If you’re an avid content creator looking to upgrade your gear, getting a camera like the Rebel T7 with an extended battery life that’ll comfortably last you through your lengthy shoots is crucial. So what’s the Canon Rebel T7 battery life like? And how long does it last during active shooting?
Read on to find answers to these questions. We’ll also talk about the factors that might affect your T7’s battery life and how you can prolong it.
Let’s get started!
How Is Canon Rebel T7 Battery Life?
For someone who doesn’t have time to wait around for a battery to charge, the Canon Rebel T7’s relatively good battery life is unquestionably a bonus. Here’s how the battery life performs in different shooting modes:
| Shooting Mode | Flash Usage | Battery Life |
|---|---|---|
| Viewfinder Shooting | No Flash | 600 Shots |
| Viewfinder Shooting | 50% Flash | 500 Shots |
| Live View Shooting | No Flash | 260 Shots |
| Live View Shooting | 50% Flash | 240 Shots |
| Video Recording | – | 130 Min. |
Live View Shooting
With the Canon EOS Rebel T7 Live View, you may take shots on display rather than the viewfinder. It’s CIPA rated to take up to 260 shots with no flash before powering down, and around 240 shots with 50% flash turned on. Note that this could be better in real-life shooting, and it’s best to shoot with flash-off to get more shots for live shooting.
Viewfinder Shooting
You can use the viewfinder shooting mode on rebel T7 to record precise shots, especially on a bright sunny day. Regarding the CIPA rate for Viewfinder shooting, the Rebel T7 is rated to yield 600 shots with no flash and about 500 shots with 50% flash use. Bear in mind that you can shoot more if you optimize your camera settings well.
Video Recording
Automatic live view recording halts when the duration reaches approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes or the file size exceeds 4GB (whichever comes first).
While many DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are now equipped with 4K capabilities, the T7 adheres to the fundamentals of:
- Full HD 1920 x 1080 at 30 frames per second
- HD 1280 x 720 at 60 fps
- SD 640 x 480 at 30 fps
- The MPEG4 AVC H264 format is used to record movies and delivers 100%
What is CIPA Standard?
The Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) is a global organization of camera, imaging, and photographic industries that has created a set of international standards. These guidelines provide clients with the confidence that all items are measured uniformly, ensuring that all values are reported using the same scale.
Virtually all aspects of digital camera design are covered by the CIPA standards and guidelines, which also control camera manufacturers’ language, statistics, and performance numbers to describe their products.
For example, suppose one camera maker claims a battery life of 500 shots and another claims 600 shots of the same Rebel T7 camera model. In that case, customers should be assured that both are truthful and accurate since they were measured to the same standard.
What Factors Affect Battery Life?
All actions that affect battery life include:
Using LCD Screen
The LCD screen requires power to operate, just like any other screen, and your camera’s battery provides that power. So you risk running out of battery time if you utilize the LCD screen to preview and review your images. We recommend making all menu changes using the available external knobs and buttons and not your LCD screen. Keep in mind that your LCD screen uses the most battery power.
Using The Live View Function
Although live view shooting offers more than LCD in autofocus, it tends to strain and drain the battery life. The Live View and Movie modes place extra demands on the camera’s battery because the surplus power is required to keep the monitor running for long durations.
If you perform a lot of Live Views or movie filming, you might want to get a rechargeable battery pack, so you have a backup in case the first one runs out of juice.
Activating Automatic Flash
First off, flash is unnecessary 80% to 90% of the time and can potentially cause more harm than good. Flash drives your photographs to look artificial and flat, and it can even cause those bothersome reflections. Having said all of that, the biggest harm is that it drains your battery faster.
We recommend using an external flash, which can assist conserve the battery life of your camera because it has independent batteries.
Constantly Topping Up
Regardless of how you charge your battery, it will eventually perform worse if you’re constantly recharging it. Most DSLRs are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which, when charging, transfer charge carriers ( lithium ions) from one electrode to another to produce the electricity that powers up your camera.
When constantly charging and discharging, the ions flow in opposite directions. Moving those ions frequently causes strain on the electrodes, which shortens the battery life.
The battery’s capacity will also eventually decrease due to the electrodes’ progressive degradation.
Zooming Too Much
One of the fundamental principles of photography is that you shouldn’t use zoom unless you cannot get closer to your subject. Most of the time, zooming will produce nicer pictures, and you’ll also notice that your battery lasts a little longer.
That is because the motor that moves the lens is solely responsible. It spins around whenever you zoom, depleting power with each rotation.
Keep further usage of the lens motor to a minimum if you want to extend the battery life of your DSLR camera because turning on and off your DSLR is already problematic, especially when you’re carrying a heavy lens attachment.
Activating The Autofocus Without Actually Shooting Anything
When you activate autofocus or set your camera to a continuous autofocus shooting mode, small motors are activated each time your camera autofocuses on a subject. Again, it should go without saying that these small motors use the battery’s power, shortening its lifespan.
Autofocus is only necessary for sports or action photography; otherwise, we recommend using manual focus more.
Leaving the camera on Video Mode For A Long Time Without Powering Down
One issue with video camera mode is that it’s easy to forget the camera is still recording. If you use the LCD and the usual stills mode, you will see the image from the viewfinder on the screen. The same is true with the video camera mode. However, aside from a few minor icons, the interface is nearly identical.
You might not immediately notice that you are in video mode. Therefore, always make sure your camera is turned off before storing it, and disable the video camera feature as soon as you’re through using it.
How To Prolong It?
Unfortunately, most digital cameras like Rebel T7 tend to run out of power mid-shoot; here’s how to prolong your battery life.
Minimize Shooting in RAW
While RAW image files capture much more data, the format needs higher resolution and quickly consumes a battery. So keep this in mind and utilize the format only if you want to perform a lot of editing after the shot.
Use The Viewfinder
Shutting off the LCD screen and framing photographs with the viewfinder helps to prolong your battery. Shooting with the LCD consumes a substantial amount of battery power; if you must use it, reduce the brightness to protect the battery. Also, avoid often scrolling through saved photographs or cycling through the camera’s settings.
Activate Battery-saving Mode
If there is no action over a set time, this function turns off the camera. If you fail to switch it off manually, it might assist in conserving the battery.
Purchase An Additional Battery
A second rechargeable camera battery guarantees that you have adequate power for your lengthy content creation projects. Most rechargeable batteries are model specific and cannot be used in other cameras so buy what’s compatible with Rebel T7.
Check For Rusting
Corrosion may develop if you do not use your camera for several weeks and keep the battery inside, especially in damp storage space. Green or brown streaks on metal connections indicate deterioration/corrosion. You need to clean up the camera to remove the smudge accumulation so that the battery charges correctly and lasts longer.
Also, store your shooting gear in a dry, cool place to minimize rusting.
Keep The Batteries Warm
Camera batteries degrade far more quickly in colder conditions than they do at normal room temperature. A smaller degree of the same holds true in really warm weather. The best course of action to prolong your battery is to keep them warm. In this situation, it is frequently advisable to take the battery from your camera while not in use and place it in your pocket, for example. In other words, if you’re using a battery in a chilly environment but not actively utilizing it, keep it in a warm pocket.
Can Canon Rebel T7 Use A Battery Grip?
No, the canon rebel T7 cannot use a battery grip because the Canon brand hasn’t released a specific battery grip for this camera. Also, because other Canon battery grips are not interchangeable between one Canon and the next, it’s not advisable to force compatibility with the model you’re using.
Bottom Line
The Rebel T7 is a good camera for photographers and content creators. Its battery life is quite outstanding, with the ability to take approximately 600 shots before powering down. However, constantly topping up the battery or leaving your camera for a long time drains the battery life. Luckily we’ve shared great pointers to help prolong your T7’s battery!