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Backup Advice
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May 4, 2022 15:36:31   #
Seabastes
 
I have previously advised when making an extended trip to have a backup camera, extra cards, extra batteries, a battery charger.

Well in a recent trip to North Carolina for my grand daughters wedding, I took backup camera, extra cards, extra batteries, a battery charger.

Things went well on the first couple of days as I made images until it came time to charge all four of my batteries.

My battery charger failed. Dead in the water. Without a second battery charger, I was out of the photography biz.

Lesson learned, have a second battery charger in my backup list.

I was unable to get to a camera store to buy a battery charger, all four of my batteries were exhausted.

Fortunately were were not allowed to take photos during the wedding. The wedding photographer did a tremendous job of covering the wedding and dinner so I just enjoyed being there.

My son made a few images for me on our final day with his cell phone.

I used my second charger that I had left at home to recharge my batteries as soon as I got home.

Lesson learned.

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May 4, 2022 15:58:07   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
What are the odds!

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May 4, 2022 16:12:47   #
niteman3d Loc: South Central Pennsylvania, USA
 
... and here is a bone of contention for me and many others I would guess, all the flippin' different batteries. So, if your backup camera is powered differently, you need *two* backup chargers. I was just scanning through some old photo magazines prior to discarding them and spotted the stat for the brand new (2006) Nikon D200 claiming 1800 shots per charge. My Z50 is lucky to get 300 shots per charge. It's always something. Glad to hear yours worked out.

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May 4, 2022 16:26:43   #
jcboy3
 
This is why I prefered to use a backup camera that takes the same batteries. Nikon gets points for using the same battery in several generations of cameras.

Now, modern cameras can be charged by USB, so the camera is it's own backup charger. And the batteries can be charged from a power bank. So I prefer to travel with cameras that can be charged by USB; bring a spare USB charger and cable.

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May 4, 2022 16:38:01   #
CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City
 
Yep, a 2nd charger is more important than most any 2nd everything else. Although, the likelihood of the charger being the point of failure seems rather low. I can't think of a charger that's failed me, but they have been lost / misplaced more than once.

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May 4, 2022 16:58:22   #
Architect1776 Loc: In my mind
 
jcboy3 wrote:
This is why I prefered to use a backup camera that takes the same batteries. Nikon gets points for using the same battery in several generations of cameras.

Now, modern cameras can be charged by USB, so the camera is it's own backup charger. And the batteries can be charged from a power bank. So I prefer to travel with cameras that can be charged by USB; bring a spare USB charger and cable.


Not all have the luxury of getting the latest camera every time one comes out.
So USB is not an option for many.

It is odd the charger failed though as I have never had one fail, so far.

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May 4, 2022 17:14:23   #
Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.
 
Seabastes wrote:
I have previously advised when making an extended trip to have a backup camera, extra cards, extra batteries, a battery charger.

Well in a recent trip to North Carolina for my grand daughters wedding, I took backup camera, extra cards, extra batteries, a battery charger.

Things went well on the first couple of days as I made images until it came time to charge all four of my batteries.

My battery charger failed. Dead in the water. Without a second battery charger, I was out of the photography biz.

Lesson learned, have a second battery charger in my backup list.

I was unable to get to a camera store to buy a battery charger, all four of my batteries were exhausted.

Fortunately were were not allowed to take photos during the wedding. The wedding photographer did a tremendous job of covering the wedding and dinner so I just enjoyed being there.

My son made a few images for me on our final day with his cell phone.

I used my second charger that I had left at home to recharge my batteries as soon as I got home.

Lesson learned.
I have previously advised when making an extended ... (show quote)


Curious, was the charger OEM or third party?

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May 4, 2022 17:43:27   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
Architect1776 wrote:
Not all have the luxury of getting the latest camera every time one comes out.
So USB is not an option for many.

It is odd the charger failed though as I have never had one fail, so far.


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May 4, 2022 18:07:23   #
rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA
 
Seabastes wrote:
I have previously advised when making an extended trip to have a backup camera, extra cards, extra batteries, a battery charger.

Well in a recent trip to North Carolina for my grand daughters wedding, I took backup camera, extra cards, extra batteries, a battery charger.

Things went well on the first couple of days as I made images until it came time to charge all four of my batteries.

My battery charger failed. Dead in the water. Without a second battery charger, I was out of the photography biz.

Lesson learned, have a second battery charger in my backup list.

I was unable to get to a camera store to buy a battery charger, all four of my batteries were exhausted.

Fortunately were were not allowed to take photos during the wedding. The wedding photographer did a tremendous job of covering the wedding and dinner so I just enjoyed being there.

My son made a few images for me on our final day with his cell phone.

I used my second charger that I had left at home to recharge my batteries as soon as I got home.

Lesson learned.
I have previously advised when making an extended ... (show quote)


One advantage of newer mirrorless models is the ability to plug the camera directly into a Wall Wort or Juice bar to recharge.

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May 4, 2022 18:08:59   #
jcboy3
 
Architect1776 wrote:
Not all have the luxury of getting the latest camera every time one comes out.
So USB is not an option for many.

It is odd the charger failed though as I have never had one fail, so far.


Starting with the A6000 in 2014, some Sony MILC cameras have supported USB charging.

Starting with the GX85 in 2016, some Panasonic MILC cameras have supported USB charging (but not the GH series until GH6). On the other hand, Panasonic P&S cameras have supported USB charging for much longer (my LF1 from 2013 has USB charging).

Starting with the E-M1X in 2019, some Olympus MILC cameras have supported USB charging.

Nikon did not add USB charging to their cameras until the Z6ii/Z7ii models.

You just have to pick the right brand.

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May 4, 2022 19:11:52   #
jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA
 
When on an extended trip, I will make sure I have the AA battery tray for my battery grip packed with the grip and OEM battery tray, just to have an alternate power source available.

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May 4, 2022 19:33:45   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
jdubu wrote:
When on an extended trip, I will make sure I have the AA battery tray for my battery grip packed with the grip and OEM battery tray, just to have an alternate power source available.


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May 4, 2022 19:54:24   #
rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
 
I never quite grasped the concept of a "backup" camera. In my opinion, a backup camera would pretty much need to be the same as the camera it's backing up. Same lens, same settings, etc...
I often carry two cameras, and neither is a backup camera. I own well over a dozen digital cameras, but I have no duplicates. More often than not, the two cameras aren't even the same make, and they never have the same focal length lens mounted.
When I pack my gear for travelling, I always, always, always, bring multiple chargers. That way I can charge more than one battery at a time, and I even have two chargers in my vehicle, one Canon and one Nikon, since all my Nikon cameras use the same battery, and the Canon batteries are compatible across most of the Canon cameras I use on a regular basis.
I learned the importance of having multiple battery chargers a long time ago. Our expensive toys are useless without a charged battery.

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May 4, 2022 20:49:43   #
jcboy3
 
rmorrison1116 wrote:
I never quite grasped the concept of a "backup" camera. In my opinion, a backup camera would pretty much need to be the same as the camera it's backing up. Same lens, same settings, etc...
I often carry two cameras, and neither is a backup camera. I own well over a dozen digital cameras, but I have no duplicates. More often than not, the two cameras aren't even the same make, and they never have the same focal length lens mounted.
When I pack my gear for travelling, I always, always, always, bring multiple chargers. That way I can charge more than one battery at a time, and I even have two chargers in my vehicle, one Canon and one Nikon, since all my Nikon cameras use the same battery, and the Canon batteries are compatible across most of the Canon cameras I use on a regular basis.
I learned the importance of having multiple battery chargers a long time ago. Our expensive toys are useless without a charged battery.
I never quite grasped the concept of a "backu... (show quote)


The concept of a backup camera is simple. One camera fails, so you use the other.

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May 4, 2022 20:57:42   #
rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
 
jcboy3 wrote:
The concept of a backup camera is simple. One camera fails, so you use the other.


I didn't say I didn't understand it, and I understand why professional photographers would want a backup camera. I'm not a professional photographer and in the 20+ years I've been doing digital photography, I've never once had a camera fail, never.

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