Sony A7 ii battery drain: My A7ii is a great camera with the exception that it requires carrying a pocket full of batteries - gets nowhere near the promised shots. I use a 50mm and a...

pats

My A7ii is a great camera with the exception that it requires carrying a pocket full of batteries - gets nowhere near the promised shots. I use a 50mm and a 24-70, both Sony lenses. The battery seems to drain even when the camera is off. I keep airplane turned on except when transferring images to my phone. Also, I have read and obeyed the advice to never shut down in Play mode. I’d welcome any suggestions that would slow the drain. Also, on occasion, when I replace the battery, I am forced to go through the date/time reset. Thoughts on this as well. Thanks.

BebuLamar

Possible the the internal battery (or a super capacitor) is bad and thus it keeps pulling power from the main battery but it never charged and thus it causes the camera to lose the time when you replace the battery. Normally the internal battery should keep the time for days at least.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

BebuLamar wrote:

Possible the the internal battery (or a super capacitor) is bad and thus it keeps pulling power from the main battery but it never charged and thus it causes the camera to lose the time when you replace the battery. Normally the internal battery should keep the time for days at least.

BassmanBruce Loc: Middle of the Mitten

BebuLamar wrote:

Possible the the internal battery (or a super capacitor) is bad and thus it keeps pulling power from the main battery but it never charged and thus it causes the camera to lose the time when you replace the battery. Normally the internal battery should keep the time for days at least.

Other than sending it for repair, is there a way to test for this?

BebuLamar

first leave the battery out of the camera and see if it loses charge. If the battery can hold charge well outside of the camera then it's the camera that is drawing the current excessively when off. In that case whatever the cause the camera has the problem and should be sent in for repair.
If the battery loses charge outside of the camera then it's just a case of bad battery.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

My a7II drains batteries too when turned off and left unused. With genuine and new Sony batteries. And needing to reset the date/time after an expended period of time when I come and find a dead battery. It's just how this model is. I can get more than 1000 images captured on one charged battery, but only by not doing composition nor image review with the backside LCD.

BebuLamar

CHG_CANON wrote:

My a7II drains batteries too when turned off and left unused. With genuine and new Sony batteries. It's just how this model is. I can get more than 1000 images captured on one charged battery, but only by not doing composition nor image review with the backside LCD.

But does it lose the date and time in the minute or so when you replace the battery?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

BebuLamar wrote:

But does it lose the date and time in the minute or so when you replace the battery?

Just edited the detail into the earlier reply. Yes.

pats

In continuing research I learned having to reset the date and time may be a low / discharged internal battery. I’m wondering if when changing the external battery, the new battery is charging the internal battery thus draining the replacement. I have now tried a long charge using the power cord to see if that full charges the internal and gives a longer life to the external. Thank you to all who have responded.

gwilliams6

BebuLamar wrote:

Possible the the internal battery (or a super capacitor) is bad and thus it keeps pulling power from the main battery but it never charged and thus it causes the camera to lose the time when you replace the battery. Normally the internal battery should keep the time for days at least.

Exactly. If you consistently drain down the internal battery to zero, it can over time resist holding any charge for long, or at all . These internal batteries can be changed by a service shop. That could be why the date/time needs to be reset.

And the smaller FW50 batteries in the A7II dont last as long as later models' NP-Z100 bigger batteries. How old are your FW50 batteries?

Cheers and best to you.

BebuLamar

gwilliams6 wrote:

Exactly. If you consistently drain down the internal battery to zero, it can over time resist holding any charge for long, or at all .

That is why I don't put my camera away without the battery in it. I rather ruin the main battery than the internal battery which for most cameras not user replaceable. I heard some high end model allows user to replace the internal battery.

alvin3232 Loc: Houston, TX

Hello
I have the same Sony A7II and have had for at least the past 6 to 8 months and no battery issues.

Al

azted Loc: Las Vegas, NV.

pats wrote:

In continuing research I learned having to reset the date and time may be a low / discharged internal battery. I’m wondering if when changing the external battery, the new battery is charging the internal battery thus draining the replacement. I have now tried a long charge using the power cord to see if that full charges the internal and gives a longer life to the external. Thank you to all who have responded.

I have never had a battery issue with any model I have had (A7ii, A7iii, A7iv) and I owe this to charging the battery outside the camera body. I never charge it inside with a cord; too much opportunity for damage to the internal components. But that is my own superstitious behavior!

Klickitatdave Loc: Seattle Washington

pats wrote:

My A7ii is a great camera with the exception that ... (show quote)

I owned a A7rii and I was very frustrated by the battery drain issue. After unsuccessfully trying to find a solution I finally purchased a third party battery grip and was then able to go on a shoot without having to change batteries constantly. If you do go this route make certain that you put the camera battery compartment door in a safe, locatable place because if you decide to not use the grip for some reason you have to reinstall the battery compartment door. A replacement door could cost you $60 or more as I found out. I was lucky because I found one for less $20 but that was three years ago and I'm not certain that you can still get one at that price. The A7ii is an excellent camera but the battery situation really does suck.