battery life on L20: anyone have experience with the battery life when running this camera in video mode?
926438
I got this camera for Christmas. I had bought a regular pack of AA batteries (not special camera ones) for kids toys and such and just threw some in the camera to try it out and thought for sure they'd only last for a couple pictures. I got quite a bit of use out of them before they died, I was surprised! Only thing is, I didn't see any warning before they did die, I just turned it on and it said battery was dead.. so I advise you to carry an extra pair with you.
464716
Have used it for mostly video and the charge would last several days. Didn't have any problems with battery.
1946301
I don't shoot video, but I've been out all day taking pics and have never gotten the battery below halfway. Usually it takes a couple days of shooting to get to half. The battery also recharges lightning fast!
738757
According to the specs: Battery Life: Still, 260 shots; Video, approximately 80 minutes @ 1080p/30fps
2146977
The continuous video function is in the Firm Ware of the camera and is set at 29.99 minutes. At this time, I am unaware of a Hack that will bypass this pre-set. Dual batteries means twice as much power. The amount of time will depend on how you use the camera.
1600938
I haven't taken much video with my camera. However, I have left my camera on by accident and taken multiple photos on several different days without the battery going dead. I think it has a good, long battery life. Not sure if this helped, but told you what i know about the battery.
515590
That´s a good question that I am afraid I cannot answer you, because I usually take more pictures than video.I actually bought an extra battery to avoid the annoying situation of running out of energy, but it does not mean that the battery efficiency is low, because it is in fact very good.I hope someone else can answer that question.Regards,Fadrique.
1817708
I've never timed it, but I went for an extended horseback ride with friends, shooting video every few minutes, for sometimes a few minutes at a time, and never ran down the battery. Did probably a dozen little vids, and still pics, too. I've never run out of battery, but after I've used the camera quite a bit, I put it in the nifty wall charger, so that I don't get out there and find a dead battery. Hate that! Love my camera!
1357577
I havent ran the battery dead while recording yet but if i remember right i watched a reveiw that said that tge battery lasts from half an hour to an hour depending on the quality of the video you use.
1865151
I haven't really gauged how long the battery lasts; much depends on flash usage, video vs. stills, etc. But, the battery in my new camera out lasts its predecessor, and I don't even give battery life a second thought. If you're worried, get a second, back-up battery.
944507
It genuinely depends on how you use it. Lower quality video extends battery life. That being said I'm usually good for about 3 hours +/- .5 hours. I really do like this camera but I'm not a highly technical person. For my purposes (documentation) it is good enough.
934065
I shoot as much as I want with the camera, let it lay around for several weeks, then shoot another series of pictures on a later weekend outing. I've never run out of charge, but I do keep a spare battery in the carrying case. When I get a little nervous about the charge remaining, I'll put the battery in the charger overnight. I've been curious to see how long a battery will last but always chicken out and put the battery in the charger before it's discharged. I don't use video as a rule and haven't tried to pause and shoot stills.
760715
As you know, the answer depends on what exactly you're using it for. If you're just taking snap shots without all the art features, or just a bit of video here and there, then for me the battery lasts for weeks. However, if you're out doing HD 1080 filming, which I do often, then I'll go through a battery every two to four days with over an hour worth of clips to show for it (with image stabilizer off & not using the zoom). However, when I do use the built in image stabilizer for video and pic taking as well as zoom, I only get about 30 min worth of video. When my battery is finally drained, it takes about three to four hours to recharge.
1591878
1) Battery life from the included battery ~800maH is about 50 minutes shooting at 720p at 60fps. I believe it is a little longer when you shoot at slower frame rates like 30fps. I bought a 1200 maH after market battery which took it to nearly 60 min at 60fps. 2) I usually use the camera in more or less bright sunlight outdoors at a pool. So optical and digital zoom is pretty good under those conditions which are generally optimal conditions for most videocams. I have not tried in lower light situations. 3) It saves in mp4 format which is perfect for most applications. I have a SDHC slot on my Mac and it's easy to copy from the SDHC card to my computer and do whatever I want, share or burn DVD. 1) Battery life from the included battery ~800maH is about 50 minutes shooting at 720p at 60fps. I believe it is a little longer when you shoot at slower frame rates like 30fps. I bought a 1200 maH after market battery which took it to nearly 60 min at 60fps. 2) I usually use the camera in more or less bright sunlight outdoors at a pool. So optical and digital zoom is pretty good under those conditions which are generally optimal conditions for most videocams. I have not tried in lower light situations. 3) It saves in mp4 format which is perfect for most applications. I have a SDHC slot on... » Read More 1) Battery life from the included battery ~800maH is about 50 minutes shooting at 720p at 60fps. I believe it is a little longer when you shoot at slower frame rates like 30fps. I bought a 1200 maH after market battery which took it to nearly 60 min at 60fps. 2) I usually use the camera in more or less bright sunlight outdoors at a pool. So optical and digital zoom is pretty good under those conditions which are generally optimal conditions for most videocams. I have not tried in lower light situations. 3) It saves in mp4 format which is perfect for most applications. I have a SDHC slot on my Mac and it's easy to copy from the SDHC card to my computer and do whatever I want, share or burn DVD. « Show Less
1222091
Jeff I am also having issues with extremely short battery life. I only get about 15 to 20 pictures and then they are flat. How long does your camera take to run the batteries flat?
794329
I used the camera on video setting for a full day of mountain biking with intermittent recording and no issue. As long as you don't spend a lot of time reviewing video and then recording some more the battery charge should last several hours without a problem.
107044
Hello Kris, Great question. The video can run continuously for approx 1.5 hrs on a full charge and approx 1.5GB of memory will be utilized during that time.