DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

In the old days I could remove any batteries and store my SLR bodies for extended periods. With all the electronics in a digital camera I doubt that this approach is prudent. (Same with cars that I keep on a battery tender because of the computers and electronics).
Do any of you have recommendations on how you store your digital camera bodies for longer terms - months or up to two years?

Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

I never store cameras for long periods, I always use them. I would assume take the battery out, wrap it in a plastic bag with a little bag of moisture reducer.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

What does does your User’s Manual suggest?

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

There are capacitors that store energy for maintaining system date/time and other settings. Taking the battery out will cause this data to zero.

Joe Blow

Lithium batteries have protective circuits in them. That prevents overcharging and over discharging. However, those circuits also need a very minimal current to keep the battery working. Even sitting, a small amount of energy will discharge. When the charge reaches too low a voltage, it will go into a deep sleep or hibernation. Sometimes it can not be woken out of this sleep and the battery becomes useless or dead.

There is no magic number of when a battery goes too discharged to be used. Normal use and charging cycling though is more than sufficient to get a lot of mileage out of your battery. Your camera or phone will usually shut down with enough energy left in the battery to keep it alive.

The best advice is to charge the battery every 6-8 months. Fully discharge the battery (using the camera flash helps discharge it quicker), then fully charge it and store it again. Store it in an air tight bag in a dry location.

***
NOTE: While dead Li-on batteries may sometimes be revived, it is not a given and is usually prohibitive. A totally discharged battery (reading 0.0 volts) is usually damaged and not recommended for reuse. Trying to force charge a dead Li-on battery may cause an explosion or fire.

Good luck

Joe Blow

Lithium batteries have protective circuits in them. That prevents overcharging and over discharging. However, those circuits also need a very minimal current to keep the battery working. Even sitting, a small amount of energy will discharge. When the charge reaches too low a voltage, it will go into a deep sleep or hibernation. Sometimes it can not be woken out of this sleep and the battery becomes useless or dead.

There is no magic number of when a battery goes too discharged to be used. Normal use and charging cycling though is more than sufficient to get a lot of mileage out of your battery. Your camera or phone will usually shut down with enough energy left in the battery to keep it alive.

The best advice is to charge the battery every 6-8 months. Fully discharge the battery (using the camera flash helps discharge it quicker), then fully charge it and store it again. Store it in an air tight bag in a dry location.

***
NOTE: While dead Li-on batteries may sometimes be revived, it is not a given and is usually prohibitive. A totally discharged battery (reading 0.0 volts) is usually damaged and not recommended for reuse. Trying to force charge a dead Li-on battery may cause an explosion or fire.

Good luck

trinhqthuan Loc: gaithersburg

Use a tight Egloo cooler, pad with cat silicate titter (cheap way to absorb moisture) to store cameras, lenses
That how I do for all my gears

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

Good note - Some take days, weeks, even a few months, but they will eventually go to zero.

Like HAM radios, there is usually an internal battery to maintain all the settings and such while the device is unpowered. Even when I store older electronic bodies, I mark the items and a calendar with the storage date and a note to power up periodically to recharge the internal battery. If the internal battery completely fails, it would mean a trip back to Canon, Nikon, Sony, whoever, as they are much more difficult to replace than on a HAM radio.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I have much the same attitude. If our OP is using "long term storage" for unused equipment, that's a strong indicator that equipment should be sold-off while it still might have resale value.

BebuLamar

If it's a super capacitor I wouldn't worry about it as when I put the battery back in I just have to set the date and time and some settings again. However, if it's not a capacitor but rather a battery the battery could be damage by leaving it in discharge state for too long and this battery would require sending the camera to the manufacturer to be replaced.

Bill_de Loc: US

New cameras don't come with batteries installed. I've heard anybody complaining that they needed to do more than install the battery that came in the box. We know some cameras are still being sold, new in the box, long after manufacturing had ended.

Put it back in the box, or any handy box, just the way you got. Include a couple of desiccated packs.

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nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

Why do you think it is imprudent to store electronics for long periods? All-mechanical cameras have many lubrication points that can become stiff and dried-out over time. Electronic cameras have few mechanicals.

What could happen to the electronics?

Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

Agreed, but if a person is storing the camera for a long time, why would he/she need the date and time to be runnin?...It cagn always be reset when taking out of storage.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

He may even be in a different part of the planet when he revives it.

BebuLamar

Are you putting away a Nikon Df? I expect Nikon to stop selling them soon.