You just got your new fancy digital camera, but have no idea how the battery on it works. You have heard all sorts of rumors about how the battery functions and what it can and cannot do. This article is going to walk you through what the different parts of the battery are and what you need to know to make the most of the camera.
Basics Of A Digital Camera Battery
There are several different kinds, but the most common digital camera battery is a digital camera lithium ion battery. A lithium ion battery is a rechargeable battery that works by allowing lithium ions to move between the anode and cathode. The ions move in one direction when discharging, and the opposite when charging. These batteries are used in a variety of electronic devices. They have the best energy to weight ratios and a very slow loss of charge when not in use. These two factors are very important for a digital camera battery as it will spend most of its time not in use. When in use it is generally used very quickly.
The other important feature of lithium ion batteries is that they do not have a memory problem. What this means is that they can be charged and recharged without having to be drained completely. Some older battery types would pick up memory if they were constantly recharged before being fully discharged. What this means is that they could not be fully charged after many uses. This is not good for batteries in devices such as cameras and other portable electronics that frequently need to be recharged.
Hopefully this has given you some insight into why your digital camera battery is the type it is. Without lithium ion batteries much of the revolution in the digital would be more difficult to accomplish. Because of the features of these batteries electronic devices are able to accomplish a lot more today than every before. If your digital camera battery were a limiting component of your camera, the rush to push the technology forward would not be as strong.
So in summary, your digital camera battery is designed to be a seamless component of your camera. Do not be afraid to recharge your camera if it not fully discharged, or be worried that by turning the camera off you will come back to a dead battery. However, if you do leave the camera on it will discharge so be sure to always turn it off.