Those of you with camcorders can you help

[Katies Dad]

We have a small camcorder with the battery that came with it, it runs for about 30 - 40 mins and fits flat on the side. Went to get a new battery so we have an extra one for the parks and was given the choice of two, one the same as we already have and one that has a lot more capacity nearly 2 hours but it is quitey bulky and about 4 times bigger than the other it is also heavier.

Please could anyone that films a lot, give me a bit of advice, should we go for the convenience of having more filming time available and just put up with the extra size and weight, or for convenience stick with the slim one (2 slim ones would give just over the hour in filming)

We are not very technical minded.

Thanks to anyone that can give us any suggestions

 

[Claire L]

Katies Dad
The time you have sounds rather short what make of camcorder do you have? My little Sony has nearly 2 and a half hours with the battery it was supplied with.
Claire

 

[Peebee]

When we bought our Sony we got the usual slim battery included in the box which is good for nearly a full hour of filming using the monitor screen, and a bit longer using just the viewfinder.

We also bought one of the big batteries that gives about 2-3 times as much life, so it sounds similar to the one you are considering.

For us it's been good to have a choice. If space/weight is a premium and we want to travel light, the small battery is fine, so long as it's fully charged. On the other hand, if we're heading out to the parks for the whole day and want to do loads of recording the long-life battery is the best option.

One long parade will probably exhaust the battery if you're filming the whole thing and taking shots of the crowd beforehand as well, so that may be a consideration for you as well.

Hope this helps

Paul

 

[Katies Dad]

Hi Clare L,

It is a Canon MV3i and we have had it about 18 months, only tend to use the screen when we film, I think that this makes the time shorter. Jessops confirmed a battery the same as the one we have would be about 40 mins.

 

[Katies Dad]

Peebee, I think the battery you use sounds very like the one we are thinking about.

Our small one is BP406 - 700mAh and the big one is 2200mAH if that makes sense.

Thanks Phil

 

[signtalker]

Can you not buy a Lithium battery for it???

We bought one for ours, as we only had a bog standard battery when we bought it, and our lithuim battery lasts without us having to charge it up everyday, its a god send.

Jules

 

[Katies Dad]

Hi signtalker,

I`ve never heard of lithium batteries before, what is the difference thought a battery was just a battery. Where do you get them from? are they better, smaller and lighter than ordinary camcorder batteries. Price wise is it comparable. The 2 hour one we are considering was £55 from Jesspos, the small one is £40.

Any more info you can give me would be much appreciated, thanks.

 

[mike230652]

Katies dad
Jessops will give you all the help/advice you need about lithium ion batteries, just pop in and ask them.


BTW, the best way to make the battery last longer is by NOT using the zoom facility too often !! This is definitely the easiest way to drain a battery!!

mike230652

 

[ColUK]

I have a JVC recorder which has about the same time for recording with the slimline battery. I went through the same dilema a couple of years ago as to which battery to buy. I ended up buying the bulky one based on the fact that its very rare I dont have the camera case and therefore it doesnt really matter about the extra bulk of the battery.
You can extend the life of the battery by not using the screen and using the viewfinder instead and not using the zoom too much as previously said.

Colin

 

[Peebee]

Hi Phil. It may be a lithium battery already - have a check on the side of the one you already have. Does it say Li-ion (Lithium), Ni-Mh (Nickel/Metal Hydride) or Ni-Cad (Nickel/Cadmium) ?

Paul

 

[Katies Dad]

Hi Paul

Have checked the packaging and it says Li-lon does that mean its a good battery? I am at a loss I`m definately not technically minded at all. The smaller one also says the same thing.

Phil

 

[Katies Dad]

Thanks Colin, we also have a case to keep the camcorder in, but it just seems an effort all the time to keep putting it in and out.
But I will admit it does protect it so must try and use it, keep it around the neck rather than in the bag.

Phil

 

[Katies Dad]

Its me again, just thought of something else, have any of you experienced `condensation` in your camcorders or cameras, I`m sure I read about this happening. Any pointers?

Thanks again everyone, you are brilliant.

Phil

 

[Peebee]

Hi Phil. Yes, that's probably the best type of battery you can buy. From the quick check i've done on the net £55 looks a fairly good deal for the larger battery - can you just confirm the model number for that one - is it the 422 ?

As far as condensation goes, i'd simply say to avoid extremes of temperature as much as possible. If possible, let the camera acclimatise to the conditions before you do any filming - don't take it straight out of an air-conditioned room or car and start shooting, but give it maybe 30 mins or so to warm up. A lot of cameras these days have condensation protection built-in, so you may find a light or warning comes on if things have quite levelled out yet.

Paul

 

[Katies Dad]

Paul, yes it is a BP422 and the other is a BP406. From all the advice I`ve been given I do think it will be a good idea to keep the bigger one, and put up with the bulk. At least it will mean I can do parades etc without having to changeover part way thru.

I must admit we always tend to use the screen, only because it makes life a lot easier when filming the view finder or whatever it is called is pretty small because of the small size of the camcorder. Howver, this may not be an option if the sunlight is very bright, so will resort to the viewfinder as much as poss, and hopefully get good times from the batter.

I will check out the instruction book to see what it says about condensation, to see if there is a warning light or something.

I do appreciate the trouble you have gone to.

Thanks, Phil

 

[Peebee]

No problem Phil - we're all here to help each other when we can. I agree with what you say about the viewfinder. It can be very hard to use the LCD screen in the sunshine, although if you're taping the parades it means you can enjoy them without squinting the whole time

Hope the trip goes well and you get some good footage.

Paul