Internal Batteries!

[John Moye]

For a while I have noticed that anything digital I own and has an internal battery is DOOMED to DIE! Example: I started video using an SD Canon XL2 camcorder. I was able to replace the internal clock battery with ease. Moved up to the Canon XLH1, was happy with it, until I wanted to sell it. That is when I discovered that the internal clock battery CAN NOT be replaced! The Canon XL2 and XLH1 have almost the same form/shape. Yet, Canon opted to put the rechargeable internal battery of the XLH1 in a place that is not accessible in anyway. Oh, by the way. Canon Never and I mean NEVER told the end user about the change. Not only did we not know. Repair shops did not know. I took the XLH1 to repair shop for cleaning. When I told him about the Internal battery issue. he refused to believe me. Was not until he examined the XLH1 himself, was he convinced about the internal battery problem. Guess what? Canon then abandoned the HDV cameras. Affordable HDV tape camcorders never had the ability to record in 720p or 1080p. When I bought the XLH1, I was assured by Canon sales team, that 1080i was better than 720p. Turns out that technically that was a lie, and not a small white lie. If you needed to shoot in slow motion. Did not include 720P or 1080P in it's XLH1, XLH1s and XLH1A line of HDV camcorders. Then made sure the rechargeable internal clock battery could never be replaced. There is no doubt Canon deliberately chose to steer end users to upgrade, when there really was no need to do so. Also found the same battery issue with Leaf Aptus medium format digital backs. When I moved from analog film to digital imagery. I waited until I could buy a used medium format digital back. As I noticed other photographers making the changeover. Seem to be buying a new digital camera body. Every three to five years. Either because of shutter fatigue, newer model was closer to being as good as film, newer camera had more resolution, more color depth, faster auto-focus, more focus points, or better shadow to highlight range. Because I almost always shot with medium or large format transparency or B&W film, with lights. It seemed best to start with digital medium format. At least there, photographers who traded up, were able to trade in the older digital medium format back. I was able to offer a photographer a cash amount close to his trade-in value. With medium format. I was able to shoot both film and digital. Was not until I realized that digital back makers had an end of life policy. Meaning that after 10 years, they stopped all service repairs on a model. That I discovered the internal battery was almost impossible to replace. hell! Even my car battery replacement requires a factory reset. Which can only be done by dealership. I tried AAA, and the car kept telling me I needed a new battery. I refused to buy a Apple iMac or lap top computer made before 2012 Because the battery or hard drive cannot be replaced by end user. I am writing this because I am about to open up my medium format camera case. Which I have not used in almost three years. CO-VID restrictions and double knee replacement, plus retirement age are the reasons. I know the internal batteries will have died in the Leaf Aptus digital backs. I am hoping that age of battery is not a factor. As I am sure I have not expended the number of recharges. A rechargeable battery can make, before it dies.