Do DSLR LCDs drain the battery fast or not?

My local camera store is trying to meet my needs for a camera to
replace my current Nikon 5700 EVF that will be much better for
low noise as well as do a better job of consistent flash
pictures of cars in dark museums.

The thing I like the most about EVFs, though, is the ability to
get an instant preview of the just-shot image to see if
composure, exposure, and focus are OK. If not, I immediately
reshoot.

I recognize that this is technically impossible by definition in
any DSLR, so I'm trying to check on the veracity of the camera
store manager's claim that turning on the LCD to preview every
shot will /not/ quickly drain the battery.

The main two cameras I'm looking at are the Nikon D70s and the
Canon Rebel XT. I'll post more details about what I need and
want, but for now I'm just trying to find out about battery
drain. All I know so far is if I leave the LCD of my 5700 on, it
eats batteries like pop corn.

Thanks.

--
ATM, aka Jerry

All Things Mopar wrote:

The thing I like the most about EVFs, though, is the ability to
get an instant preview of the just-shot image to see if
composure, exposure, and focus are OK. If not, I immediately
reshoot.

I recognize that this is technically impossible by definition in
any DSLR,

Not as you describe it; you don't get "live preview" before shooting,
but you do get the picture on the LCD after shooting (if you want).

so I'm trying to check on the veracity of the camera
store manager's claim that turning on the LCD to preview every
shot will /not/ quickly drain the battery.

It won't. It's not on all the time or for very long, and there's no
live video stream going on. With a D70, you can shoot hundreds of
pictures all day, with LCD review on, without ever shutting the camera
off, and still not have to worry about the battery.

--
Jeremy |

"All Things Mopar" wrote in message
...
My local camera store is trying to meet my needs for a camera to
replace my current Nikon 5700 EVF that will be much better for
low noise as well as do a better job of consistent flash
pictures of cars in dark museums.

The thing I like the most about EVFs, though, is the ability to
get an instant preview of the just-shot image to see if
composure, exposure, and focus are OK. If not, I immediately
reshoot.

I recognize that this is technically impossible by definition in
any DSLR, so I'm trying to check on the veracity of the camera
store manager's claim that turning on the LCD to preview every
shot will /not/ quickly drain the battery.

The main two cameras I'm looking at are the Nikon D70s and the
Canon Rebel XT. I'll post more details about what I need and
want, but for now I'm just trying to find out about battery
drain. All I know so far is if I leave the LCD of my 5700 on, it
eats batteries like pop corn.



Bunk!!! Sure the LCD will drain the battery but not to the point where it's
not useful. You can control the length of time the image stays on the LCD.
I have both a Rebel and a 20D and I've set my LCD to leave the image on
screen until I push the shutter button. Even at that setting I haven't run
my battery down.
--

Rob
"A disturbing new study finds that studies are disturbing"

In article , All Things Mopar
wrote:

My local camera store is trying to meet my needs for a camera to
replace my current Nikon 5700 EVF that will be much better for
low noise as well as do a better job of consistent flash
pictures of cars in dark museums.

The thing I like the most about EVFs, though, is the ability to
get an instant preview of the just-shot image to see if
composure, exposure, and focus are OK. If not, I immediately
reshoot.

I recognize that this is technically impossible by definition in
any DSLR, so I'm trying to check on the veracity of the camera
store manager's claim that turning on the LCD to preview every
shot will /not/ quickly drain the battery.

The main two cameras I'm looking at are the Nikon D70s and the
Canon Rebel XT. I'll post more details about what I need and
want, but for now I'm just trying to find out about battery
drain. All I know so far is if I leave the LCD of my 5700 on, it
eats batteries like pop corn.

I think you are confused...

The DSLRs will not allow you to preview the shot on the LCD.
But they will allow you to see the just shot image.

According to All Things Mopar :

[ ... ]

The thing I like the most about EVFs, though, is the ability to
get an instant preview of the just-shot image to see if
composure, exposure, and focus are OK. If not, I immediately
reshoot.

I recognize that this is technically impossible by definition in
any DSLR, so I'm trying to check on the veracity of the camera
store manager's claim that turning on the LCD to preview every
shot will /not/ quickly drain the battery.

The main two cameras I'm looking at are the Nikon D70s and the
Canon Rebel XT. I'll post more details about what I need and
want, but for now I'm just trying to find out about battery
drain. All I know so far is if I leave the LCD of my 5700 on, it
eats batteries like pop corn.

Well ... I have gotten about 600 shots out of a single battery
charge on the D70 -- while using the built-in flash, and allowing the
display to come on for the default ten (or is it fifteen) seconds. And
-- if you start doing things like zooming into the displayed image with
the "Qual" button, and playing with the zoom size and examining the
histogram, it stays on longer.

I was also showing some images to others nearby, so I was
getting even more than the default use out of the display.

And note that the D70s comes with a battery which will hold a
bit more charge than the one which comes with the D70 (and I intend to
get those when it is time to replace my current batteries.) Yes -- I
bought a spare battery, and alternate them in the camera. And one
weekend I did need to swap batteries. There was a wedding of a cousin
(no, I was not the pro) and a celebration the next day, plus a lot of
photos of the changing foliage on the way up, and of the structure of
bridges (patterns of girders) on the way back.

So -- I would suggest that the display is not a serious impact
on battery life on the D70 -- and while the D70s has a somewhat larger
display, I doubt that it draws *that* much more current.

I have no experience with the Digital Rebel XT, so I'll let
others speak for them.

Good Luck,
DoN.
--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Today Jeremy Nixon spoke these views with conviction for
everyone's edification:


so I'm trying to check on the veracity of the camera
store manager's claim that turning on the LCD to preview
every shot will /not/ quickly drain the battery.

It won't. It's not on all the time or for very long, and
there's no live video stream going on. With a D70, you can
shoot hundreds of pictures all day, with LCD review on,
without ever shutting the camera off, and still not have to
worry about the battery.

I snipped the part I already understood.

But, what do you mean that the LCD isn't on all the time or for
very long? Does it shut itself off, on a D70 for example, until
the next image is taken? If yes, then my camera store manager is
entirely correct.

--
ATM, aka Jerry

Today Robert R Kircher, Jr. spoke these views with conviction
for everyone's edification:

All I know so far is if I leave the
LCD of my 5700 on, it eats batteries like pop corn.

Bunk!!! Sure the LCD will drain the battery but not to the
point where it's not useful. You can control the length of
time the image stays on the LCD. I have both a Rebel and a
20D and I've set my LCD to leave the image on screen until
I push the shutter button. Even at that setting I haven't
run my battery down.

Which part is bunk? What I said about my own camera? If I open
the flip/rotate LCD, it stays on. The only thing that'll kill my
battery faster is using the built-in speedlight instead of my
Sunpak 433D external, but I expect that to happen.

So, if I read the second part of your note, the live LCD preview
is the equivalent to what I get in my EVF, and the time can be
controlled. That's good news. Thanks.

--
ATM, aka Jerry

Today Steve Cutchen spoke these views with conviction for
everyone's edification:

I think you are confused...

The DSLRs will not allow you to preview the shot on the
LCD. But they will allow you to see the just shot image.

Steve, apparently I mistated my assumption. I know I cannot
preview a shot as I can with an EVF. A DSLR is, after all, an
SLR with sensors, which is used like my still working 1969 Nikon
FTN to compose pictures "through the lens".

What the camera store guy was telling me is that I can preview
the /last shot/ to see if it looks OK. The only rub is that an
LCD is too small to judge noise or focus problems.

--
ATM, aka Jerry

Today DoN. Nichols spoke these views with conviction for
everyone's edification:

Well ... I have gotten about 600 shots out of a single
battery
charge on the D70 -- while using the built-in flash, and
allowing the display to come on for the default ten (or is
it fifteen) seconds. And -- if you start doing things like
zooming into the displayed image with the "Qual" button,
and playing with the zoom size and examining the histogram,
it stays on longer.

600?! Wow! The /best/ I can do with my 5700 is maybe 200 or a
little more. But, if I use the built-in speedlight, the number
drops to under 100.

I was also showing some images to others nearby, so I
was
getting even more than the default use out of the display.

And note that the D70s comes with a battery which will
hold a
bit more charge than the one which comes with the D70 (and
I intend to get those when it is time to replace my current
batteries.) Yes -- I bought a spare battery, and alternate
them in the camera. And one weekend I did need to swap
batteries. There was a wedding of a cousin (no, I was not
the pro) and a celebration the next day, plus a lot of
photos of the changing foliage on the way up, and of the
structure of bridges (patterns of girders) on the way back.

So -- I would suggest that the display is not a
serious impact
on battery life on the D70 -- and while the D70s has a
somewhat larger display, I doubt that it draws *that* much
more current.

I have no experience with the Digital Rebel XT, so
I'll let
others speak for them.

Thanks, Don. For whatever reason, my camera store manager -
who seems to know his stuff - likes Canon better. And, no, I
do /not/ intend to re-start the Holy Wars here!

I would lean towards a Canon simply because of my poor
experience with my 5700 and 500+ test-drive shots with an
8800/SB-800 combo last April. I'm kinda soured on Nikon right
now...

--
ATM, aka Jerry

In article , All Things Mopar
wrote:

But, what do you mean that the LCD isn't on all the time or for
very long? Does it shut itself off, on a D70 for example, until
the next image is taken? If yes, then my camera store manager is
entirely correct.

I don't know about the D70 but on the 350/XT the review time is on 2
seconds by default but you can change that to off, 4 sec., 8 sec. or
hold. If you take another image before the review time that you set is
up, that shuts off the review of the last image moves to the next
image.

--
Charles