>The temperature was close to 32 F. But this is not cold. -20 F is cold. I
put in new batteries, and all was fine. I am using Alkalines.
Don`t use Alkalines in all honesty it wasn`t designed for them, use
Lithiums or the MN-30 battery.
>So, I see 3 causes
>1) battery drainage Nikon problem - but this problem has been known for a
long time and should have been fixed. My serial # is 3114130, bought 1 month
ago.
The production of the F5 has not chnaged at all since its introduction. If
you plan to use Alkalines all the time then send/take you F5 to a service
facility and get it reprogrammed via the DX contacts to adjust the battery
level meter calibration. This will add 8-10 rolls to the total. At 0 Degress
Celcius Alkalines loose half their power, which cannot be restored.
Lithiums, however, as with the MN-30 will happily function to -20 degree
centigrade.
>2) battery drainage when camera ON but not used - isn't this really 1) ?
The F5 will not drain the camera while in ON mode, only if the meter is
active.
>3) crap batteries. These I bought from the camera store, they have a less
known name. I should try Energizer/Panasonic/Duracell perhaps? I have only
used >this one brand since I bought the camera.
Many Nikon approved distrubutors send there F5 boxed with Lithiums now. The
F5 wasn`t really designed to run on Alkalines. Canon have been using Litiums
for years. If you plan to use Alkaline think of all the spent batteries
you`ll put in the bin, that end up in land fill sites and aren`t
enviromentally friendly regardless of what it says on the box.
>Has anyone seen a problem with (a recent serial#) F5 draining the
batteries?
As above, no matter what serail number you buy the probelm is the same. For
more information on the F5 battery problem see:
http://www.jpgservices.ndirect.co.uk/battery.htm
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