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Battery Management and the Fuji X-T2


pete1959

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Come to think of it, Pete don't actually state what kind batteries he uses???? So come on Pete, what are they? And are You sure Your charger is Fujifilm original? I suspect this to be bogus. 100 pics a battery is not possible unless You screwed up somewhere, despite what ever temperature. Hell, even with the grip and 3 batteries, I get way way more pics out of each battery, then is stated in the specs. Boost mode and all.

 

I smell a troll.

 

Before making accusations, read the darned thread.  For example, Post #11, where the OP pete1959 writes:  "I have nothing but original Fuji batteries..."

Edited by ViewMode
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I shoot with X-T1 bodies for work. (Real Estate Photography mostly) and routinely get ~400 RAW files per charge with the LCD and EVF on, not a LOT of chimping but some) per charge (a mix of Fuji brand and generic). If it took you that many batteries just to get a little over 900 images, something else is going on. That's not normal for any FUJI X camera that I'm aware of. (I've owned at least one of most of the 16MP bodies.) 

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Buying a new camera instead of new batteries is not a logical solution to a very common problem. NiMH batteries are a CONSUMABLE even if there is are best practices for charging and extending the battery life.

 

Getting an average of 100 shots per battery means that you either have the camera lit up like a Christmas tree with continuous focus running and the Eye Sensor turning ON the electronic viewfinder while it dangles from your strap or more likely that the batteries are shot.

 

A quick Google query reveals that NiMH batteries loose efficiency as the compounds start to crystallizing - in fact they can injure the isolation film between layers in extreme cases. Anyway IT IS TOTALLY NORMAL for NiMH batteries to be used up. It doesn't matter what the application, Laptops also consumes NiMH batteries. When the batteries get tired you buy new ones.

 

Unfortunately we do not have access to the individual cells so reconditioning them is almost impossible except for making sure that they are fully discharged regularly - when you use several at the time in a grip you have to keep track so you are using a matched set - if the batteries go down at different times the load is shifted and the others go that much faster. Note that at least in theory the camera body and the grip should be running on matching batteries.

 

Best practices for a professional would be to label each battery and use them in the assigned "sets" when possible that are fully used up during each use, that way you have a chance of spotting the problem batteries. Better yet use them alone in an extra body you can leave ON until they are fully drawn down - this helps recondition them and it tells you how long they run at the same time.

 

As a professional I would buy a set of three batteries every three month for each rig. After a year test them and sort them using the best in reconfigured sets for back-up and studio use. 

 

This way you will be ready for prime time.

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I have 2 X-T2's both with battery grip. That means 6 batteries in the cameras, and usually a spare set of 3 for each (12 total). I've shot thousands of images in a long day and never completely run out of juice. When I am on the street shooting events (which is often), even in very hot weather, boost on, not turning the camera off, I have never had such poor performance in terms of shots per battery as the OP had. At the heaviest use, about 200 shots per battery. More commonly 250-300 per battery.

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like others said, maybe the key is slightly changing the way one uses a mirrorless camera. What comes to mind would be to switch off the camera when not in use. I went from DSLR to mirrorless without really caring for battery life (I'm no pro, battery life is an issue for me only a few holidays weeks per year). Recently I bought a D7200 because I wanted to try out lenses such as the Sigma 18-35mm 1.8, and after a few days I would forget to switch it off... feels so natural when using an OVF. But going back to my X-T20 I never forget because the screen would be on. Of course switching the camera off might lead to a missed shot, maybe manufacturers should implement battery saving modes like with the Panasonic G80. 

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Hi @pete1959,

 

I'm not doing Reportage so I have no experience there.

And by no means I want to be on the Hype train of Fuji is all perfect and dare not say something bad about it.

 

But what makes me curious is that battery life.

I got a X-T2 with a 50-140mmf2.8 + 10-24mmf4 and I do landscape mostly,

so long Live-view times and a lot less exposures.

On my last trip the calculation looked something like this:

1.6K exposures and about 4-5 battery charges.

I use one official xt2 Battery and two red BAXXTER mock offs.

The Baxxter's feel about as good.

 

Before I oned a 5dMkII (with similar equipment).

After switching it felt to me like I need about 3 batteries where I needed 2 with the 5D. You have to keep in mind thou that with the 5dmkII I went rather quick through batteries as Landscape is Live-view intensive.

 

Is there someone else with a more reportage style use case who would like to share his statistic?

 

Regards

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The Fuji short-life batteries is the only thing Fuji didn't get better since my first Xpro1. The 126 batteries didn't last long enough for serious shooting all day long and the x100s batteries...a real pain.  In a trip last year in Barcelona, I was unable to charge the small batteries fast enough and need to wake up at night to change the batteries in charger... Maybe upgrading shortly to the x100F just to get a little better battery life. I get a D5 from Nikon for testing and I had been unable to go through a single battery after 1200 shots! Lots of amelioration possible at this point from Fuji. BUT I will not want to exchange my XPro2 for a D5 anytime soon except if I begin to go at the gym ;-)

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Come to think of it, Pete don't actually state what kind batteries he uses???? So come on Pete, what are they? And are You sure Your charger is Fujifilm original? I suspect this to be bogus. 100 pics a battery is not possible unless You screwed up somewhere, despite what ever temperature. Hell, even with the grip and 3 batteries, I get way way more pics out of each battery, then is stated in the specs. Boost mode and all.

 

I smell a troll.

 

No, I'm not a troll.

 

LOL.

 

As I stated earlier, I might have "messed up", by battery mismanagement and wrong expectations.

 

I use original Fuji batteries and chargers.

 

I was pretty sure I addressed that.

 

As stated earlier, and echoed by others, is that mirrorless cameras and batteries have to be managed different.

 

Don't expect DSLR performance and management methods to be the same in all cameras.  

 

Specifically, the batteries should be freshly charged.

 

Mine, as I admitted earlier, were charged and rotated at random over several weeks.

 

That will work with Canon DSLR's, but not so it seems with this type of battery.

 

Of significance is that on extended outings where the power is not available, and/or given the time to slowly recharge batteries, can make it difficult to manage batteries.

 

I have frequently been forced to wake up every two hours all night long after shooting until bedtime and having a morning shoot the next day to rotate batteries. Having two grips would help...I only have one. That's being resolved.

 

Now, this  probably isn't an issue for most shooters.

 

It can be for others, especially those who are considering switching from a DSLR to a Fuji for PJ work (to whom this thread was sort of directed towards)

 

The forums are about sharing/learning form others, and the lessons here are:  

 

1. Keep your batteries freshly charged. Storage over long periods will reduce the charge. Rotate batteries in a reliable manner ( I have numbered all my batteries and rotate).

 

2. You may wish to evaluate whether you need to have boost mode on all the time. I haven't noticed a difference.

 

In the end I didn't buy a Canon 5dmk4.

 

I couldn't fathom going without live exposure preview and didn't want the size, expense, and weight especially with a two body system!

 

I actually would retitle this thread, if I could, to "Battery Management For Extended PJ Outings".

 

I was shocked to see this thread highlighted at Fujirumors....

 

:o

 

In the end I admit user error/false expectations.

 

:P

 

I should not have taken a practice that worked with one system and applied it to another.

 

Ie; who gives a rats butt about batteries with a DSLR, they last forever.

 

That doesn't apply to mirrorless.

 

So there you have it.

 

Should one use this camera system to run off to a war zone or disaster area with?

 

That's up to the individual user...only they can decide.  

 

Peter

 

ps: One could easily have viewed my profile and website to see I'm not a troll. This isn't dpreview please be respectful in the forums.

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Peter, such a shame that your Fujis were not able to satisfy the demanded performance. Although, a 100 images per battery is nothing like anything I have heard before or experienced, I can imagine that conditions and settings have resulted in this poor battery life.

 

Not sure if anyone mentioned it yet, but I have noticed a significant difference in performance between the W126 and W126S.

Although on paper the only difference is design and heat resistence, my X-Pro2 last significantly longer on the S battery. Moreover, when my older batteries (non S) are dead according to my X-Pro2, I can still get about 50-100 images when I put then in my fuji X-E1. This leads me to the conclusion that the older batteries are not able to always supply the power demand of the X-Trans III generation bodies. Moreover, since the batteries provide better actual powerleveldata to the camera, they really get emptied completely.

Since the X-T2 is the most powerhungry fuji body and you were using older batteries with deteriorated life, I can image that the batteries already indicated to be empty while they were not really (for other bodies).

Have you notices a significant difference between the old and new batteries?

 

Agreed. I threw away my non S batteries after this. They were six years old. And had too much use.

 

-P

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Working wire service news with two Fuji XT-2's at the Wine Contry, California fires.

 

Serious complaint of the system is the terrible battery life...as I started the day with 13 fresh batteries, and in six hours was down to three, despite efforts to save battery life.

 

The camera is VERY questionable as a working PJ's tool...something journalists need to keep in mind before switching systems, especially if you routinely cover extended assignments and won't have power to charge batteries, even if you had the time or patience to do so.

 

The 9 batteries I used only got me 977 shots...that is with no "review", no pre AF, image stabilization OFF, and switching the camera OFF between shots.

 

Had I needed to remain photographing (even if I could find a power source) I was looking at six hours to get my stash of batteries back up and get me working again. As it was, using four battery chargers I wasn't ready to shoot again until the next day.

 

If I had to do "the switch" over again I would have kept my Canon 5d3's and kept it around for those times when I need long battery life, and in fact I will be ordering a Canon 5D4 this week as I simply can't/won't depend on this camera system to have the endurance needed for long days shooting news.

 

 

 

For everything else it's a gem, but as a working person's tool where battery life in the field I don't recommend you leave your DSLR.

 

-Peter

Besides the battery issues you’ve experienced, how has it been for photojournalism?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

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Opposite of my findings with the X-T2. I shot nearly 3000 frames with two X-T2 bodies during a large concert event and went through maybe...5-6 batteries. A lot of that was continuous focus at 8FPS. The X-T2 with the grip did not need a battery change at all while the other needed 3 batteries. This was over a period of 6 hours.

 

I did some reviewing on the LCD but had it turned off. I have two OEM NP-W126s and the rest are third party batteries from Patona and Wasabi.

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Hi Pete,

You'd better check out your batteries. I have been covering a one-day long conference last week and shot 2100 frames with only the 2 batteries of my X-T2's grip. These are PATONA bought on Amazon one year ago. My Fuji batteries also seem to have a much longer life than yours.

Cheers,

 

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The obvious point is using Fuji camera (I own three) one can bet your right arm that you WILL! Have either a battery failure in the middle of a moment when you will miss your shot. Or you WILL run out of juice and not have enough back up power with you. For all Fuji got right this battery issue is a deal breaker for any of us. Fuji needs to address the problem and offer new batteries that are capable of 500 exposures. To me it's like having the best looking car but you can't drive farther than you can walk back because you can't trust it.

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No idea why your battery life is so bad. I shoot events and just yesterday was shooting one for about 5 or 6 hours. I have two XT2s, one with the additional battery grip and one without. I own 6 batteries total, of which 4 were in the cameras. The total number of shots yesterday was 2,350, with a mixture of mechanical and electronic shutter used. By the end of the day, I did not have to use either of my two spare batteries. In other words, 4 batteries were much more than adequate and I did check images on the rear LCD constantly all day. the batteries are all about a year old, which is when I bought the camera in the first place.

 

Maybe your batteries are shot, as you mentioned might be the case. Yes, there is no question that mirrorless cameras will eat up batteries faster than DSLRs, but the has got to be something wrong somewhere if you are only getting 100 shots per battery.

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I haven't had such problems, using my cameras in both hot and humid and very cold conditions.

 

It seems to me that an obvious course of action is to test the batteries.  You could test the actual charge but that might not tell you enough.  Charge each battery them flatten it by either firing shots off on fast continuous or by taking some say 5-minute exposures.  See how many shots you get and compare it to a new battery.

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Omg that's awful! I shoot a lot on locations and average around 300-400 shots with previews and all. I play around with the brightness of the evf though! I came from Canon too (1DX and 5d markiii ) and did feel the battery issue but not to that extent! I use 2 xt2 and most of my shoots I use 3 batteries and shoot around 800-1300 photos and still have some juice left! I actually only have 2 original batteries all my other batteries are generics! 

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@Pete159

 

I think the problem with the reception of this thread is the sensationalist, definitive thread title you gave it. A title which would suggest not subjective rambling over the age of your many batteries which you say you may not keep fully charged, but a rather more logical approach of taking all things into consideration before making such conclusions.

 

Now there is no doubt that Fuji's batteries are rather anemic/weak, and when combined with the additional power draw of a mirrorless over a DSLR you do get through them comparatively fast. However, you can EASILY, using the battery grip that we all know exists that holds 3x batteries, get through a day of shooting over 1000-1200 shots, especially without review and chimping.

 

My take on this is:

  1. If I were a photojournalist counting on battery life to make my money and feed my family there is no way I would NOT be using a battery grip to ensure my battery flow stays constant.
  2. If I were a photojournalist counting on battery life to make my money and feed my family there is no way I would not pay attention to something as important as which batteries I have and to ensure that they were all fully charged and in top condition before I went out shooting a professional gig. This is easy to do overnight Or, buying six new batteries annually.
  3. I would not make a sensationalist thread like this without REALLY considering all of the factors and without doing at least some cursory research, as otherwise you are just inviting criticism.

Basically, you didn't think it through so suck it up and don't take the replies too personally, Fuji lovers are a bit of a rabidly defensive bunch, also in the Facebook groups.

 

It would also be nice to know what you think of the Fuji quality (disregarding battery life) as a photojournalist camera. Is the AF good enough? Photo quality sufficient?  :)

Edited by Richdog
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Given the lightweight and compact nature of the camera, the power demands placed upon mirrorless cameras with LCD, ever active sensor and EVF and the state of play with battery technology then Fuji are making the best of things. With all the moaning I know that if a solution was viable it would have been adopted. 

 

If you want a bigger battery use the grip. Battery husbandry applies whatever brand or type of camera. Yes DSLRs are better but they are also larger, heavier and have lower power consumption.

 

The OP struggled and asked for advice. Pouring scorn from behind a keyboard seems to be the way of some folks.

 

Peter

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Besides the battery issues you’ve experienced, how has it been for photojournalism?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

Very good. It meets all my needs except AF can be fussy in low light. Battery management is less of an issue now as I have learned to manage the batteries better.

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@Pete159

 

I think the problem with the reception of this thread is the sensationalist, definitive thread title you gave it. A title which would suggest not subjective rambling over the age of your many batteries which you say you may not keep fully charged, but a rather more logical approach of taking all things into consideration before making such conclusions.

 

Now there is no doubt that Fuji's batteries are rather anemic/weak, and when combined with the additional power draw of a mirrorless over a DSLR you do get through them comparatively fast. However, you can EASILY, using the battery grip that we all know exists that holds 3x batteries, get through a day of shooting over 1000-1200 shots, especially without review and chimping.

 

My take on this is:

  1. If I were a photojournalist counting on battery life to make my money and feed my family there is no way I would NOT be using a battery grip to ensure my battery flow stays constant.
  2. If I were a photojournalist counting on battery life to make my money and feed my family there is no way I would not pay attention to something as important as which batteries I have and to ensure that they were all fully charged and in top condition before I went out shooting a professional gig. This is easy to do overnight Or, buying six new batteries annually.
  3. I would not make a sensationalist thread like this without REALLY considering all of the factors and without doing at least some cursory research, as otherwise you are just inviting criticism.

Basically, you didn't think it through so suck it up and don't take the replies too personally, Fuji lovers are a bit of a rabidly defensive bunch, also in the Facebook groups.

 

It would also be nice to know what you think of the Fuji quality (disregarding battery life) as a photojournalist camera. Is the AF good enough? Photo quality sufficient?  :)

 

Richdog:

 

Exactly....I couldn't agree more.....the title was born out of frustration and certainly mischaracterizes the true problem (my poor battery management and the differences of DSLR vs. ILMC)...and in fact I would love to change the title of my post to "Proper battery management for long assignments"....but I can't change the title or even delete it. LOL. Yes the rabid fans, I get that. Then the thread showed up showcased on Fuji rumors...LOL. OMG.  

 

Overall the camera is adequate for a PJ tool, AF can be fussy in low light, and batteries must be  managed carefully.

 

Photo quality excellent.

 

I have since bought a second grip and tossed out old batteries. Numbered the batteries and rotated often.

 

There 'ya go.

 

So yea, I invited criticism! Should have titles the thread better....no doubt....so I'll eat the crow feathers.  

 

:unsure:

 

-P

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