Camera battery keeps dying

[Sille]

Hey guys first post here on the forums, but been lurking for a few months...

So my camera battery keeps dying on my Yashica FX-3 Super 2000. I shot with it today after it sat for probably close to 3-4 weeks. I only replaced the batteries about 5-6 weeks ago. Before then, the batteries lasted probably close to 3 months. Mind you the batteries only operate the meter...

The only thing I could think that may be causing it would be from sitting in the car sometimes (high heat?)

Any ideas of why they might be dying so quickly? Ia it heat, or could it be something else I am not thinking of?

 

[stillsilver]

First, welcome to the site.
Second. heat = short battery life.
Don't leave the camera in the hot car. Heat may also affect the film characteristics.

Mike

 

[BobD]

I believe the meter in that model is turned on by a partial press of the shutter release, no? And, then it's supposed to turn off when you release the button.

Is your meter actually turning off when you release the button or does it stay on?

 

[ic-racer]

Are you using zinc batteries? You don't have to, you can use just about any of the longer lasting batteries in that camera because it has a voltage regulator in the meter circuit; 1.3 to 1.5 v (x2) should be OK.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

First, welcome to the site.
Second. heat = short battery life.
Don't leave the camera in the hot car. Heat may also affect the film characteristics.

Mike

The cells may have been on the shelf too long. They may have been stored improperly. They may have been cheap alkaline cells.

Leaving your camera in the hot car can cause many more problems than short battery life and funny colors on the film.

 

[Les Sarile]

Instead of using two 1.5v button cells, I would recommend a single lithium CR1/3N - or 2LR76, etc. Shelf life is 10 years, operating temperature range is very wide and power density is high. Not as cheap as two of the button cels but can be much more reliable.

 

[ic-racer]

Instead of using two 1.5v button cells, I would recommend a single lithium CR1/3N - or 2LR76, etc. Shelf life is 10 years, operating temperature range is very wide and power density is high. Not as cheap as two of the button cels but can be much more reliable.

Looks like a good replacement, I'll keep that in mind. Though I can say in a properly functioning FX-3 the silver cells can last a few years.

 

[PhotoJim]

ic-racer is right; battery life should be really long - although I killed a set of MS-76 batteries in my camera bag before the factory LR44 cells died in my non-Super-2000 FX-3. I actually got over a decade on my LR44s.

My camera had a meter actuation button on the back of the camera, just behind the winding lever. I had to press that button to enable the meter.

If the batteries are dying after a few weeks, that says to me either that the meter is being left on somehow, or the camera has some sort of an electrical problem.

Even my electronic cameras like my Nikon FE get years off a set of batteries.

 

[removed account4]

i have a light meter that eats batteries
the only thing i could do to stop it was
take the battery out of the meter, if it was to be sitting for any length of time.
if it isn't too much of a pain, why don't you remove the battery if you aren't going to use the camera ?

 

[benjiboy]

I suggest you take your camera to a service technician and ask him to check it for an electrical fault that's causing excessive battery drain.

 

[John Koehrer]

The above threads have the answer, but which is right?

1)Easiest solution would be to remove the battery when you're done playing for the day. (#9)
2)Make sure the meter switch isn't accidentally pressed when the camera's put away.(#3)
The camera can be checked for battery drain by putting an ammeter in series with the batteries. This can show whether the switch is bad or not.
#9 is by far the easiest and least expensive.