# Battery door open = flat battery!!



## snoke (May 14, 2018)

New 5D Mark IV.
Charge battery, put in camera at night.
Morning, get camera, battery flat.
What wrong?
Battery door not closed!

Don't understand. Battery door open make flat battery?
Why camera use battery if battery door open?
Happen you too?
All camera or only 5D Mark IV?
Me dumb or Canon dumb?


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## Random Orbits (May 14, 2018)

I'm curious too, but I've never left the battery door open...


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## Don Haines (May 14, 2018)

To use an external power supply, you insert it into the battery slot.... I wonder if by leaving the door open, that the camera thinks that it running on an external supply and does not turn off ?


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## michi (May 14, 2018)

My 5DIV gets notably less shots from a battery than my 5DII did. I have a non-Canon grip and I don't know if it is the grip or the camera, but if I leave the two batteries in the grip, and even with the camera off, the batteries are near empty the next day. I always have to pull the batteries when I leave the camera in my bag. Should probably experiment to see what's going on, but have blamed it on the cheapo grip.


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## YuengLinger (May 15, 2018)

Batteries don't stay charged for more than a couple of weeks in my 5D IV on standby, whereas, even with the power switch on (but camera on standby), batteries in my 5D III lasted MONTHS. Even with no GPS or Wi-Fi, whatever, the 5D IV is draining the battery.

Regarding the door, however, leaving it open means a very good chance it will snap off. Don't do it!


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## timmy_650 (May 15, 2018)

Was the GPS on? That can drain your battery


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## Mt Spokane Photography (May 15, 2018)

The battery should not go flat if the battery door is open. There is a switch that turns the camera off when its open. If you can power up the camera when the battery door is open, you have a bad switch.

The most likely possibility is a bad battery. Thats easy to check, leave the battery out of the camera overnight to see if it runs down.

If its a good battery, then the camera has a problem.


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## Ian_of_glos (May 15, 2018)

YuengLinger said:


> Batteries don't stay charged for more than a couple of weeks in my 5D IV on standby, whereas, even with the power switch on (but camera on standby), batteries in my 5D III lasted MONTHS. Even with no GPS or Wi-Fi, whatever, the 5D IV is draining the battery.
> 
> Regarding the door, however, leaving it open means a very good chance it will snap off. Don't do it!


This surprised me. I have a 5D mk 3 and a 5D mk 4 and I have not noticed much difference in the battery life.
However, I always have GPS, Wifi and touch screen disabled and I switch the camera off when I am not using it rather than leaving it in standby.
Occasionally I enable the touch screen and that does seem to draw some additional power which reduces the battery life somewhat. One thing I have noticed is that GPS drains the battery very quickly, especially if it is set to mode 1, but as I have no use for GPS this is not really a problem.


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## Random Orbits (May 15, 2018)

Ian_of_glos said:


> This surprised me. I have a 5D mk 3 and a 5D mk 4 and I have not noticed much difference in the battery life.
> However, I always have GPS, Wifi and touch screen disabled and I switch the camera off when I am not using it rather than leaving it in standby.
> Occasionally I enable the touch screen and that does seem to draw some additional power which reduces the battery life somewhat. One thing I have noticed is that GPS drains the battery very quickly, especially if it is set to mode 1, but as I have no use for GPS this is not really a problem.



I had a 5D II, then a 5D III and now a 5D IV, and each time the number of pictures I can take on a full charge goes down. I leave GPS and Wifi off, but the touch screen is enabled. Too bad the LP6Ns were not higher capacity...


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## snoke (May 15, 2018)

Don Haines said:


> To use an external power supply, you insert it into the battery slot.... I wonder if by leaving the door open, that the camera thinks that it running on an external supply and does not turn off ?



Can believe it. Camera know battery % but can't know if battery or DC?



Mt Spokane Photography said:


> The battery should not go flat if the battery door is open. There is a switch that turns the camera off when its open. If you can power up the camera when the battery door is open, you have a bad switch.



Don say open door for external power.



> The most likely possibility is a bad battery. Thats easy to check, leave the battery out of the camera overnight to see if it runs down.
> 
> If its a good battery, then the camera has a problem.



Try this, battery no problem.



timmy_650 said:


> Was the GPS on? That can drain your battery



No GPS. No WiFi.



YuengLinger said:


> Regarding the door, however, leaving it open means a very good chance it will snap off. Don't do it!



Camera on shelf. Camera didn't move. Camera safe.

Someone else test it?


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## slclick (May 15, 2018)

Canon brand or 3rd party?


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## snoke (May 15, 2018)

slclick said:


> Canon brand or 3rd party?



Canon battery and Canon camera.


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## Hector1970 (May 15, 2018)

What happens with the Door closed? - if the battery doesn't go flat then maybe store the camera that way.
Leaving the door open is asking for the door to be broken off and then it will definitely not work.
I wouldn't think leaving the door open flattens the battery unless the red light keeps flashing.
I don't think you need to lose too much sleep over it.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (May 15, 2018)

snoke said:


> Someone else test it?



I've left my battery door open, the camera turns off.

Just for you, I opened it with a battery installed and will check tomorrow. There is little danger of damaging the battery door. 

I'll check tomorrow.


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## Frodo (May 15, 2018)

The battery door does not need to be open for external power. There is a small rubber cover near where the tip of my little finger rest. This allows access for the power cable. Indeed, if the door would be open I suspect the camera would be switched off.
My 5DsR gets fewer shots per charge than my 6D or previous 5Dii, but still sufficient. Never goes through more than two in a shoot.
The LP-e6n has slightly more capacity than the LP-e6.


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## Ozarker (May 15, 2018)

The OP should try it again with a battery he knows for a fact is charged. Could be it never charged to begin with.


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## YuengLinger (May 16, 2018)

CanonFanBoy said:


> The OP should try it again with a battery he knows for a fact is charged. Could be it never charged to begin with.



Occam's razor. +1


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## snoke (May 17, 2018)

Yes! Proof!

Test battery in camera. 74%.

Remove battery.

Put battery in camera. Not close door.

Many hour later, close door. Check battery.

Now 59%

!!!


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## Ian_of_glos (May 17, 2018)

snoke said:


> Yes! Proof!
> 
> Test battery in camera. 74%.
> 
> ...



A couple of questions:
1) what happens if you do not leave the battery door open. Does the battery run down at the same rate?
2) Do you have GPS enabled and if so, which mode is it set to - mode 1 or mode 2?

I am trying the same test with my 5D mk4.
The battery was 73% at the start of the test, the door is open and I will let you know what happens.


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## snoke (May 17, 2018)

Ian_of_glos said:


> A couple of questions:
> 1) what happens if you do not leave the battery door open. Does the battery run down at the same rate?
> 2) Do you have GPS enabled and if so, which mode is it set to - mode 1 or mode 2?



1. No
2. No.


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## neuroanatomist (May 17, 2018)

I'm honestly not sure what the problem is, or even if there is a problem. But I do know the solution: don't leave the battery door open.


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## stevelee (May 17, 2018)

neuroanatomist said:


> I'm honestly not sure what the problem is, or even if there is a problem. But I do know the solution: don't leave the battery door open.



Reminds me of Henny Youngman's doctor.


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## Ian_of_glos (May 17, 2018)

snoke said:


> Ian_of_glos said:
> 
> 
> > A couple of questions:
> ...



The battery door on my 5D mk4 has been open for 12 hours now. At the start of the test my battery was at 73% and now 12 hours later it is still at 73% so I am not able to replicate what you are seeing.
How long do you normally leave it for? 
I will leave the door open overnight and check the battery again in the morning, but I don't think the battery will be depleted significantly.


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## snoke (May 17, 2018)

Ian_of_glos said:


> The battery door on my 5D mk4 has been open for 12 hours now. At the start of the test my battery was at 73% and now 12 hours later it is still at 73% so I am not able to replicate what you are seeing.
> How long do you normally leave it for?



Steps.
1. Remove battery
2. Insert battery, do not close door.
Camera think battery is not battery?

Door close, battery inside, open door and battery inside, not problem. Test this.

Problem happen when you rush to put battery in camera and not close door. Dinner get cold or late to work and rush battery. Then forget until photo time. Then battery flat.


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## neuroanatomist (May 18, 2018)

snoke said:


> Problem happen when you rush to put battery in camera and not close door. Dinner get cold or late to work and rush battery. Then forget until photo time. Then battery flat.



Takes >10 seconds or longer to take the battery from the charger, open the door, orient the battery and insert it. Takes <1 second to push the door closed. But somehow, you run out of time? Seems more likely to be carelessness.


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## stevelee (May 18, 2018)

Most of us get careless when we are in a hurry.


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## neuroanatomist (May 18, 2018)

Say you drive across town and are late for your dinner reservation. As you rush into the restaurant, you forget to push the button on your key to lock the car, and it's stolen. Some would blame traffic or being in a rush, as the OP is doing. To that, I'd say excuses are like a-holes...everyone has one and they all stink. 

In the OP's case it's even easier – don't start something you can't finish. The <1 second needed to finish properly inserting a battery won't make the difference between a warm and cold dinner or being on time or late to work. The dinner was cold or he was already going to be late before he even picked up the camera. 

Nevertheless, it's an interesting phenomenon...if it's reproducible. Not sure if that the case, though. But there are some weird things in firmware...like, why does the front barrel of the M22/2 extend slightly when I mount it to my M6 with the camera powered off?


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## Hector1970 (May 18, 2018)

I must try it with my car.
If I leave the door open will the battery discharge.
If it does this would be really stupid of car manufacturers and I'm going to complain.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (May 18, 2018)

Hector1970 said:


> I must try it with my car.
> If I leave the door open will the battery discharge.
> If it does this would be really stupid of car manufacturers and I'm going to complain.



Virtually all cars have a timer to shut off power drain in a case like leaving the door open, so if your battery goes flat, you should complain.


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## Ian_of_glos (May 18, 2018)

snoke said:


> Ian_of_glos said:
> 
> 
> > The battery door on my 5D mk4 has been open for 12 hours now. At the start of the test my battery was at 73% and now 12 hours later it is still at 73% so I am not able to replicate what you are seeing.
> ...



The battery door on my 5D mk4 has been open for 24 hours now and the charge has only reduced from 73% to 72%. You would expect it to discharge slightly when the camera is not being used.

So as instructed I have followed your instructions and removed the battery before trying the experiment again.
Is the camera switched on or off when this happens?


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## mb66energy (May 18, 2018)

snoke said:


> New 5D Mark IV.
> Charge battery, put in camera at night.
> Morning, get camera, battery flat.
> What wrong?
> ...


*
/
/ <- Door / Variant 1
_______/
|
|

\
\ <- Door / Variant 2
______\
|
|



*

The door position in variant 2 might trigger the switch which informs the camera that the battery compartment is closed. If that switch is a little bit wobbly it might trigger that switch again and again.
Closing the door activates the orange LED near the battery compartment (back side) which checks the storage card.
If the camera boots and checks the storage card this might be powerconsuming and draw the battery.

Just my 2ct.


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## Ian_of_glos (May 18, 2018)

This time I removed the battery before starting the test. At the start of the test my battery was at 72%
I loaded the battery into the camera but left the door open. Sure enough the battery is now being depleted very quickly - it has lost 5% of its charge in under 2 hours. So this confirms what you are saying.

One thing I noticed was that the access lamp flashes as soon as I close the battery compartment door. My guess is that there is a process running inside the camera to check whether the battery compartment door is closed and when it detects that the door has been closed it then tests the memory cards. This is probably what is consuming the power.
However, I have owned a Canon DLSR for 7 years and I have never encountered this problem. In order to perform the test I had to try quite hard to create the symptoms you describe.

The manual says:
2) Insert the battery:
* insert the end with the electrical contacts
* insert the battery until it locks in place
3) Close the cover 
* Press the cover until it snaps shut

I think it would be wise to follow these instructions in future.


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## neuroanatomist (May 18, 2018)

The 1D X doesn't have a battery door, but what would happen if I pushed the battery into the slot but then I urgently needed to clean my andirons and didn't twist the lock on the camera battery because that would take too long? 

Similarly, what would happen if I pushed the battery into the slot but then I had to pick up my suits from the dry cleaners and didn't twist the lock on the camera battery because that would take too long?

Or, what would happen if I pushed the battery into the slot but then I heard the toast pop up from the toaster and needed to put butter on it before it cooled off, so didn't twist the lock on the camera battery because that would take too long?

It may be difficult, but I'll try not to let these conundrums keep me awake at night.


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## chrysoberyl (May 18, 2018)

I thank the last two posters for their enjoyable and dry humor. Such humor adds much to the Canon Rumors experience.


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## neuroanatomist (May 18, 2018)

Ian_of_glos said:


> The manual says:
> 2) Insert the battery:
> * insert the end with the electrical contacts
> * insert the battery until it locks in place
> ...



In fairness to the OP, he did follow the instructions...they do not explicitly state that step 3 should follow step 2 without a significant temporal delay. Similarly, one could follow the instructions on a shampoo bottle… Lather their hair during their morning shower, but wait until returning home at the end of the day to rinse out the shampoo.


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## snoke (May 18, 2018)

Ian_of_glos said:


> This time I removed the battery before starting the test. At the start of the test my battery was at 72%
> I loaded the battery into the camera but left the door open. Sure enough the battery is now being depleted very quickly - it has lost 5% of its charge in under 2 hours. So this confirms what you are saying.



Yes! Confirm I not crazy.



> The manual says:
> 2) Insert the battery:
> * insert the end with the electrical contacts
> * insert the battery until it locks in place
> ...



Yes. Follow instructions always good. But humans not perfect.


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## Quirkz (May 18, 2018)

Slow news day....


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## Hector1970 (May 18, 2018)

So that's what happened to Supreme Leader Snoke.
He must have left the door of the Starkiller Superweapon open and the battery went flat when he went to use it.


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