Battery Stuck!!! at DVinfo.net

Peter Manojlovic · May 15th, 2010, 10:21 PM

Can you believe it?!?!
I was filming a wedding, and wanted to change out batteries..The bouquet toss was just around the minute, and i couldn't get the battery to eject...

It's as if a piece of the release bent, and wedged inside..It was embarrassing, to say the least..Luckily, there was enough juice left to finish off the event. Thank goodness it ended earlier than usual.

As a side note, i only have myself to blame. When inserting the same battery, i felt that it was snug on insert. I should have not pushed it in any farther...

Is it time for a tech call, or is there anyway to unscrew the bottom out to free the battery??

Bill Watson · May 15th, 2010, 10:36 PM

Is it a Canon battery or a generic one?

Some of the generics are slightly over size and tend to stick. If that's the case it should be just a matter of fiddling with it patiently, with the release clip depressed, till it comes out.

Jay West · May 15th, 2010, 11:39 PM

This just happened to me tonight. It was during intermission in shooting a stage play. I was ejecting a standard Canon BP-950G. It partially released and then was stuck. After several minutes of wiggling it around while the eject lever was pressed (and a couple of judicious pushes with a flat blade screw driver borrowed from one of the set crew) it finally came out.

Chris Soucy · May 16th, 2010, 12:21 AM

There are a couple of ways of dealing with the "shan't" batteries (I have one, big time).

My most popular is the "come out of there you f*&^%r", which consists of holding the cam in the left hand and using the right to depress the release catch, at the same time as swinging the camera downwards in an arc to come to a dead stop just above my lap, lens upwards.

A couple of those is usually enough to persuade enough of the battery rear end to show itself to be grabbed and dragged out, kicking and screaming, from its lair.

In the unlikely event that the violence previous hasn't managed to dislodge it (very rare), a good dab of gaffer tape to the rear end (and I mean the "real" stuff, that can drag a 4 story apartment block off its foundations) attached to it's rear quarter is enough to persuade it that daylight is preferable to the battery compartment.

It is, however, a complete sod to remove from the rear end of the battery and only to be used as a total last ditch effort.

The "inertia effect" is far preferable and (so far) hasn't upset anything in the camera, touch wood.

However, three years and counting, so it can't be that dangerous, and it is my main battery (generic, of course).

CS

Peter Manojlovic · May 16th, 2010, 08:32 AM

Well Chris, i sort of did what you were saying, but instead, held it upside down, and spanked it on the bottom like a newborn baby.

The battery just leaves the release initially, but won't move any further. At this point, there's still nothing to grab by...Except for a thin butter knife, there's not way to get anything in between the housing and battery.
Gaffer tape will be my next option..
Last resort will be the service depot....

Unfortunately, i really need to offload these tapes ASAP...

Giroud Francois · May 16th, 2010, 11:15 AM

you can glue a piece of adhesive tape that will be used as handle to pull battery.

just make sure the adhesive do not block the battery inside the camera !

Annie Haycock · May 16th, 2010, 03:12 PM

I have one non-canon battery that always gives me this problem. Someone suggested, on another thread way back when, that sticking a section of velcro to the battery back and then pulling it out with the other half of the velcro, would work wonders. I can confirm that it does. As there is velcro in the camera bag and on the Portabrace cover, I always have something to hand with velcro on it. Mind you, I only use that battery when all others have gone flat! I don't have Chris's problem of trying to get it off the battery - it is a permanent fixture and there is room for it in the back of the camera.

Bill Watson · May 16th, 2010, 04:57 PM

Another option would be to araldite a small piece of cloth or tape to the back of the battery.

This is not a radical solution but quite feasible. Five minute araldite will do the trick and will set hard very quickly. It can also be a permanent solution as long as you don't make the araldite 'blob' too thick.

Bill Watson · May 16th, 2010, 05:32 PM

To make it a more permanent fix you'd have to rough up the area you're applying the araldite to.

Peter Manojlovic · May 16th, 2010, 08:01 PM

Thanks for the tips...

Yes, i did the gaffer tape trick, but with duct tape instead. It took a few tries, some sweat, and a quick pull, but i delivered a 2 ounce baby rectangle.

Yes, this one was aftermarket. It seems that i've used this battery to power my Swit light, but managed to mix it in with my camera batteries..Unfortunately, it happened during a wedding.

Considering how much fiddling i did, nothing else got damaged...

Thanks for the help everybody...

Mark Weisen · May 19th, 2010, 08:03 AM

velcro didn't work so well for me - I tore 1/2" strips of duct tape and looped around battery and joined ends to make a little pull tab/handle which effectively pulls out battery when release is engaged - works every time!

Annie Haycock · May 19th, 2010, 08:21 AM

It may be that the battery I was using was just too wide for the compartment - it would not fit in with the tape around it. So I guess the solution depends on the individual batteries.

May 15th, 2010, 10:21 PM	#1
Peter Manojlovic Major Player Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Hamilton Ontario Posts: 769	Battery Stuck!!! Can you believe it?!?! I was filming a wedding, and wanted to change out batteries..The bouquet toss was just around the minute, and i couldn't get the battery to eject... It's as if a piece of the release bent, and wedged inside..It was embarrassing, to say the least..Luckily, there was enough juice left to finish off the event. Thank goodness it ended earlier than usual. As a side note, i only have myself to blame. When inserting the same battery, i felt that it was snug on insert. I should have not pushed it in any farther... Is it time for a tech call, or is there anyway to unscrew the bottom out to free the battery??

May 16th, 2010, 12:21 AM	#4
Chris Soucy Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fairfield, Dunedin, New Zealand Posts: 3,691 Images: 18	No problem, gents........... There are a couple of ways of dealing with the "shan't" batteries (I have one, big time). My most popular is the "come out of there you f*&^%r", which consists of holding the cam in the left hand and using the right to depress the release catch, at the same time as swinging the camera downwards in an arc to come to a dead stop just above my lap, lens upwards. A couple of those is usually enough to persuade enough of the battery rear end to show itself to be grabbed and dragged out, kicking and screaming, from its lair. In the unlikely event that the violence previous hasn't managed to dislodge it (very rare), a good dab of gaffer tape to the rear end (and I mean the "real" stuff, that can drag a 4 story apartment block off its foundations) attached to it's rear quarter is enough to persuade it that daylight is preferable to the battery compartment. It is, however, a complete sod to remove from the rear end of the battery and only to be used as a total last ditch effort. The "inertia effect" is far preferable and (so far) hasn't upset anything in the camera, touch wood. However, three years and counting, so it can't be that dangerous, and it is my main battery (generic, of course). CS

May 16th, 2010, 03:12 PM	#7
Annie Haycock Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales Posts: 734	I have one non-canon battery that always gives me this problem. Someone suggested, on another thread way back when, that sticking a section of velcro to the battery back and then pulling it out with the other half of the velcro, would work wonders. I can confirm that it does. As there is velcro in the camera bag and on the Portabrace cover, I always have something to hand with velcro on it. Mind you, I only use that battery when all others have gone flat! I don't have Chris's problem of trying to get it off the battery - it is a permanent fixture and there is room for it in the back of the camera. __________________ Canon XH A1; Canon XF100; Nikon D800

May 16th, 2010, 08:01 PM	#10
Peter Manojlovic Major Player Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Hamilton Ontario Posts: 769	It's OUT!!!! Thanks for the tips... Yes, i did the gaffer tape trick, but with duct tape instead. It took a few tries, some sweat, and a quick pull, but i delivered a 2 ounce baby rectangle. Yes, this one was aftermarket. It seems that i've used this battery to power my Swit light, but managed to mix it in with my camera batteries..Unfortunately, it happened during a wedding. Considering how much fiddling i did, nothing else got damaged... Thanks for the help everybody...

May 19th, 2010, 08:21 AM	#12
Annie Haycock Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales Posts: 734	It may be that the battery I was using was just too wide for the compartment - it would not fit in with the tape around it. So I guess the solution depends on the individual batteries. __________________ Canon XH A1; Canon XF100; Nikon D800

May 15th, 2010, 10:36 PM	#2
Bill Watson Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: Noosa Queensland Australia Posts: 248	Is it a Canon battery or a generic one? Some of the generics are slightly over size and tend to stick. If that's the case it should be just a matter of fiddling with it patiently, with the release clip depressed, till it comes out.

May 15th, 2010, 11:39 PM	#3
Jay West Major Player Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Red Lodge, Montana Posts: 889	This just happened to me tonight. It was during intermission in shooting a stage play. I was ejecting a standard Canon BP-950G. It partially released and then was stuck. After several minutes of wiggling it around while the eject lever was pressed (and a couple of judicious pushes with a flat blade screw driver borrowed from one of the set crew) it finally came out.

May 16th, 2010, 08:32 AM	#5
Peter Manojlovic Major Player Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Hamilton Ontario Posts: 769	Well Chris, i sort of did what you were saying, but instead, held it upside down, and spanked it on the bottom like a newborn baby. The battery just leaves the release initially, but won't move any further. At this point, there's still nothing to grab by...Except for a thin butter knife, there's not way to get anything in between the housing and battery. Gaffer tape will be my next option.. Last resort will be the service depot.... Unfortunately, i really need to offload these tapes ASAP...

May 16th, 2010, 11:15 AM	#6
Giroud Francois Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: switzerland Posts: 2,133	you can glue a piece of adhesive tape that will be used as handle to pull battery. just make sure the adhesive do not block the battery inside the camera !

May 16th, 2010, 04:57 PM	#8
Bill Watson Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: Noosa Queensland Australia Posts: 248	Another option would be to araldite a small piece of cloth or tape to the back of the battery. This is not a radical solution but quite feasible. Five minute araldite will do the trick and will set hard very quickly. It can also be a permanent solution as long as you don't make the araldite 'blob' too thick.

May 16th, 2010, 05:32 PM	#9
Bill Watson Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: Noosa Queensland Australia Posts: 248	To make it a more permanent fix you'd have to rough up the area you're applying the araldite to.

May 19th, 2010, 08:03 AM	#11
Mark Weisen Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 26	velcro didn't work so well for me - I tore 1/2" strips of duct tape and looped around battery and joined ends to make a little pull tab/handle which effectively pulls out battery when release is engaged - works every time!