1DS Mark II Battery Question

[Marc Schultz]

I purchased an extra battery when I bought my 1DS Mark II and unfortunately I have mixed the 2 of them up and I am not sure which one is the extra battery I bought and which one came with the camera.

I was wondering if there might be any method to figure out which battery is which using serial numbers or otherwise?

[Nill Toulme]

Why does it matter?

Nill
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www.toulme.net

[Paul Caldwell]

Unless you wrote the original serial number down, I can't think of a way to tell. They are all the same.

Paul Caldwell

[Marc Schultz]

Thank you Paul. I was hoping the serial number of the battery might be linkable to the serial number of the camera somehow, but unlikely I guess. Thanks anyway.

[Ken Tanaka]

I agree with Paul that there's no way to determine which battery shipped with the kit.

I have two 1D-type bodies and four batteries for them. I use a silver metallic Sharpie to mark the month/year acquisition date on each battery. (This marking can be removed if necessary.) To answer Nill's question, at least for myself, I attempt to ensure that I evenly rotate my batteries' use / charge distribution for even wear. I also like to keep track of battery packs' ages to anticipate the effects of aging.

[Nill Toulme]

I used to do that too, until after several years' heavy use of a half dozen of the darn things, I couldn't tell the least bit of difference in their performance. They all seemed still to work just as well as the day they came out of the box. I'm sure they fail sooner or later, but I've never actually seen it happen (yet).

Nill
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www.toulme.net

[Tim Dolan (Longwatcher)]

I will add my experience,
Over three years with two NP-E3 batteries, I have noted a drop in the number of pictures I can take before recharge, but it is still around 1500-2000+ per charge so no worries yet (It was between 2500 and 3000 ). One of the two seems to run out a touch faster, but I can never keep track of which is which. I got the second battery less then a week after I got the camera.

In my case, i shoot until I get to the blinky light, switch out the batteries and immeadiately recharge the used one. As soon as it is charged I put it into a pouch I have with the cap on it. If traveling and don't have the recharger, I leave the cap off, so I know it is discharged and that one gets charged first when I get home. So far, I have never drained both batteries to blinky status at the same time, but I did get the second to low power once.

And scary was the first time I wasn't paying attention and ran the battery out. Nothing more fun then hearing the mirror go up and then no-recocking. Heart stopped until I swapped batteries and the camera reset as it should. I am sure I am not the only one and I haven't done it since.

So 3-years, still hold at least most of the original charge, no problems.

Just my experience,

[Nill Toulme]

That would indeed be scary. Since I kissed my original 1D goodbye, I don't recall ever having succeeded in running an NP-E3 all the way dead.

Nill
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www.toulme.net