How come my HP C618 digital camera discharges my batteries??

[dirk27]

Hi, i have a HP photosmart C618 digital camera and everytime i put 4 new batteries in it the camera works but when shutting it down and letting it a night shut-off i noticed i can't start my camera anymore. i tried to put new fully-charged batteries in it and i always have the same problem:

when the camera is shut down it always discharges one batterie. i measured all the batteries and always notice that one batterie is completely empty while the other 3 are still full.

did anyone had the same problem? what can i do with my cam? because i'm don't want to take out my batteries evrytime the camera is shut-off.

thanks

[rwbelke]

It sounds like you have a problem. Are they rechargable batteries or alkline.? I think you might want to call the company and check it out.

[minoltaman]

Are you using NIMH batteries? And how long is it taking the battery(s) to fullly discharge from the time you last charged it? NMIH batteries will discharge very quickly in-between uses if that is what you are using. If not there are some other posibilities.

[bobtrips]

Well, the OP has been gone for quite a while so maybe we're all talking to ourselves....

That aside, if the OP is using rechargeables then it sounds like he/she has a bad cell.

How a single battery in a series of four could discharge while the others remain charged would be a total mystery to me. It seems highly unlikely that someone would design a device that ran off 1.5 volts and one cell was used for some separate function.

And NiMH batteries do discharge while sitting idle, but I wouldn't describe the discharge as 'very quickly'. 'Gradually' is more descriptive. And certainly they don't discharge over night.

[minoltaman]

I should have mentioned the obvious. I figured he had ruled out the one dead cell theory himself. My bad.

For some more on nimh.... On my minolta they do discharge in a matter of just a few days. Not sure if it one battery or all though, I never checked. I just recharge them all. I never turn my camera off and always use auto power offf. The power auto-off circuit sensing circuit could be drawing some current I suppose. Why the one battery drains does seem odd if it is not a bad or very weak cell, and if they are brand new properly cycled batteries and the charger is functioning properly. I have found when I usa auto power off and put my camera in the bag sometimes the bag will be mashing one of the buttons that powers the camera on and that will also do the dirty deed. I also find on my camera the auto sensing eyepiece or viewfinder also powers the dang thing on inadvertantly at times.

Remember too, that nimh (if he even uses them) disharge terribly fast when you first use them. They need to be cyclyed a very good amount before they will work well for you. There is a tremendous difference in the staying power of a propery cycled set and an unconditioned one. I have also found if you leave a conditioned set to die completely they seem to need to be recycled all over again.

Hope it's isn't anything major. My camera is currently in the shopp with this long list of troubles.

1. Broken power knob switch depressor interlock swich thingy.
2. Solarizes vertically.
3. Solarizes when tilt up viewfinder is down.
4. Flash power off key.
5. Loose manual oom rubber ring
6. Broken eyepiece rubber
7. Left side of camera outer cosmetic casing disentigrated on the left side of the camera.

The good news is I have got 50,000 shots out of 2 sets of NIMH's and they are still going strong. Those 8 little batteries pack some kind of long term life.

On my camera I would have used up around 4000 sets of energizers already. Savings of $24,000 in one year.

Did'nt notice the op had posted so long ago. Not much more to say I suppose. My camera has now been gone a month. Anyway, some nimh stuff to read now anyway. If he did only try one set of batteries and it always is the same cell dying he quite likely does just has a bad cell. I would assume he has tried more than one set or tried them in another device though. Who knows? He did'nt say but he has probably already figured it out by now.

Cheers

[bobtrips]

Yep, on some cameras (my Oly C2100z, for example) the 'auto-off' mode is a sleep mode that shuts down a lot of the camera functions but allows it to come alive quicker than a full 'off'. The camera is pulling some power during the sleep cycle as opposed to being in off mode.

And, yes, NiMH batteries need to be 'conditioned' when either new or after being left discharged for long periods of time. I usually stick mine in the charger, top them off, stick them in the camera in 'slide show' mode and let them run down and recharge. It usually takes 2-4 cycles before they learn to behave themselves. ;o)


I've just replaced my C2100z with a Minolta A1. After 25,000 - 30,000 shots I just don't trust the Uzi on a long trip anymore. And I was starting to feel 'inadequate' with only 2 megs - but that's probably a bogus feeling for the type of photography that I do. I do wish that the A1 used NiMH batteries rather than lithiums. I'm not looking forward to buying new lithiums every year or so.

(BTW, 25,000 digital shots is about 2x the number of film shots that I took in ~ 30 years. And I did it in only 3.)

[minoltaman]

yup...my Minolta 7hi likes to wake up semi-quickly. I did almost 50,000 shots on the 7hi the first eleven months I had it. Can't wait to get it back, I would'nt mind them sending me the A1 though. I could use the longer handheld shutter speeds during rough times. I put only 10,000 shots in 2-3 years on my previous digicam.

I also like the nimh's for extremely cheap power sources. They are very easy to change on the tripod for me as well. Overall, not such a bad system for sure. I was in the camcorder bi a while back....lithiums, nicads...most all of them need to be replaced far to soon it seems.

Enjoy the A1.

[leife]

Hi,
I have almost the same problem with this particular item, but more worse.I can't start the camera again. I have tried the DC-input too but nothing works. The camera is still dead. Is there anobody how knows. There is no longer any guarantee available...
/Leif

Hi, i have a HP photosmart C618 digital camera and everytime i put 4 new batteries in it the camera works but when shutting it down and letting it a night shut-off i noticed i can't start my camera anymore. i tried to put new fully-charged batteries in it and i always have the same problem:

when the camera is shut down it always discharges one batterie. i measured all the batteries and always notice that one batterie is completely empty while the other 3 are still full.

did anyone had the same problem? what can i do with my cam? because i'm don't want to take out my batteries evrytime the camera is shut-off.

thanks