The answer depends on the units. Per minute, video costs more; per frame, high-speed burst costs more. The mechanisms differ: burst is high power in short pulses with rests between, while video is sustained high power with no breaks. One NP-FZ100 (2280mAh / 7.2V / roughly 16.4Wh) idles for a very long time in standby but manages roughly 80–130 minutes of high-bitrate 4K. High-speed burst pulls a large instantaneous current, yet because you can lift your finger, a day of it can cost less than one continuous recording session.
Draw ranking by shooting mode
| Rank | Mode | Draw level | Per pack (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4K high bitrate / high frame rate | High | About 80–130 min |
| 2 | 4K standard | High | About 100–150 min |
| 3 | 1080p Full HD | Medium-high | About 130–180 min |
| 4 | High-speed burst with continuous AF | Medium-high | About 2000–4000 frames |
| 5 | Low-speed burst | Medium | About 600–900 frames |
| 6 | Single frames with continuous AF | Medium | About 450–650 frames |
| 7 | Single frames, single AF, viewfinder | Medium-low | About 500–700 frames |
| 8 | Playback / menu work | Low | Several hours |
| 9 | Standby / sleep | Very low | Tens of hours |
These are room-temperature, mixed-operation ranges that shift with resolution, processor, bitrate and cooling. Use them to judge scale and plan quantities, not as measured values.
Why video sits at the top
During recording, the sensor streams continuously, the processor encodes at full load and the card writes without pause — all at once, and for a long time. The body also draws more as it heats up. Still photography, by contrast, spends its big power only at the moment of release; between frames most systems can idle down.
- Resolution and bitrate. Higher bitrates and heavier chroma sampling mean more encoding work, so high-bitrate 4K is clearly hungrier than 1080p.
- Frame rate. 60p processes more data per second than a lower rate at the same resolution.
- Cooling. As the body warms, draw climbs further, which is why summer outdoor recording trips thermal protection sooner.
- Stabilization and AF. Running either during recording stacks extra load on top of encoding.
So for long recording sessions, external power beats carrying more packs — see dummy battery and power adapter options.
Burst: high peaks, but you can rest
In high-speed burst the shutter mechanism, focus motor, sensor readout and buffer writing all run flat out, and instantaneous current can match or exceed recording. What you actually spend depends on how long you hold the button:
- Short bursts of a second or two, a few dozen times a day: modest total, limited effect on the day’s runtime.
- Sustained tracking bursts — sports, birds, motorsport, ten-plus seconds repeated over many series: draw approaches video, and one pack may not last long.
- Mechanical versus electronic shutter. Electronic shutter skips the mechanical action and usually draws slightly less, but weigh that against rolling-shutter distortion.
- Buffer flush. The camera keeps writing after you stop. Don’t power down or pull the pack immediately.
How many packs per shooting style
| Main work | Day’s use (approx.) | Carry |
|---|---|---|
| Portraits / street, single frames | 1–2 packs | 3–4 packs |
| Weddings / events, mixed | 3–5 packs | 5–7 packs |
| Sports / wildlife, heavy burst | 4–6 packs | 6–8 packs |
| Video-first, segmented recording | 4–6 packs | 6–8 packs plus a power bank |
| Streaming / long takes | Unbounded | External power plus 2 packs as backup |
If a day mixes bursts and video, take the higher of the two as your base and add 1–2 packs of headroom. For mixed days like weddings, wedding-day power planning has a full breakdown.
Cutting draw in each mode
- Stills: compose on the finder, kill auto review, use AF-S for static subjects — together worth roughly 20–35%. Details in the camera power-saving settings list.
- Video: turn off radios and location logging, dim the screen, stay out of direct sun. Most of the gain here comes from reducing heat rather than encoding load.
- Burst: shorten each series, let the camera sleep between them, and consider electronic shutter.
- General: keep spares warm in cold conditions and rotate them; don’t run packs to automatic shutdown before swapping.
FAQ
How long does one pack last in high-speed burst versus 4K?
4K recording lands in the 80–130 minute range. High-speed burst is better counted in frames: roughly 2000–4000 across a day of intermittent use. The two don’t convert cleanly, because burst is inherently intermittent.
Why does my battery fall faster during video than the spec suggests?
CIPA figures come from a stills test — usually 500–700 frames — and video isn’t part of that protocol. Real video runtime is typically well below what a frame-count conversion would suggest.
Can I run a power bank while recording?
Some bodies support it, but charging and recording together generate heat, and long takes are more likely to hit thermal protection. A dummy battery is the steadier approach, as is swapping packs between takes.
Is electronic shutter really cheaper on power?
Usually a little, since the mechanical curtains don’t move. The margin is small, though — don’t pick electronic shutter for the battery saving. Image quality and rolling-shutter behavior matter more.
Matching pack count to your main mode is the efficient way to buy: our NP-FZ100 compatible battery is rated 2280mAh / 7.2V / roughly 16.4Wh, around $17.89 per pack, around $22.93 with one charger and around $36.74 for two batteries plus charger. Video users may prefer the larger TNP-FZ100 (2400mAh, roughly 17.3Wh), around $19.66 / $24.70 / $39.92. Studios and production teams buying in volume should use wholesale inquiry — orders above 100 units are quoted by batch.