Camera On Or Off? Wondering which will drain the camera battery faster when taking a casual stroll with your camera. Is it better to never turn your camera off (it will go to sleep, I...

leftyD500 Loc: Ocala, Florida

Wondering which will drain the camera battery faster when taking a casual stroll with your camera. Is it better to never turn your camera off (it will go to sleep, I know), or turn the camera off until you are ready to shoot. I know, the best scenerio is to carry a spare, fully charged battery, but that doesn't answer my question.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

I think the majority of us just leave our cameras on while we are out for a day of shooting. Turning it off and on all the time will just wear out the switch and probably not save any battery life. Additionally, you risk missing shots if you have to take the time to keep turning your camera back on. If you are the type of shooter for whom a camera is more of an accessory, and you only use it to capture a few pictures when you are out and about, then do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Turned on for quick shots.
Be sure the memory card is big enough in case it turns out to be a bonanza day for shots AND carry at least one extra battery. An absorbent cloth to wipe off the camera/lens is a good idea in case you run into rain or snow.

In cold weather you should let the camera reach ambient temperature, not keep it warm under your coat (it gets condensation on the lens from the warm moist air near your body taking it in and out) and in the cold batteries go down faster but often recover when warmed=battery goes down, swap for a warm one from an inside pocket and let the cold one warm up in the pocket.

Quixdraw Loc: x

This is a personal taste issue. When not actively shooting, my camera is off, just as when shooting other things, the safety is engaged, either piece of equipment can deployed very quickly from an inert / safe condition. Choice, practice and technique.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

mwsilvers wrote:

I think the majority of us just leave our cameras on while we are out for a day of shooting. Turning it off and on all the time will just wear out the switch and probably not save any battery life. Additionally, you risk missing shots if you have to take the time to keep turning your camera back on. If you are the type of shooter for whom a camera is more of an accessory, and you only use it to capture a few pictures when you are out and about, then do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

If I believe I'll be taking more pictures in a bit, I'll leave it on but turn the display off. Sometimes it does go into standby.. (I forget how long I have going to standby set for.) If I push any button it comes out of standby, usually the focus button, and immediately ready.

If I have no idea if I will be shooting more shortly, I'll turn it off.

My camera is not in use 8 hours a day, 365 days a year. I'm not worried about the switch life.

Check the camera "on to picture time" (Power off to shot) for your camera, my T1i is <.1 second. (Obviously if the mode/settings are correct for the shot.) It takes longer for the camera to display stuff (1.1 seconds) that it does to become picture ready. Therefore I'm not worried in the slightest for the "turn-on time" for a shot. The camera is ready to shoot before I get it up to my face.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

quixdraw wrote:

This is a personal taste issue. When not actively shooting, my camera is off, just as when shooting other things, the safety is engaged, either piece of equipment can deployed very quickly from an inert / safe condition. Choice, practice and technique.

User ID

Not sure which way I do it. Never paid any attention. Always carry more than one spare battery, so no big deal. Buy more batteries and lively up yourself.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

quixdraw wrote:

This is a personal taste issue. When not actively shooting, my camera is off, just as when shooting other things, the safety is engaged, either piece of equipment can deployed very quickly from an inert / safe condition. Choice, practice and technique.

Pardon my ignorance, but I have never had a "safety" on any of my cameras. I understand the concept but not how it is implemented. What camera do you have and how do you engage the "safety"?

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

I go along with QD. Always on safe until ready to shoot. From long practice my camera turns on almost by it's self while on the way up to my eye. I don't know if there is any battery savings, just the way I have always done it.

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

I switch my Panny M4/3 GX8 off unless I expect to take further pics imminently. Main reason is that my walk about is a pancake 14-42, which extends when camera is switched on. I've had various Panasonics over the years. Never had a problem with an on/off switch. Never had any other problem either.

Jrhoffman75 Loc: Conway, New Hampshire

I know for Canon the "sleep" mode is called "Power Off" in the menu settings so it is the same as switching off with two caveats: 1. for cameras that have built-in GPS the GPS might remain on unless the power switch is moved to Off, so that would affect the battery and 2. with a possible jostling the shutter button might be acuated which would cause the camera to wake and power on.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

mwsilvers wrote:

Pardon my ignorance, but I have never had a "safety" on any of my cameras. I understand the concept but not how it is implemented. What camera do you have and how do you engage the "safety"?

I think you read a little too much into his statement and have overreacted.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

It depends if the camera is a DSLR or mirrorless! Because of the electronic viewfinder in mirrorless they draw much more power when left on.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I used to actively turn my DSLR off and on. But, after finding I can leave it 'on' for days with no noticeable drain on the body because of the 'sleep' mode, I don't bother with 'off' while actively using.

Contrast that to my one MILC that drains the battery to 0% in a few weeks, even when off and sitting on the shelf. I have the LCD display to the shortest time-out, but still if I need the battery to last during a long day of movement between shooting, I turn the camera off rather than letting it sleep.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

My Canons hold charge for a long time, so I seldom turn them off while out. My Sony, on the other hand, drains batteries quickly, so it’s an on-and-off.