# Disappointed in Number of pictures taken with Nikon D5100



## Jeff1966 (Oct 6, 2013)

Hi.  I purchased a Nikon D5100 in October 2012 (Sam's Club online), according to the manual it should take about 660 pictures on a full charge.  Every since I've had this camera, I've only be able to take about 150 pictures and then I get a low battery sign.  I purchased a back up battery soon after buying this camera because I was afraid the battery would ran down.  It's already been sent to Nikon once and it's currently there for the 2nd time.  The first time I used it after getting it back from Nikon (which they said there was nothing wrong), with the battery fully charged, I took 178 pictures, then low battery and that was it.  This is my first DSLR and one of the reason for buying was for longer battery life and good quality pictures.  I'm happy with the camera and the pictures it takes but I can't understand why it won't take the # of pictures mentioned in the manual or even half that amount.  I basically keep it on Auto and use the eyepiece to take pictures.  I'm REALLY hoping Nikon will take a closer look this time and find the problem.  Other Nikon users I've talked to are like "I can't even remember the last time I charged my battery".  Are you kidding me!  I wouldn't even leave the house without my backup battery.  Please help, I don't want to be disappointed but... and I sure can't take the chance (nor the money) and buy another Nikon and run into the same problem.  Also, this happens no matter which battery I'm using or which lens, still the same problem.  Thanks!


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## astroNikon (Oct 6, 2013)

I'm not a 5100 user, but I looked up the info

Battery / Batteries EN-EL14 Lithium-ion Battery
Battery Life (shots per charge) 660 shots (CIPA)


So you are quite a bit below the 660 NIkon has identified versus your 178.
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Pr....html#tab-ProductDetail-ProductTabs-TechSpecs

Hopefully the battery experts and 5100 users can chime in for you


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## CaptainNapalm (Oct 6, 2013)

That's really unfortunate.  The Nikon D5100 was my first DSLR camera and I was actually quite impressed with the amount of photos I was able to take on a single charge.  I think I averaged in the 500-600 range before I needed to recharge.  I was going to suggest it may be your settings but considering you're only getting 150 photos before the battery is done I can't imagine any setting or combination of settings causing such battery drain.  I would suspect that there is something wrong with the original battery.  Check how it does on your second battery and see if it's any better. If not, I would contact Nikon service again and make sure they understand exactly what's going on.  You should be able to get more photos out of a single charge even if you used camera flash for every shot and had your LCD on most of the time.


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## SCraig (Oct 6, 2013)

You may have a bad charger that isn't charging them to full capacity.  If you know someone with a similar camera, or if there is a camera store near you that sells them, ask them to charge a battery for you with their charger and see if it does the same thing.


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## sashbar (Oct 6, 2013)

It easily lasts 600 shots.


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## Jeff1966 (Oct 6, 2013)

Thanks for the reply.  I don't take a lot of pictures but when I do I would like the assurance of a fully charged battery and the ability to take lots of pictures without the worry.


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## Jeff1966 (Oct 6, 2013)

SCraig - I tried that, I took the battery and charger to Cord Camera, they charged my battery on their charger and I still had the same problem.  I don't know exactly how many pictures I took on that charge but I'm sure it was less than 100. Even after the first time it went to Nikon with battery and charger, it only took 178 pictures after I got it back from Nikon.  Thanks Jill.


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## sleist (Oct 6, 2013)

I would investigate the charger as well.


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## oldhippy (Oct 6, 2013)

If I remember correctly, using the live view setting, runs the battery down fast.  Ed


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## GDHLEWIS (Oct 6, 2013)

What type of shots you taking? They long exposures? High ISO? You tracking subject for long periods of time?


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## Jeff1966 (Oct 6, 2013)

GDHLEWIS said:


> What type of shots you taking? They long exposures? High ISO? You tracking subject for long periods of time?




I'm basically on Auto most of the time, taking shots of family events (no sports, no long exposures, no high ISO's) I really haven't had a chance to experiment (I've only had it for a year and I don't take a lot of pictures) a whole lot because I'm a little leary to use settings that I know may shorten the battery life such as long exposures, etc. Had I known I was going to have this problem, I would have taken it out when I first got it and immediately tested out how many pictures I could take.  By the time I realized there was a problem, it was too late to return to Sam's.  I'm hoping Nikon will fully charge the battery and actually take pictures.  Maybe they have a machine that actually snaps pictures but I'm afraid they will charge the battery and send it back.


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## 480sparky (Oct 6, 2013)

Read the manual about how they figure the number of shots per charge.  I'll bet you're doing something radically different, like using LiveView 95% of the time.


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## Designer (Oct 6, 2013)

What kind of battery is it?  IMO, any brand can have a dud occasionally.  

How many shots does your backup battery last?  What kind is it?


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## astroNikon (Oct 6, 2013)

Is there a menu item that shows the battery life on the 5100 ?  (the 7000 has one so I'm curious if there is one or not)


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## Jeff1966 (Oct 6, 2013)

astroNikon said:


> Is there a menu item that shows the battery life on the 5100 ? (the 7000 has one so I'm curious if there is one or not)



that I'm not sure about, I'll have to check the manual and see if says, since I can't check the camera since it's at Nikon repair.  Thanks


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## Jeff1966 (Oct 6, 2013)

Designer said:


> What kind of battery is it? IMO, any brand can have a dud occasionally.
> 
> How many shots does your backup battery last? What kind is it?



It's with the Nikon battery that came with the camera.  It's a Nikon EN-EL14, the spare battery is a Digipower, but both batteries have the same result, 178 is the most pictures I've taken on a full charge and I rarely use the LiveView except to view pictures not take them.  I wanted a camera with a viewfinder because of the glare.  So I always use the viewfinder.  Thanks!


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## CaptainNapalm (Oct 6, 2013)

480sparky said:


> Read the manual about how they figure the number of shots per charge.  I'll bet you're doing something radically different, like using LiveView 95% of the time.



Even with live view used for 100% of shots, you should still be able to squeeze out at least 300 shots on a full charge.


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## manaheim (Oct 6, 2013)

Are you looking at your pictures on the LCD a lot?  That will run the battery down quickly.


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## Jeff1966 (Oct 6, 2013)

Even with live view used for 100% of shots, you should still be able to squeeze out at least 300 shots on a full charge.[/QUOTE]

That's what I would think too and who doesn't take a picture and then view it in the monitor unless it's sports. And according to the manual you should be able to take 2200 shots in continuous mode, which I rarely use, but that seems kinda backwards, it seems like it would be using more battery power to shoot in continuous mode than single shots.


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## manaheim (Oct 6, 2013)

Very few people look at every shot when taken.  Some do it early on, but ideally... you shouldn't have to.

And honestly, I don't know if you CAN get 1/2 the shots with live view running. That LCD seriously burns a TON of power.  Think of a smart phone.  Keep it in your pocket all day and regardless of how busy it is, you'll have a lot of battery left at the end of the day.  Take it out and play solitaire for even an hour? hooo boy.


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## astroNikon (Oct 6, 2013)

On page 17 of your manual

before shooting, turn teh camera on and check the battery level and number of exposures remaining in the information display or viewfinder (if the monitor is turned off, press the Info button to view the information display; if the monitor does not turn on, the battery is exhausted and must be recharged).

on the top left is a battery indicator.  Of course a fully enclosed battery icon is fullcharges, then partially discharged, low battery, and if it blinks it is exhausted.


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## Tony S (Oct 6, 2013)

Charge your battery to full, then put it in the camera and leave the live view or some other feature on until it shuts down because of a low batter.  Now charge the battery to full again.  Sometimes the metering on newer electronics using batteries can be reset to actually read a the batteries correctly using this method.  It had nothing to do with battery life or memory (which with Li-Ion batteries is a non issue), but the way the camera reads the battery power.


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## PaulWog (Oct 6, 2013)

Here's some pointers from a D5200 user (I haven't read the other responses so hopefully I don't double-up):

1) Live-view drains your battery more quickly. It also causes the VR on any lens to work constantly (draining more battery and possibly reducing the life-span of the VR in the lens). Live-view also usually takes a little longer to focus, draining more battery with each focus. If you have set your camera to continual focus, then even more battery drainage will occur since the camera in live-view will constantly refocus.
2) I have set my camera up to RAW-only. If you set it up with JPEG and RAW, it will likely take up more processing power, and it'll use up more battery power with each shot.
3) I use single-point focusing. I don't know if this saves battery for me, but that's what I do. Also, don't use the built-in flash, that'll really drain your battery.
4) If you leave your camera on continually, it'll drain the battery. Turn it off when you're not using it, it turns on extremely fast so there's no worry about missing a shot (unless if you're in the midst of shooting continually).
5) If you're constantly focusing your lens and not taking a shot, you'll also end up draining the battery. Just because you don't click on the shutter doesn't mean you haven't used up battery power.
6) Auto mode is a battery drainer. It uses more processing power, pops the flash up when you often don't need it, etc. The only excuse for having a DSLR in auto is if you have a prime lens and you have it set to a quick aperture, otherwise I'd just be using a point-and-shoot with built-in flash. I find DSLR's in auto mode with basic zoom lenses don't really edge out the competition (decent point-and-shoot cameras). You need to take advantage of what the DSLR has to offer and manage the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed; you also need to understand how to use flash, and/or (preferably AND) have a prime lens or a quick zoom lens (f1.8-f2.8 are great apertures to have as an option).


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## mikeyidaho (Oct 6, 2013)

My sister shoots her d3200 only in auto and she doesn't get many shots either. A major factor I believe is that in auto the pop up flash is used a large portion of the time which is a huge drain, and making the camera do all the thinking might be detrimental compare to a manual or semi manual mode. 

Sent from my Verizon Galaxy S III using Tapatalk 2


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## KmH (Oct 6, 2013)

Look at your D5100 users manual - page 160 - Custom Settings menu c2: Auto Off Timers for the rear LCD (including live view), exposure meter, viewfinder, and information display stay on.

Using the built-in flash can indeed be a huge battery drain and lens VR also uses battery power.

Lens VR should normally be tuned off, and only turned on when shutter speed is less than 1/focal length of the lens or 1/500.


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## Solarflare (Oct 7, 2013)

Sounds to me like the OP is using a lot of flash.

Or at least thats the last problem I can think of, given the fact he had the same problem even with fully charged batteries from Nikon.

I get my 500+ shots out of my D5100, always, no problem.


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## manaheim (Oct 7, 2013)

Solarflare said:


> Sounds to me like the OP is using a lot of flash.
> 
> Or at least thats the last problem I can think of, given the fact he had the same problem even with fully charged batteries from Nikon.
> 
> I get my 500+ shots out of my D5100, always, no problem.



Ohhhhhhh yeah.  That too. Live view and flash.  What do you want to bet the camera is set on Auto?  That pops up the flash constantly.


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## TheLost (Oct 7, 2013)

Do you take a few shots... put the camera away... then a week or two later take more shots...  then put the camera away... then a month later take a few shots... repeat?  All while leaving the camera on?


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## mrbadwrench (Oct 7, 2013)

I bet its flash if youre in auto mode, because I use manual mode with the stock lens on auto focus and VR and i use live view once in a while and i get 800+ shots easy, I never use flash.


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## cbarnard7 (Oct 8, 2013)

I have a d5100 and normally shoot in RAW:
no-live view
no flash (I shoot landscapes mostly)
no long exposure (1/8sec in usually the longest) 
I turn off my camera if I know I won't use it for another 5 minutes or more.
I check about every 3rd or 4th picture for sharpness (I only check the first if I'm bracketing)

and I normally get at least 500-600 pictures on a single charge with no problem.

Like others have said, if you're shooting in auto mode I'm sure your flash is constantly popping up. Also, check how long you're keeping the camera on (don't leave it on the whole time if you're not constantly shooting) and watch your live view. If you're doing all of the above things then it sounds like your battery is a dud!


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## manaheim (Oct 8, 2013)

I think OP evaporated, guys.


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## sleist (Oct 8, 2013)

manaheim said:


> I think OP evaporated, guys.



He'll come back.  I know he will.

Just as soon as the republicans decide the country is more important than their own agenda ...

Ooops, did I just sat that?


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## 480sparky (Oct 8, 2013)

manaheim said:


> I think OP evaporated, guys.





He's recharging the battery for his laptop.


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## yioties (Oct 9, 2013)

I was at my brother in laws wedding on Sunday and took over 700 shots 3/4 with flash and still had over 1/2 a battery!


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## julianliu (Oct 10, 2013)

quit listening to suggested cause is the way you take pic. that's no way it should take such few pic as the way you did with a good battery. 

You said " this happens no matter which battery I'm using or which lens, still the same problem." I would doubt it's a defective battery, now I suspect the problem may be the camera... let Nikon know all this information should help them diagnose the issue.


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## StandingBear1983 (Oct 10, 2013)

OP is full of BS, i shot 750 photos a week ago on a surfing 2 hour session with my D5100 (most on continues, i worked the buffer hard),  and i used only 3/4 of the battery (hardly used the lcd screen).


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## The_Traveler (Oct 10, 2013)

StandingBear1983 said:


> OP is full of BS, i shot 750 photos a week ago on a surfing 2 hour session with my D5100 (most on continues, i worked the buffer hard),  and i used only 3/4 of the battery (hardly used the lcd screen).



Were you using the OP's camera?


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## otherprof (Oct 10, 2013)

Possibly off the mark, but you do say you don't take many pictures. Does the battery sit for long periods of time between charge and "low"? They do lose charge just sitting there.


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## CaptainNapalm (Oct 10, 2013)

otherprof said:


> Possibly off the mark, but you do say you don't take many pictures. Does the battery sit for long periods of time between charge and "low"? They do lose charge just sitting there.



Hardly. I use to loose one percent of battery for every few weeks the camera was just sitting there.  I doubt that's the issue.


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## Jeff1966 (Oct 10, 2013)

I thank you all for the GREAT advice.  I talked to Nikon this evening.  They are returning my camera "un-repairable".  I said un-repairable because they found and problem and it can't be repaired or they didn't find a problem and they are returning.  After being on hold ... the customer service person said that the repair dept. took 300 pictures and still had a full charge battery.  So I'm OK with that, sounds like operator error on my part.  Although I wish I had asked what settings it was one.  I'll just keep all the same settings it has when I get it back. Big THANKS for all the suggestions!


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## CaptainNapalm (Oct 10, 2013)

Jeff1966 said:


> I thank you all for the GREAT advice.  I talked to Nikon this evening.  They are returning my camera "un-repairable".  I said un-repairable because they found and problem and it can't be repaired or they didn't find a problem and they are returning.  After being on hold ... the customer service person said that the repair dept. took 300 pictures and still had a full charge battery.  So I'm OK with that, sounds like operator error on my part.  Although I wish I had asked what settings it was one.  I'll just keep all the same settings it has when I get it back. Big THANKS for all the suggestions!



If the rep told you that the repair department took 300 photos with your camera and it still has a full charge then there is also something wrong with that. That's a lie. If you obey all the battery saving tricks your charge will still be at lest half drained after 300++ pics. I just hope they're not bull***** you.


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## manaheim (Oct 10, 2013)

^ you sure about that?  If I took 300 pics in a row with my D800 with no chimping and no flash I'd be pretty surprised if it wasn't at full charge.  And the d800 is a pig on batteries.


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## 480sparky (Oct 10, 2013)

If the camera comes back with your memory card in it, then the EXIF data for the 300 shots they took will tell the truth.


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## CaptainNapalm (Oct 10, 2013)

manaheim said:


> ^ you sure about that?  If I took 300 pics in a row with my D800 with no chimping and no flash I'd be pretty surprised if it wasn't at full charge.  And the d800 is a pig on batteries.



The D800 battery is rated for probably 900 shots vs the D5100 for about 600.  Anyways, perhaps you won't get a half battery drain after 300 continuous shots with little use of LCD screen on the D5100 but having owned the camera for a few months I am sure that 300 shots will deplete at least a good 1/3 of your battery.  There won't be a near full charge after even 250 shots.  But like I said earlier, I use to monitor my battery performance when I owned that camera and even shooting with no flash and no live view on auto shows for example when I ended up with say 200 to 300 shots within an hour my battery would be 1/4 to 1/3 gone.


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## Jeff1966 (Oct 10, 2013)

If the rep told you that the repair department took 300 photos with your camera and it still has a full charge then there is also something wrong with that. That's a lie. If you obey all the battery saving tricks your charge will still be at lest half drained after 300++ pics. I just hope they're not bull***** you.[/QUOTE]00

Well at this point, I've sent it back to Nikon twice, too late to return to Sam's, it's my first DSLR so I'm not about to go spent another $600+  so all I can do is take the suggestions I've got from this site.  I love everything about except this issue.  But one thing I do wonder... does Nikon send some "hourly employee" out to take 300 pictures or do they put my camera on some kind of machine that takes pictures automatically.  Hmmmm   And I did not sent my chip with the camera.


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## WayneF (Oct 12, 2013)

Battery life is more about how long the rear LCD was illuminated, and how much the internal flash was used, more so than about how many pictures were taken.

If you spend much time with the rear LCD on, you are draining your battery rapidly.   Just leaving the camera turned on is about nothing, hardly any effect.  But if the rear LCD is on, huge effect.


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