The batteries for your digital video camera are sensitive, so here are ways to protect you in the field and the video battery equipment over all.
Life Blood
Digital video camera batteries are the heart of your image capturing process. They can single handedly reverse evolution on your vision by shutting you down mid stroke. Anybody who has seen digital video camera batteries fail in the field during an important shoot can attest to the perils that come with less than stellar battery performance. This often comes from a digital video camera battery that has not been fully charged, but you will find that batteries will often lose their ability to charge or just under perform due to controllable conditions.
Here are some tips for protecting, and possibly extending the life of, your digital video camera batteries.
Environmental Factors
The general conditions that you are filming in can have an affect on your digital video camera's battery life. Often times cold conditions will force your battery to drain faster than expected, and often times it is more accelerated than you could ever have imagined. You can try to warm up the battery when it starts to lose its charge and this will help on occasion, though usually the charge will be lost for good.
The best way to avoid this is to try and shoot in warm locations or protect the camera, and battery, with something to insulate it. This is especially true if there is moisture as this can get inside the battery and damage it permanently. In these caustic weather conditions it is always good to bring several full batteries and a charger.
Charging the Battery
Charging your digital video camera's battery is also a serious issue for battery care. You never want to over charge your battery as this can burn it out completely. At the same time you want to be able to get your battery fully charged for your digital video use. The best way to achieve that is to get a good battery charger that will shut off when you are done charging it. You may also want to let the battery lose all of its charge before the first time you charge it.
Battery Storage
Make sure that you never leave your battery plugged into your digital video camera. Doing this has the possibility to hurt the connection capabilities of the battery and even drain its charge. Make sure you store your batteries in a safe location where they will not be subject to trauma.
Limit Use
The best tip for protecting your digital video battery may be the simplest one: use it less. If you do not need to use a battery in your digital video camera then avoid it. This is obviously situations when you can plug the digital video camera directly into a wall socket. Digital video camera batteries have a life span and you do not want to over work them when it is not necessary.