Low Battery reduces performance? at DVinfo.net

Kevin Carter · July 7th, 2007, 12:00 PM

On my Sony HDC-HR3, my battery was getting low. Then I notice the light seems to look bad. I keep filming. Then I change battery. All sudden, the subject look well lit again. Does battery if getting low have affect on look of the video?
Seems very strange. I know with still cameras, whether the battery is low or about to die, the last shot will still look fine. Different with video? thanks.

Mauritius Seeger · July 8th, 2007, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Carter

On my Sony HDC-HR3, my battery was getting low. Then I notice the light seems to look bad. I keep filming. Then I change battery. All sudden, the subject look well lit again. Does battery if getting low have affect on look of the video?
Seems very strange. I know with still cameras, whether the battery is low or about to die, the last shot will still look fine. Different with video? thanks.

very unlikely to have any effect. it either works or it doesn't. i dont think there is a grey area.

Kevin Carter · July 8th, 2007, 08:22 PM

thats would I would think, but I swear I was seeing horrid low light, changed batteries and everything then looked bright and nice.

Chris Harris · July 8th, 2007, 09:39 PM

I'm thinking that you had some settings that weren't optimal for low light, like exposure or something else, and then when you shut it down and changed batteries, it cleared those settings.

Dave Blackhurst · July 9th, 2007, 12:06 AM

If you're relying on the LCD, there's a good chance that the camera reduces power to it as the battery declines as it's a big power drain - my laptop drops significantly on battery power automatically for instance... and dims further if the battery gets low...

Just a theory - did the tape show the same phenomenon?

Kevin Carter · July 9th, 2007, 10:42 AM

hmmm

Chris, I am set to auto for everything pretty much.

Dave:
is that it? I mean I am looking at the LCD to see what's up. Have not looked at tape yet, but thanks for pointing it out. So if the tape does not show the drop off, then it was indeed the battery just not powering the LCD....

Dave Blackhurst · July 9th, 2007, 11:14 AM

Hi Kevin -
It's a guess, but I know my HC7s came "factory" with the LCD set VERY low - making the camera look much worse than it actually was - once I adjusted it, I get a much better view of what the camera is capturing - I franky think this is why some of the early reviews of the camera were less than stellar...

I think the idea is that if you can reduce battery drain with an "acceptable" reduction in power to one high drain subsystem, you get much "better" battery life - thinking the user would rather have a few extra minutes of use over a "full power" display... not sure about that tradeoff, but it makes some sense to power off less "critical" systems to maintain the primary function for a bit longer.

Kevin Carter · July 9th, 2007, 06:27 PM

thanks for tip Dave: I'll check and report back, but it makes sense. Pretty bizarre to witness, as a still photographer by trade, it was really strange to see.

July 7th, 2007, 12:00 PM	#1
Kevin Carter Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: los angeles, CA Posts: 235	Low Battery reduces performance? On my Sony HDC-HR3, my battery was getting low. Then I notice the light seems to look bad. I keep filming. Then I change battery. All sudden, the subject look well lit again. Does battery if getting low have affect on look of the video? Seems very strange. I know with still cameras, whether the battery is low or about to die, the last shot will still look fine. Different with video? thanks.

July 8th, 2007, 08:22 PM	#3
Kevin Carter Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: los angeles, CA Posts: 235	thats would I would think, but I swear I was seeing horrid low light, changed batteries and everything then looked bright and nice.

July 8th, 2007, 09:39 PM	#4
Chris Harris Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Francisco, California Posts: 487	I'm thinking that you had some settings that weren't optimal for low light, like exposure or something else, and then when you shut it down and changed batteries, it cleared those settings.

July 9th, 2007, 12:06 AM	#5
Dave Blackhurst Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Apple Valley CA Posts: 4,874	If you're relying on the LCD, there's a good chance that the camera reduces power to it as the battery declines as it's a big power drain - my laptop drops significantly on battery power automatically for instance... and dims further if the battery gets low... Just a theory - did the tape show the same phenomenon?

July 9th, 2007, 10:42 AM	#6
Kevin Carter Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: los angeles, CA Posts: 235	hmmm Chris, I am set to auto for everything pretty much. Dave: is that it? I mean I am looking at the LCD to see what's up. Have not looked at tape yet, but thanks for pointing it out. So if the tape does not show the drop off, then it was indeed the battery just not powering the LCD....

July 9th, 2007, 11:14 AM	#7
Dave Blackhurst Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Apple Valley CA Posts: 4,874	Hi Kevin - It's a guess, but I know my HC7s came "factory" with the LCD set VERY low - making the camera look much worse than it actually was - once I adjusted it, I get a much better view of what the camera is capturing - I franky think this is why some of the early reviews of the camera were less than stellar... I think the idea is that if you can reduce battery drain with an "acceptable" reduction in power to one high drain subsystem, you get much "better" battery life - thinking the user would rather have a few extra minutes of use over a "full power" display... not sure about that tradeoff, but it makes some sense to power off less "critical" systems to maintain the primary function for a bit longer.

July 9th, 2007, 06:27 PM	#8
Kevin Carter Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: los angeles, CA Posts: 235	thanks for tip Dave: I'll check and report back, but it makes sense. Pretty bizarre to witness, as a still photographer by trade, it was really strange to see.