p.10 #1 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
RobAmy wrote:
I recent went out for owls in 16 degree weather and did 3342 images with precapture engaged. Only 1 battery and did not have the grip on. I feel that is pretty good myself.
I wrote this Jan 20.
"As a data point for others. I am on new firmware 1.0.2. I used my R5 MKII in 6 degree temps last Wed and noticed battery showed low way earlier than ever before, maybe at 2 hours use (mostly video of eagles, short, 1 or 2 minutes clips). After using a 2nd battery, it was down to 1 bar after maybe 1 1/2 hours.
Today, colder, 3 degree F and battery was blinking red after maybe 1 1/2 hours, same shooting. 2nd battery was at 1 bar when finished, maybe 1 hr 15 min later. I had put 1st battery in pocket after changing. After I got home, I put the 1st battery back in the camera, and it showed 65% state of charge. 2nd battery showed 54% state of charge.
So I don't think the 1.0.2 firmware is a solution."
Then I had 2 more days at 18 to 22 to start and 25-30 at end, and zero issues.
I did keep 2nd battery in pocket but did not use it either day.
From what some have wrote, it seems below 10 degree F is when problems show up, mostly.
All days I was mostly doing short video clip, with maybe a 100-150 stills.
YMMV
p.10 #2 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
rscheffler wrote:
I shot a slow-paced 2-hour indoor event today and this is where the batteries were towards the end. IMO this is considerably worse battery life than I would expect. Maybe it's this specific camera?
RobAmy wrote:
I recent went out for owls in 16 degree weather and did 3342 images with precapture engaged. Only 1 battery and did not have the grip on. I feel that is pretty good myself.
I personally have yet to go through a whole battery- Not even close really. Inside, outside, shooting sports, skiing, with flash etc.
I wonder what is causing so many fluctuations in user experience on the battery front. Hopefully Canon is addressing this in the upcoming firmware for it. Seems like such a varied experience across the board.
p.10 #3 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
action99 wrote:
I will go to Alaska for filming ski and there is 10 min filming and 30+ min rest and so on I 'm curious to see if it will give me issues or not. I don't use any grip.
Maybe bring a USB PD battery that can power the camera while on, just in case. It's the only reason I've been able to use this copy of the R5II for 8-10 hour days of fairly steady shooting without going crazy trying to keep enough batteries charged.
p.10 #4 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
RobAmy wrote:
I recent went out for owls in 16 degree weather and did 3342 images with precapture engaged. Only 1 battery and did not have the grip on. I feel that is pretty good myself.
p.10 #6 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
So this is another thing that was frustrating for me, I had a USB PD power bank with me in MN and tried powering it with that but that wouldn’t work for some reason. I’ve noticed it in the past with the R3, it works as expected indoors and under normal operating temperatures but in extreme cold it’s like the camera doesn’t even recognize that there’s a power bank plugged into it. It won’t charge either with the camera turned off in those conditions.
rscheffler wrote:
Maybe bring a USB PD battery that can power the camera while on, just in case. It's the only reason I've been able to use this copy of the R5II for 8-10 hour days of fairly steady shooting without going crazy trying to keep enough batteries charged.
p.10 #7 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
Tony5787 wrote:
So this is another thing that was frustrating for me, I had a USB PD power bank with me in MN and tried powering it with that but that wouldn’t work for some reason. I’ve noticed it in the past with the R3, it works as expected indoors and under normal operating temperatures but in extreme cold it’s like the camera doesn’t even recognize that there’s a power bank plugged into it. It won’t charge either with the camera turned off in those conditions.
OK, good to know. Was the internal battery fully charged when you started using the power bank? Or at a high charge level? I used that configuration mostly for youth hockey and while in some of the rinks it was probably in the -10C range, the camera was moving around and not subjected to extreme continuous cold for hours on end. I'm guessing -10C is not extreme cold.
Regarding charging: at a certain temperature the batteries will be too cold and it sounds like you reached that threshold.
p.10 #8 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
rscheffler wrote:
OK, good to know. Was the internal battery fully charged when you started using the power bank? Or at a high charge level? I used that configuration mostly for youth hockey and while in some of the rinks it was probably in the -10C range, the camera was moving around and not subjected to extreme continuous cold for hours on end. I'm guessing -10C is not extreme cold.
Regarding charging: at a certain temperature the batteries will be too cold and it sounds like you reached that threshold.
This is just going on my observations and experiments, but I hear the term extreme cold associated with this a lot and I am not sure if 'extreme' always applies. For my use it depends on a lot of things. Some days I am ok at very cold temperatures if I am sheltered, there is a bit of sun or my hand is on the grip a lot. Other days I can get this drain quite quickly at -5C if I am out in windy, overcast conditions and doing more looking than shooting. Sometimes at -5C, 40-50 minutes out I raise the camera to my eye and there is no power. Other days -5C is completely unproblematic. I think the real issue here is that there is a threshold where battery performance drops off that is being reached much faster on the R5II than the R5. There is a lot at play beside ambient temperature that effects if and how fast that threshold is met.
p.10 #9 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
Odd problem have happened 2 times now when I've been out in 0 to -5C for 2-3 hours and when waking up the camera it says "Card 1 Full" and I missed the shot. Open the card door and close it solves the problem.
the card:
* Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Gold 1750/1500MB/s 256GB has never failed me when using it with R5
* Was formatted in camera before shooting.
I don't know if this has anything to do with cold weather or not , but it has only occurd twice and in low temperature.
p.10 #10 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
biggles2002 wrote:
Odd problem have happened 2 times now when I've been out in 0 to -5C for 2-3 hours and when waking up the camera it says "Card 1 Full" and I missed the shot. Open the card door and close it solves the problem.
the card:
* Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Gold 1750/1500MB/s 256GB has never failed me when using it with R5
* Was formatted in camera before shooting.
I don't know if this has anything to do with cold weather or not , but it has only occurd twice and in low temperature.
I use the same card and have not had the issue that you are describing with it.
p.10 #11 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
I can’t remember the exact power level it was at when I plugged the power bank in but I know the camera was displaying the battery level to be pretty low. I think it’s a combo of the power bank being too cold AND the batteries being too cold because I was able to charge the camera by plugging it into the USB PD port in the car. But yeah -10C is cold but significantly warmer than the temps I was shooting at.
rscheffler wrote:
OK, good to know. Was the internal battery fully charged when you started using the power bank? Or at a high charge level? I used that configuration mostly for youth hockey and while in some of the rinks it was probably in the -10C range, the camera was moving around and not subjected to extreme continuous cold for hours on end. I'm guessing -10C is not extreme cold.
Regarding charging: at a certain temperature the batteries will be too cold and it sounds like you reached that threshold.
p.10 #12 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
Quick update from a service technician I’ve been working with; I received this email.
I apologize for not getting back with you sooner. I forwarded the image to our Higher Headquarters. Here are the notes from our Master Craftsman,
Canon Inc. is aware of the issue. The problem only occurs using the new LP-E6P battery in very low temps.
They are working on a solution so we will not hear back until they have a solution. I confirmed with him that if you use an older model battery like the LP-E6NH it won’t drain as fast in low temperatures. If you’d like to discuss over the phone, you can call my direct line
Now, I’m not sure how accurate this is. I tried using the E6NH batteries in the mk2, and they seemed to drain very quickly as well. Once this heatwave I’m in passes, I’ll test this and confirm. When I test, I always start with the camera body at ambient outdoor temp, batteries fully charged from oem charger at a temp between 40-70F degrees
p.10 #13 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
I always used one P and one NH in the vertical grip and both drained quickly in cold conditions. There was at least one instance where the P battery had maybe 1/5 the number of images/actuations attributed to it compared to the NH, so maybe there is something there and the P drains faster. But whatever the case, both drained faster than what I would expect based on my other R system bodies. Additionally, when those batteries were put in a different camera model, available charge was always higher than what the R5II reported.
p.10 #14 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
Wackinwuss wrote:
Quick update from a service technician I’ve been working with; I received this email.
Now, I’m not sure how accurate this is. I tried using the E6NH batteries in the mk2, and they seemed to drain very quickly as well. Once this heatwave I’m in passes, I’ll test this and confirm. When I test, I always start with the camera body at ambient outdoor temp, batteries fully charged from oem charger at a temp between 40-70F degrees
My experience is that the LP-E6NH show the same drain as the LP-E6P also.
p.10 #15 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
I'm in Alaska since 2 weeks, mostly filming with the R5 II in 8k 30/60 RAW, temperatures between -8 to -20c.
I film 5-10 min every hour or so for a total of 45-60min footage per day, the rest of the time camera sits on a neoprene cover in a backpack on my back or outside in an helicopter basket (-20c at 140 mph), when I take the camera from the bag the camera is really cold.
I did not notice a different drain in battery from last year with the R5 mk1. I have 4 battery with me but only use 1 per day so fare. The only occurrence that I had to change it is because I did not turn off the camera. I don't have any power saving and auto shutdown enabled.
Maybe the way I use it very short period does not make the battery go baloney... not sure.
p.10 #17 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
I am traveling to Nepal (Everest base camp) in mid April. Plan to shoot R5 mkII tethered to a Zendure SuperTank PD inside my coat. I have other power banks and batteries. It has sure better work.
p.10 #18 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
colorchange2 wrote:
I am traveling to Nepal (Everest base camp) in mid April. Plan to shoot R5 mkII tethered to a Zendure SuperTank PD inside my coat. I have other power banks and batteries. It has sure better work.
I think you will risk more to break the camera with something attached to the USB port that the issue with the battery, plus the risk that water will enter the camera. Just keep a few spares battery ones close to your body.
I filmed a week in February in Lapland and now 3 weeks in Alaska and I did not notice the issue.
Everest base camp will probably not be go below -5c during nights and during the day will be quite a bit above 0c.
p.10 #19 · Canon R5 Mk II - battery issue in cold weather
Understand your concern on breakage. I have a magnetic breakaway USB 90 degree adapter attached to the camera, to a coiled USB cable to the battery. This should protect the port. Regarding sealing with ports open, not too happy about it. Have microphone and power ports open. I might try to rig something to help seal. I do have op/tech rain sleeves and hope that will be enough. Suggestions?
