Canon EOS Rebel XS eats batteries

[VJ83841Laclede]

Is anyone else having this issue? I have had my camera since 2007 ? i think. I have a problem with my camera eating batteries. I will get about 50-60 shot out of a battery and then have to charge it.

Since I have had the camera I have purchased close to 7-8 batteries for the camera as well as 3 new charger.

Have sent it into Canon to have them fix it 2 times and they say everything is working fine.

I have bought both knock off batteries as well as Canon only batteries and get the same results.

Thanks for any help in advance.

Vicky

[BurnUnit]

I suppose you might try doing a reset of the camera's default settings. The manual will probably show you how. Reducing the usage of the flash and the LCD screen will reduce the battery drain. If the camera has a continuous auto-focus setting, try disabling it. Have you maybe changed the camera's "sleep" or shut-down settings, maybe accidentally?

Has the problem started after recently changing to a different memory card or attaching a new lens to the camera? Any recent bumps or shocks to the camera? Any other unusual behavior that started recently? Have you checked the batteries voltages after fully recharging?

[VJ83841Laclede]

Thank U for a quick reply. when I know I am going to be using the camera on a specific day I  completely charge the batterys, I am working now with 3 batteries at once. I do remove the batteries out of the camera at the end of shooting for the day. I never leave the batteries in the camera when I am storing it. 

as far as dropping the camera I have only once in the time I have owned it (I am a first time owner) only dropped her once. the lens would not auto focus. I took it into the camera shop and they fixed my problem. I had the camera in the camera bag and set the entire bag and camera down too hard on the floor. 

I will work on how to reset the camera's default settings.

I do not  the view finder in shooting 

Not sure about the the camera's "sleep" or shut-down settings?

I will check that next

I am using the 2 lens which came with the camera when I orginally purchased the camera.

Now there is my real problem ...

when I fully charge the camera the reader bar never says it is FULL.

only 3/4 of the way 

So I purchased 2 more chargers... and it still reads 3/4 full

I sent the camera in to the professionals at Canon and they said the camera is 100 % 

functional

Thanks again for your help. 
I will try those two suggestions and let you know.

Vicky

[Waddizzle]

“I do not the view finder in shooting ”

That could be a potential problem.  The LCD screen uses a lot more juice than the viewfinder.  Reviewing pictures on the LCD can drain your battery faster than usual, too.

Try shooting with just the viewfinder on a test shoot.  Disable the automatic image review after ever shot, too.  Try to keep use of the viewfinder to a minimum.

[BurnUnit]

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@Waddizzlewrote:

“I do not the view finder in shooting ”

That could be a potential problem.  The LCD screen uses a lot more juice than the viewfinder.  Reviewing pictures on the LCD can drain your battery faster than usual, too.

Try shooting with just the viewfinder on a test shoot.  Disable the automatic image review after ever shot, too.  Try to keep use of the viewfinder to a minimum.

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Come to think of it, I wonder if the Rebel XS even had a Live View setting...

Are you using an AC (wall plug) adapter for charging or some sort of USB powered charger?

[VJ83841Laclede]

AC wall charger that came with the camera when I bought it

did not know there was another option

since they have purchased 3 more chargers just like the orginal one

plugs into the 120 V

Vicky

[VJ83841Laclede]

I mis typed my thought. I only use the view finder and NOT the LCD screen.

Vicky

[BurnUnit]

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@VJ83841Lacledewrote:

Now there is my real problem ...

when I fully charge the camera the reader bar never says it is FULL.

only 3/4 of the way 

So I purchased 2 more chargers... and it still reads 3/4 full

---

I've seen some third party, non-Canon USB powered battery chargers online. But not all USB ports supply the same voltage. The ports on the front a computer may have sufficient voltage for thumb drives and card readers and the ports on the back may have a bit more juice for things like printers or external hard drives.

Page 28 of the manual lists some conditions that can shorten battery life, though I don't know if any of them apply in your case.

http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/3/0300001393/01/eosrebelxs-1000d-im-en.pdf

I'd be curious to know a specific batteries' voltage when fully charged and when it's been used enough to power down the camera. The fact that the battery indicator never shows a complete, full charge seems puzzling.

[VJ83841Laclede]

From day one the battery indicator never looked like the battery bar on page 28. 

Even when the battery is dead and will not shoot it reads exactly the same as on page 28. The battery bar is there like it is full but the black coloring is not there at all. so the bars are there just not filled in all the way with the black coloring.

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I only use a 120 volt wall charger and I have gone thru 3 of them now thinking that was my problem. 

I have sent the camera into Canon no less than 4 times and they say everything is good with the camera. 

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the batteries are not cheap... between $40 and $50 for a battery.

[BurnUnit]

When you sent the camera in to Canon for service, did you specifically inform them that the battery level indicator was not reading properly? That might be a bit of helpful info for them. I wonder if you might get better results by completely draining the battery first and then recharging it?

With a little luck maybe one of the Canon service reps that hang around here will pop in with some suggestions. Not being a current model I'm not sure that Canon even supports the Rebel XS any longer.