Keeping a battery in D50/D300 for long term storage.

The batteries drain when left in the camera, even when not used. Is their any reason to keep batteries in my rarely used Nikons? BTW, had a good experience ordering replacement batteries for my Nikons & Fujis from Duracell Direct.

Nikon recommends discharging the battery and removing it from the camera: https://onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com/d850/en/19_technical_notes_08.html#:~:text=If the battery will not,hot or extremely cold locations).

Contrary to that suggestion, I always keep a (fully charged) battery in my camera even when I am not using it for longer periods. If for no other reason than to keep the internal clock battery charged. I have not noticed any ill effect on the batteries. Not on my Nikons and not on the Sonys.

I would keep a full charged battery in the camera. I too am afraid that the internal battery gets discharged for a long time and goes dead. Unlike some top of the line cameras, the internal battery in my camera is not user replaceable so it would be expensive to have Nikon do it and down the road Nikon wouldn't even do it. 

If you don’t leave an EN-EL** inside the camera, after a long time, e.g. months, the internal battery runs out, and you will lose your settings and the clock will reset.

1 hour ago, ShunCheung said:

If you don’t leave an EN-EL** inside the camera, after a long time, e.g. months, the internal battery runs out, and you will lose your settings and the clock will reset.

I don't worry about losing time. I worry about if the internal battery got depleted for a long time it may not take the charge any more so that when you put the EN-EL back in there it keeps draining it because it would constantly charge but not full. Unlike top end cameras like the D5 which has user replaceable battery for this, my Df will have to send it to Nikon and in the future Nikon may not even service it any more. 

In fact if the internal battery goes bad I would find shop that is willing to cut it out. I don't care for the cloc/calendar function. 

Some people have suggested that over time, some old Li-ion batteries can swell and get stuck inside the camera. I have been using Nikon Li-ion batteries since 2002, with the D100 and EN-EL3. I must have had over 30 different Nikon batteries; none has ever swelled. However, once I had two iPhone 5, and both batteries started swelling after two years. The swelling battery would split the front glass from the phone.

It is probably a good idea to remove the battery from the camera once in a while.

I have a couple of Watson third party batteries for my D3200, and they have swelled a little.  They're still good, and I was able to sand them down a little to fit better, and they have not continued to swell, but they did swell enough to prevent them from falling out.  I'd definitely keep an eye on batteries if you leave them in.

Once a battery swells it needs to go into recycling not a camera!

I think the battery is likely to swell when you charge it. I have laptop with swelled batteries and like wise you would charge the Iphone battery inside the phone. 

I got my first iPhone 5 back in 2012 and that was my first iPhone. The following year I had a new job that came with another iPhone 5. The front glass on my first iPhone 5 started splitting off in 2014, i.e. two years after I got it, and then the following year my work iPhone 5 did the same thing. Of course the battery inside those iPhones are not user changeable and you always charge them inside the phone.

Recently, I started changing my Nikon batteries inside the cameras. We'll see whether that will be a problem or not.

The iPhone 5 had defective batteries. Apple extended the warranty for those. My wife had the battery in her iPhone 5 replaced at no charge 3 years after purchase - it is still working fine for her today as a secondary phone.

Other than that, I have only experienced swelling rechargeable batteries with 3rd party brands.

I have seen several leaking rechargeable batteries in long unused Hasselblad 500 EL/M’s, but they were probably NiCd, although I am not certain.

I've got a pair of clone batts for the J5, the en-el24. They're about 6 years old and are getting a bit tight to remove.

I did the tape-loop trick (on the thin sides!) to ensure i could pull them out if they got properly stuck. There's not much on the battery to grip tightly.

18 hours ago, Sandy Vongries said:

Once a battery swells it needs to go into recycling not a camera!

In my case the camera itself is close enough to that point,  10 years old, nearing its shutter life expectancy, with print worn off the buttons and an internal malfuction that makes it no longer work in manual mode unless you squeeze in just the right place, etc., so I don't worry much. It rides in the car and goes on some trips when traveling extra light.  The batteries still hold a charge and before swelling a little they were already pretty tight, and they have not swelled further, so they will stay.

I wouldn't recommend it for more demanding uses.

If a battery swells inside a device it may also damage the devise itself, i lost an old Sony PSP that way, not only the battery was swollen, but the surrounding housing of the PsP too ..

2 hours ago, CvhKaar said:

If a battery swells inside a device it may also damage the devise itself, i lost an old Sony PSP that way, not only the battery was swollen, but the surrounding housing of the PsP too ..

Of course, both of my iPhone 5 were damaged.

Two Fuji batteries (XE-1), swollen, cracked open, replaced with Duracells.

On 2/6/2024 at 2:43 AM, mike_halliwell said:

I've got a pair of clone batts for the J5, the en-el24. They're about 6 years old and are getting a bit tight to remove.

I did the tape-loop trick (on the thin sides!) to ensure i could pull them out if they got properly stuck. There's not much on the battery to grip tightly.

 

REPLACE the battery, BEFORE it swells too much and that tape loop won't work.

4 minutes ago, Gary Naka said:

and that tape loop won't work.

It does work very well. 👍

Sometimes when the small retaining clip is unclipped the battery doesn't pop out. Batteries only seem to swell across the narrow direction. The tape is attached on the narrow side. Comes out with the slightest tug.

I don't keep a battery in it when not in use. If It is slightly tight when I pop it in, I'm not so worried.