The Sony NP-f550 battery

When you buy rechargeable batteries, or get some with your camera, make sure you read the instructions that came with them. The most critical issue is whether there is some conditioning you should do when you first get your npf550. For example, we've seen instructions to charge your batteries before you use them the first time, give them a chance to cool down, then charge them again, give them a chance to cool down again, and then charge them again.

More common is the instruction to charge them and then run them completely into the ground before recharging at least the first two times, and in some cases the first three times, that you charge them. Whatever the directions for conditioning, if you follow them, the batteries will perform better and live longer. If you didn't get any directions with the batteries, but they have a recognizable manufacturer name and model, you can try looking for the battery model on the manufacturer's website, and see if there are conditioning instructions there.

There are also things you can do after the initial conditioning to maximize the battery life. For NiCad and NiMH batteries, it's a good idea to run them down completely at least once a month to avoid problems with the memory effect. Your battery recharger may include a run-down option. If not, you can find products that will fully discharge the battery for you. It's also a good idea to avoid recharging until you need to.

When you recharge your np-f550, you're using up a recharge cycle, and coming one cycle closer to not being able to recharge anymore. Lithium ion and lithium polymer batteries need very different treatment, and often come with instructions to charge the battery every chance you get. With no memory effect, there's no need to run the batteries down, ever. Keep in mind, however, that the best way to maximize battery life varies even from one battery model to another. The rule remains: read the directions that came with the batteries.

• Do make a point of storing batteries in a cool, dry place at normal room temperature.
• Do make sure that the contacts on your rechargeable batteries and in your camera stay clean and make good electrical contact. If they seem dirty, use a pencil eraser to clean them.
• Do make a point of giving the np-f550 battery a chance to cool down after recharging instead of popping them into your camera immediately.
• Don't leave your camcorder battery np-f550 — or your camera with batteries in it — sitting in places like a hot car in direct sunlight for extended periods of time. Heat raises the self-discharge rate — and it isn't a good thing for the electronics inside your camera, either.
• Don't leave batteries — or your camera with batteries in it — sitting in places like a cold car sitting in an unheated garage in the middle of a New England winter with temperatures at 17 degrees below zero. Cold also drains batteries quickly.
• Don't try to recharge the np-f550 in a battery charger that's not designed for them. Match the charger to the battery type.
• Don't be cheap. Buy an extra set or two — or three — of rechargeable batteries, and charge them all to bring with you. When one set dies, start recharging it if you have a place to plug in, and move on to the next set. By the time you've run through all your batteries, the first np-f550 camcorder battery should be recharged.