advantage of lasting much longer and allowing accurate battery meters, but the downside is the price.

I think you need to look at your own photography style. If you think you'll be rattling off hundreds to thousands of shots a day...you'll need more battery. If you walk around with the camera on all day, and like to preview images a lot, you may need more battery. If you shoot a few dozen to a few hundred shots, and turn the camera off for longer stretches between shot opportunities, and don't spend too much time chimping your shots, you can likely get by on one battery. And of course, if you land a camera with a serious, heavy duty battery that lasts a very long time, that may help the decision too.