Conserve power and never miss a shot with our digital camera battery guide

All battery powered items have one annoying drawback. They only last for as long as the battery does. Make sure that you never miss out on a key photo opportunity again with our top tips to get the best out of your digital camera battery.

Digital cameras are known to be a heavy drain on batteries. Some digital camera features are far more draining than others. Get to know which features are most draining and you can avoid using them when you want to conserve power.

The biggest energy sapper

One of the most energy sapping camera features is the LCD screen. Conserve power, turn the LCD screen off and take your snaps the good old fashioned way using the viewfinder.

Most digital cameras now feature automatic LCD screen shutoff. This function automatically shuts down your LCD screen when your camera is not in use as camera manufacturers know how quickly LCD screens can drain a battery. If not already set up, turn this function on and watch your battery life improve.

If you do still prefer to use the LCD screen rather than the viewfinder, you can save on battery power by turning down the brightness of the screen, the lower the better.

That other big energy sapper

Alongside the LCD screen, the motors inside your camera are pretty power hungry too. These motors move the parts inside your camera, and it is the motors that you hear moving every time you focus your adjustable lens. Reduce the amount of energy used by the camera motors by setting your camera from continual focus to the single focus setting. When you are taking action shots rather than continually holding down the shutter button to continually adjust focus, focus only when you intend to shoot

Further tips

Make the most of the energy saving functions that your camera comes with, such as energy saving mode. Readjust the power save mode to the lowest possible setting so that as soon as your camera is not in use it will automatically shut down.

Avoid deleting or manipulating images on your camera unless you really need to. Wait to do this on your computer back home instead.

This guide to digital camera batteries was written by Rupert Nesbitt, a green travel writer, blogger and photographer. He recommends RS Components for their large selection of the latest rechargeable lithium batteries.