billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Older rechargeable batteries used to have a memory. Today's batteries do not, there is no need to deplete today's batteries to "rebuild the memory".

NoSocks Loc: quonochontaug, rhode island

Does this same advice apply to the camera battery? Should I discharge that one too? My camera batteries seem to be live for less and less time.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

MOST of today's camera batteries have no memory that older rechargeable batteries had. No, no need to discharge because they will not build up a memory. Of course, you should keep your batteries fully charged cause you never know when your going to go out shooting with your camera.

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

Do not, let me repeat, DO NOT, do this for lithium ion batteries. They do not need periodic full discharges and, more importantly, they should only be charged with chargers designed for them. They function best when they are charged in the 20%-80% range and if overrcharged, can catch on fire or explode.

drklrd Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

Sorry but no links, practical experience as an electronics engineer. I have seen the lithium battery packs the military misused had the batteries been not in a power pack assembly box that was rated for the slight explosion i am sure the operator would have been injured. I cleaned and replaced the lithium's along with other items inside the case that were destroyed. I worked as electrical and mechanical engineer back them. Then I became a photographer and because I new the tech involved I rebuilt many a Ni-cad pack that failed on me as a photographer. Most Ni-cads love to be re-charged but to avoid a set you need to recharge them from almost dead to keep them having a long life. I have two out of five Lumedyne battery packs I rebuilt that still work 20 years later only since I do not use them any more one pack does not take a charge like it used to. Both packs had spent 10 years out of use and i a few months ago tested them just because I had some time and wondered if I could use my Lumedyne with my Nikon. Turns out the Lumedyne may put too much voltage across the terminals on my Nikon so I use it with a sensor or radio in a multiple flash arrangement which means the Lumedyne flash unit never comes into physical contact my contact on my Nikons.
Just thought my knowledge could help people without having to quote internet tech links. Just like you should never use regular locktite on plastic screw holes. it takes a special type of locktite to be used on plastic. Regular locktite makes the plastic really brittle. I had to toss out a few plastic battery boxes and correct a blue print that called to use regular locktite to keep the problem from continuing. then i had to prove it to the head engineer. there are many projects out there to discharge a battery but I found a flashlight bulb rated at the voltage the battery has marked on it works just as well without a lot of techno jumble. The bulb will get hot due to use but when it dims your battery is ready for re-charge or you can leave it in your device and leave the device on that works just fine too but it puts more hours use on the device it is installed in.

drklrd Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

That's because they are the newer Lithiums and not Ni-cads. Flash batteries are usually the Ni-cads when you find them cheap. just do not short the contacts on a Lithium. i knew someone who burned his leg because he put his thought spent Lithium into a pocket full of coins that made contact with the contacts of the battery and the battery got hot and burned his leg thought for a minute his pants might catch fire it did melt the inside of the manmade material the pocket was made from.

drklrd Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

I was speaking of Ni-cads of course.

drklrd Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

Depends on if the batteries are Ni-cad or Lithium. Lithium no not necessary. Ni-cads it could help a lot. Read the battery side it should tell you which kind of battery it is.

canon Lee

I have a "maha" charger that has a "soft charge" option.. After a shoot I charge them using soft charge... What if any effect does soft charging option have on my batteries?

aphelps Loc: Central Ohio

I would not recommend discharging lithiums in that manner. They should not be discharged below a critical level or permenant damage will result. In some cases they will combust with a normal charging.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Time to re-cycle you collection of NiCads!

mtbear

I use a Vanson Speedy Box which automatically conditions my batteries based on whether they are NiCad or NiMH, switch chosen, no mixing. It works well for NiMH but I never use NiCad. A little pricey but I think worth the price. I think it has been replaced by a newer model.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

I have never ever had any issues with half empty batteries performing any different than fully charged, so no, I use them til there empty or half empty and when there is time to charge them I will, done that forever and as I said, never any issues! Also never an issue with charging a lot of batteries that are at different stages all at once! Just use a smart charger!

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Let's just say you've been VERY lucky!

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

That sure hasn’t been my experience. My half empty batteries run down about twice as fast as the fully charged ones.