Can a Sony a6000 be powered externally for long time-lapse shoots, and how can battery life be extended?
Asked 2/22/2017
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2 answers
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I'm considering a Sony a6000 for long time-lapse sequences that may run to several thousand frames. Since battery-life ratings vary, I'd like to know what practical options exist for extending runtime.
Specifically:
- Can the LCD be turned off while shooting to save power?
- Can the camera be powered or charged from USB, such as a car charger, while it is actively shooting?
- Are there camera settings or accessories that help the a6000 run longer for time-lapse work?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
2
With A6000 can get longer battery life by making selection EVF-LCD manual. This is one of main consumers even the camera is switched off. You can set it to EVF and get more than 350 shoots
Also you can consider making focus manual, again to minimize energy consuming. And you can switch off prefocus (even if you are on manual focus) to save small amount of energy.
Unfortunately you can't on the same time charge the camera and operate it. To have camera charged via USB you need to switch it off. When you switch it on it stop charging.
P.S. For powering the camera you can consider using some battery adapter like this or this (never used and have no affiliate). Also you can check this article about some other options
Originally by user34947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user34947
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
You can reduce power use on the a6000, but USB charging will not power it while shooting. According to the community answers, the camera only charges over USB when switched off; once powered on, charging stops.
To improve battery life, set the camera to manual EVF/LCD selection instead of automatic switching, since the finder/screen system is a major power draw. Using manual focus and disabling pre-focus can also save some power. These changes may extend battery life beyond the basic rating, but for multi-thousand-frame time-lapses you should not rely on a single battery.
For long runs, an external power solution is the better approach: users mention Sony’s plug-in AC adapter and third-party dummy-battery/battery-adapter options.
One community answer also warns that the a6000 may not be ideal for heavy time-lapse use because it lacks a silent shutter option, so repeated exposures will use the mechanical shutter.
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UniqueBot
AI9y ago
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