Image Stabilization: Does a lens still draw juice with IS on even though the camera is off?

raymondh Loc: Walker, MI

Does a lens still draw juice with IS on even though the camera is off?

WILLARD98407 Loc: TACOMA, WA.

raymondh wrote:

Does a lens still draw juice with IS on even though the camera is off?

No.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

WILLARD98407 wrote:

No.

Nuf said.

brent46 Loc: Grand Island, NY

I have a D7100 with a 17-50 f2.8 OS EX lens. If I turn the camera off and leave the OS switch on it draws the battery down.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

brent46 wrote:

I have a D7100 with a 17-50 f2.8 OS EX lens. If I turn the camera off and leave the OS switch on it draws the battery down.

That simply cannot happen. The OS only draws power when the camera is turned on and the shutter button is half pressed to activate the AF and OS functions. When the camera is powered off ALL lens contacts are dead. Easily checked with any multi-meter.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Thank you. Off is off.

blue-ultra Loc: New Hampshire

MT Shooter wrote:

That simply cannot happen. The OS only draws power when the camera is turned on and the shutter button is half pressed to activate the AF and OS functions. When the camera is powered off ALL lens contacts are dead. Easily checked with any multi-meter.

n3eg Loc: West coast USA

MT Shooter wrote:

That simply cannot happen. The OS only draws power when the camera is turned on and the shutter button is half pressed...When the camera is powered off ALL lens contacts are dead.

Makes too much sense...otherwise when would you be able to change lenses?

raymondh Loc: Walker, MI

Thanks all for the quick response. It makes sense but there is always a smidgen of doubt. I see the little red light blinking on my car, looking for the key fob, even though the engine is off. Didn't know if the lens was stealing a little juice to be ready for a wake up call.

crazydaddio Loc: Toronto Ontario Canada

When the camera is off, there can still be a draw (especially if GPS is enabled). I dont think OS/IS will draw but as someone said you can check with a multimeter. Off is not off in all cases as the design of the camera motherboard can alllow for low power mode to specific circuit areas. Some processor chips have silicon real estate dedicated to low power mode where there is always a small trickle power for certain functions...like GPS....I seriously doubt IS/OS is drawing anything when the power is off...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

MT Shooter wrote:

Nuf said.

No such thing!

olsonsview

There may indeed be low draw circuits still active while the camera power button is off. I would be very surprised if there were not. But if the camera draws down the battery quickly while supposedly shut down, like in a week of non use, then that could indicate a problem. Techs often label such issues a parasitic load. Maybe something that needs to be addressed? Some memory requires a slight power draw to retain information. But modern electronic circuits usually draw such light amounts that it can take months to deplete a battery. I was never a camera tech but repaired other kinds of electronics in the stone age, and sometimes saw these things happen.
Brent46, how long does it take to draw down your battery significantly? And turning the stabilize off solves the problem? Does it occur with just one camera/lens combo, or do other lenses create the same condition? Maybe some questions a tech would like answers to before looking into your camera issues.

GLKTN Loc: TN

raymondh wrote:

Thanks all for the quick response. It makes sense but there is always a smidgen of doubt. I see the little red light blinking on my car, looking for the key fob, even though the engine is off. Didn't know if the lens was stealing a little juice to be ready for a wake up call.

My Nikon d750 has a small internal battery that time/date is kept powered by. It is charged by the replaceable battery. That is how some background camera functions are powered.

DaveC Loc: Illinois

I have a D7100 with the aux battery pack. I always keep the aux battery charged and it is selected to be the primary battery. But the in-camera battery slowly discharges regardless. So I occasionally have to charge it also. Even when the camera is off there is some current drain, some of the control panel is always on. And if you remove a memory card a light flashes. And I just recently read to turn off the VR when the camera is not in use but I suspected the accuracy of that. So there definitely is some battery drain, i personally doubt it's the VR but I suppose I could test it by turning it off when not in use.

GLKTN Loc: TN

Take the lens off of the camera when not in use and see what happens.