Canon NB-13L

Short answer: small-capacity packs like the NB-13L II appear to degrade faster, and the main reason is not poor cells but three structural factors — a higher discharge rate relative to capacity, less surface area to shed heat, and faster accumulation of cycles. To judge whether a pack needs replacing, the shrink in video recording time is a far better measure than shot counts. The three causes are explained below, followed by practical checks and care habits.

First, a number for context: the OEM NB-13L is 1250mAh / 4.5Wh / 3.6V. In a camera like the G7X, with a one-inch sensor, 4K, and electronic stabilization, that capacity is just about adequate. A small pack under a large load is the starting point for everything that follows.

Three reasons small packs fade faster

Higher discharge rate

The C-rate expresses discharge current relative to capacity. For the same power draw, half the capacity means double the rate. The G7X recording 4K draws a fair amount in total, and spread across 1250mAh that rate is clearly higher than in packs of the 2000mAh class. A high rate means more polarization, more resistive loss, and more heat, and all of that accelerates side reactions.

Less cooling area

A small pack has a small surface, so the same heat spread over less radiating area produces a faster temperature rise. In the G7X series the battery sits in the grip, where your hand insulates it further. After ten-odd minutes of continuous recording the grip is noticeably warm, which is direct evidence of the pack working at sustained high temperature.

Cycles accumulate quickly

This one is most often overlooked. A 4.5Wh pack shooting vlogs for half a day may need two charges, which easily pushes past two hundred cycles in a year. At the same shooting intensity, a camera on a larger pack might see only seventy or eighty. Cycles arrive sooner, so the pack enters its degradation range sooner.

Judging whether to replace

Why video runtime rather than shot count? Because shot counts depend far too much on pacing — the same pack behaves completely differently when you compose slowly versus shooting bursts. A fixed recording test (1080p 30p, fixed bitrate, room temperature, Wi-Fi off) is far more comparable. Without lab conditions that is still fine: compare the same segment of the same trip and you can see the trend.

How far down counts as the end

The general rule for lithium-ion packs is that after 300-500 cycles capacity falls to about 80% of its initial value. For a small pack like the NB-13L, if you vlog daily and charge twice a day, you may reach that range in eighteen months to two years; if you only use it on trips, four or five years may pass without getting there.

Calendar aging matters too. Even with few cycles, a pack left in a drawer for two or three years still loses capacity. So “I barely used this one” does not mean it is still new.

Habits that slow the decline

• Do not keep it hot. Leave a few minutes between continuous takes to cool down, and do not put a just-used hot pack straight onto the charger.
• Avoid charging while recording. The G7X series supports USB power, but the combined temperature rise of charging and recording is the least friendly thing you can do to a pack.
• Do not drain to auto-shutdown every time. Deep discharge stresses the anode; swapping at one bar remaining is gentler.
• Do not store it full long-term. Charging to full after a trip and leaving it in a bag for months is the most common way people damage packs.
• Keep a spare in rotation. Alternating two packs halves the cycles on each, and the degradation curve flattens naturally.

The YO NB-13L II was improved specifically in cell consistency and cycle life, and the practical meaning is that when several packs are rotated, they behave more alike and none lags obviously behind. As for capacity, it is close to OEM rather than doubled, so do not buy it expecting “more capacity means it lasts longer”. More detail is in the NB-13L II category, and OEM models and compatible bodies are in the NB-13L category.

FAQ

Is it normal for an NB-13L II to degrade within a year?

It depends on intensity. With frequent video work and two charges a day, reaching the 80% range in a year is possible; with occasional travel use, losing less than a tenth in a year is also normal. Judge against your own new-pack baseline rather than against someone else.

Why does the camera shut down abruptly with one bar left?

Once internal resistance rises, voltage drops sharply under high current and trips low-voltage protection. Capacity has not vanished; the pack simply cannot carry the load. At that point it is no longer suitable for recording but can still serve as a light-load backup.

Can a larger battery be substituted for a small one?

No. The NB-13L is a 3.6V rectangular pack, and its dimensions and contact positions are designed for these bodies. Other models will not fit, and you should not force power through an adapter.

Can a swollen pack still be used?

No. Swelling means gas has formed inside and the structure has deformed, and continued charging or discharging carries a fire risk. Do not puncture it, do not press it flat. Isolate it, insulate it, and take it to a battery recycling point.

Short answer: vlogging on the G7X Mark III, one NB-13L II covers roughly 40-60 minutes of intermittent 1080p shooting, or 20-30 minutes of continuous 4K. For a half day out, carry 2; for a full day, carry 3 along with a power bank that can charge the pack directly. These are range estimates, and actual results depend on frame rate, bitrate, stabilization, screen brightness, and ambient temperature. In cold weather, budget toward the conservative end.

Many people estimate vlog runtime from a camera’s rated still-shot count and then find themselves far short on location. The reason is simple: vlogging is long, continuous work, while stills are brief work plus long idle, and the two draw completely different power curves.

How vlogging differs from stills

During continuous recording, the sensor and image processor run at full load, the screen stays on, in-body and electronic stabilization both work, the microphone draws power, and if Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is also enabled, consumption climbs another step. These loads stack, rather than coming intermittently as they do with stills.

Another commonly overlooked factor is heat. The G7X Mark III body is small, and after ten-odd minutes of continuous 4K the grip area is noticeably warm. The camera limits recording time to manage temperature, and heat itself raises the pack’s internal resistance, which further reduces usable capacity. So “how long can I record” is often decided by the camera overheating, not by the battery running out.

How long one pack lasts

Discount those numbers for the way you actually shoot. Electronic stabilization on, brightness maxed out, an external microphone, reviewing clips between takes — all push runtime down. Conversely, lower brightness, wireless off, and more locked-off shots push it toward the upper end.

How many to bring: counting by the hour

1. Estimate effective recording time, not time out of the house. On a four-hour outing, you may only record for 40 minutes; the rest is walking, talking, and finding setups.
2. Convert conservatively at 40 minutes per pack. One hour of effective recording means 2 packs, two hours means 3, and beyond three hours means 4 plus a power bank.
3. Then check for a charging window. If a one-hour lunch break can top up one pack, bring one fewer. With no fixed power all day, plan for the upper count.
4. Add one for winter, altitude, or cold regions. Cold lowers usable capacity temporarily. It recovers at room temperature, but during the shoot it is simply not there.

Topping up and saving power: making recording last

The G7X Mark III has a USB-C port and supports USB power, so in theory you can charge while recording (check the manual and firmware for your unit). The cost is heat: the power module and the pack both work at once, the body warms faster, and continuous 4K already tends to hit its clip limit — adding supply heat means an earlier stop.

The steadier approach is rotating packs and charging the packs themselves. The OEM charger is the LC-30 dock, and third-party packs generally work with same-spec docks. Versions with a Type-C port are more flexible: a spent pack can go straight onto a power bank instead of waiting until you are back at the hotel.

In practice: record on pack A, swap to pack B during a break, and put A on the power bank immediately. Do not wait for both to be empty. Handled this way, 2-3 packs usually cover a full day.

A few settings that buy more recording time

• Prefer 1080p. Unless 4K is essential, 1080p generates far less heat and draws less power, and runtime is more predictable.
• Turn off wireless connections you do not need, and enable them only when transferring footage.
• Drop screen brightness one step. Indoors the visual difference is small; the power difference is not.
• When you can use a tripod or gimbal, turn electronic stabilization off and lighten the processor’s load.
• Record in segments, leaving a minute or two between them to shed heat. It is more reliable than one long take.

For capacity and cycle behavior of the pack itself, see the NB-13L II category. For OEM NB-13L specs and compatible bodies (G7X series, G9X series, SX730/SX740), see the NB-13L category.

FAQ

Can one pack cover a ten-minute vlog?

In most cases yes. A ten-minute finished video usually comes from 30-50 minutes of footage, which one pack covers at room temperature. If your pace is slow and you re-record often, two packs is safer.

Can a power bank charge the G7X battery directly?

Only versions of the pack with a built-in Type-C port support direct charging. The OEM NB-13L needs a dock (LC-30). Powering the camera body from a bank is a different matter, and you should watch the heat.

Is 4K recording stopping on its own a battery problem?

Usually it is thermal protection, not an empty pack. The camera shows a temperature warning, and you can continue after it cools. Switching from 4K to 1080p and shortening each clip eases it noticeably.

Are two packs enough for a full day of travel shooting?

For occasional clips of a minute or two, yes. For continuous following shots, interviews, or event coverage, bring three plus a power bank, because charging windows are rarely under your control.

Short answer: the NB-13L II is close in capacity to the OEM NB-13L (rated 1250mAh / 4.5Wh / 3.6V); the improvements are in cell consistency and cycle life, not doubled capacity. Where the two genuinely differ is charge-display accuracy and price bracket — a single OEM pack usually sits well above the budget bracket, while third-party options such as YO’s come in within it. Keep those four points separate and the decision is not hard.

First, a common misunderstanding worth clearing up: Canon makes exactly one model, the NB-13L, and there is no official “NB-13L II”. The second-generation label is a third-party manufacturer’s own product sequence naming, used to distinguish batches or cell designs. So when someone tells you the “second generation” doubles capacity, either the rating is inflated or they have misunderstood.

Capacity: let us be precise about the word

The OEM NB-13L is rated 1250mAh / 4.5Wh / 3.6V. The NB-13L II is rated close to that, and its improvement direction is cell consistency and cycle life — in plain terms, less variation between packs from the same batch and a gentler decline over time, not “twice the shots in one go”.

Why is a capacity breakthrough so hard? Because the battery compartment’s volume is fixed. Within the same 3.6V system and a similar case size, energy density is set by cell chemistry. Significantly more capacity would require a different chemistry or a larger body, and both create compatibility problems. So when you see a rating well above the OEM figure, question the rating method before believing in a technical leap.

Charge display and charging compatibility

The camera reads battery data through the contacts to estimate charge. Third-party packs are usually recognized and used normally, and Canon bodies generally do not show a “non-OEM battery” prompt, but the bar-counting algorithm was calibrated against the OEM discharge curve, so two things can happen:

• Uneven bar drops. The first three bars last well, the last one goes quickly, or the display jumps from two bars straight to a warning.
• Jumping percentages. On bodies that show a percentage, the number may not move continuously.

This does not affect operation, but it does affect your judgment of “how much longer can I shoot”. The workaround is not to rely on bars but on experience: if a pack gives you 40 minutes at room temperature, treat one remaining bar as roughly ten minutes left, rather than assuming one bar still means a long while.

Charging and dock compatibility

The OEM pairing is the LC-30 dock, which charges by insertion with the contacts at the base of the pack. Third-party packs generally work with docks of the same spec, but watch contact alignment — some third-party cases are slightly thicker and fit tightly, and repeated forced insertion wears the contacts.

Another difference is the choice of charging method. The OEM NB-13L can only be charged in a dock; third-party versions with a Type-C port can be charged by cable, which means one less charger to pack for a business trip. For travel, that is more useful than a capacity difference.

Four-point comparison

How to pair them for best value

1. One OEM pack for primary duty. For important shoots, where you need an accurate read on remaining charge, use the OEM pack and stop second-guessing.
2. Two third-party packs as backups. For everyday recording, second angles, and long standby, use the NB-13L II. Lower cost, and losing one is not painful.
3. Assign by use case, not by age. Give the OEM pack to situations that need precise runtime estimates, and third-party packs to situations where you can top up at any time.
4. Number and rotate everything. OEM or not, rotate in order so no single pack is overworked.

Done this way, you usually save considerably over buying all OEM while keeping certainty where it matters. The NB-13L II is positioned as a dependable backup, not as a replacement for the OEM pack’s primary role. For the product line, see the NB-13L II category; for OEM specs and compatible bodies, see the NB-13L category.

FAQ

Does the bigger second-generation capacity mean more shots?

No. Capacity is close to OEM, so the actual shot count differs very little and depends mostly on shooting habits and camera age. Anyone claiming double the shots is almost certainly overstating the rating.

Can a third-party battery damage the camera?

A reputable product with overcharge, over-discharge, and over-current protection will not harm the body in normal use. The risk comes from unbranded low-grade cells and products without a protection board, so check for a clear brand name and warranty when buying.

Is it a problem to mix OEM and third-party packs?

Alternating them in the same body is fine, but do not charge them together or attempt to wire them in parallel. Charge readings may be inaccurate after a swap, so go by actual shooting time.

Why is the price so different? Where does the gap come from?

Mainly cell screening, protection-board components, quality control, and after-sales service. The OEM price also includes brand and channel costs. Third parties trim those, which is why they cost less — but quality varies widely between them, so a brand with a real model lineup and a warranty is the safer choice.

Short answer: the G7X III, G9X II, and SX740 all take NB-13L packs, rated by Canon at 1250mAh / 4.5Wh / 3.6V. Their power profiles differ considerably: the G7X III is a one-inch sensor with 4K, the SX740 is a 40x superzoom with 4K, and the G9X II is gentler but has a screen that dominates the front of the body. For stills, a single pack typically manages two to three hundred shots; start recording 4K and runtime drops much faster than expected, which is the direct reason most people end up buying a second pack.

The NB-13L II is a replacement built on that foundation, with improvements in cell consistency and cycle life rather than in the capacity number. The rest of this article covers three questions: which body is thirstiest, what actually changed, and when to replace a pack.

One: power profiles of the three bodies

These figures are range estimates, not lab data. Many things move them: screen brightness, flash use, how often you zoom, how long the camera idles, ambient temperature. The same pack can differ by more than three tenths between outdoors in winter and indoors.

The SX740 deserves a separate note. Its tele end needs the motor to drive the lens group continuously, and many people habitually sweep between tele and wide while hunting for composition, a habit whose cost is routinely underestimated. For concerts or sports, where you hold a half-press on a moving subject for long stretches, the pack drains much faster than when shooting landscapes.

Two: what the NB-13L II changes, and what it does not

What it does not change is the capacity class. Canon rates the original at 1250mAh / 4.5Wh / 3.6V, and the second-generation product is close to that; there is no “doubling”. If you see an NB-13L rated at over two thousand milliamp-hours, question the rating convention before celebrating.

What it does change is cell consistency and cycle life. Consistency means a narrower spread of capacity and internal resistance within a batch, which in the camera shows up as a more linear charge reading, closer behavior between packs, and no sudden jump from two bars to shutdown at low charge. Cycle life means capacity falls more slowly across repeated charging, so remaining capacity after a year looks a little better than earlier products.

Neither improvement appears on a spec sheet, so neither can be judged from numbers. Their value only emerges over long use: consistency affects whether you dare treat the last bar as a reserve, and cycle life affects how soon you buy another pack.

For ordinary users the practical meaning is simpler: one pack can be relied on for two or three years without a sudden halving of runtime forcing a replacement. These products usually sit in the budget bracket, clearly below the price of a single OEM pack, which makes them a consumable you can comfortably keep two of. Other models in the same series are listed in the NB-13L II category.

Three: five signals that it is time to replace

A pack rarely fails suddenly. It degrades slowly to a point where you finally notice. Check these five in order:

1. Runtime halves: it used to last a full day, now it is done by noon. The most obvious signal.
2. Charges faster and discharges faster: with higher internal resistance, charging reaches cut-off early and less energy actually goes in.
3. Jumping charge readings: three bars to one in a step, or two bars again after a power cycle.
4. Poor contact once fitted: a slight shake cuts power, usually from a slightly deformed case reducing contact pressure.
5. A swollen case: it spins like a top on a flat table, or fits noticeably tighter in the compartment. At that point it is no longer a runtime issue but a safety one.

If any two of the first three appear, start planning a replacement. For the fourth, rule out dirty contacts first — wipe the pack and the compartment contacts with a cotton swab and a little anhydrous alcohol, let them dry, and retry; very often “poor contact” is just oxidation. The fifth has no room for negotiation: stop using it immediately.

Four: three things to confirm before buying

First, confirm the model is NB-13L, not NB-6L or NB-11L, which look similar but differ in size. Across these small Canon generations the packs look alike, and buying the wrong one is common.

Second, confirm your camera is on the compatible list: G7X, G7X II, G7X III, G9X, G9X II, SX730, SX740. Do not assume a body outside the list works because it “looks the same”.

Third, confirm how you will charge. The OEM charger for the NB-13L is the LC-30 dock, so if you plan to keep using a dock, check how a third-party pack fits it; if you plan to use a third-party charger, choose one built for 3.6V single-cell lithium packs. The NB-13L category covers this in more detail.

FAQ

Will a second-generation pack trigger a non-OEM warning on the G7X III?

These Canon bodies are less prone to third-party battery warnings than Fujifilm models, but not entirely free of them. Some bodies show an odd charge reading or a brief notice on first insertion and return to normal after a restart, with no effect on shooting.

How long can one pack record video?

The 4.5Wh capacity rules out long recordings. Continuous 4K typically lasts only a short single clip and is limited by body heat, so in practice you hit the thermal wall first. For video-heavy work, carry two or more packs and shoot in segments.

Can a first-generation G9X use a second-generation pack?

Yes. The G9X and G9X II share the NB-13L spec, so packs are interchangeable. The older body is itself aged, so a fresh pack often produces an obvious jump in runtime — that reflects the old pack’s degradation rather than anything exceptional about the new one.

How should I store a pack I will not use for months?

Keep it at four to six tenths of charge, remove it from the body, and store it somewhere dry and cool. Long storage at full charge or fully empty accelerates aging. Top it up every few months.

Short answer: small-capacity packs tend to swell first because they pack a higher energy density into the same space, have less surface area to shed heat, and are often stored full and warm. Prevention comes down to three things — keep the stored charge at 40%-60%, avoid heat, top up every three months, and do not leave the pack on a charger indefinitely. Once it has swollen, stop using it no matter how slight the bulge, and do not attempt a repair.

Swelling is the outcome users can see, but the cause begins months earlier. Understanding where the gas comes from is more useful than memorizing a list of prohibitions, because it lets you judge for yourself which habits accelerate it.

How swelling happens

A lithium-ion cell contains electrolyte that carries lithium ions in normal operation. When the cell spends long periods under adverse conditions — full charge, high temperature, overcharge, deep discharge — the electrolyte decomposes at the electrode surfaces and releases gas (commonly carbon dioxide, alkanes, and hydrogen). Inside a sealed case the gas has nowhere to go, pressure rises, and the case is pushed outward.

At the same time, the SEI layer on the anode keeps thickening, consuming available lithium ions and showing up as capacity loss. Swelling and capacity fade are therefore usually two results along the same path; swelling is simply easier to see.

Why small packs swell first

Higher energy density. Packing more energy into the same volume means thinner, tighter electrodes and denser electrolyte filling, which leaves less room for byproducts. A small amount of gas is enough to visibly distort the case.

Less cooling area. Volume shrinks with the cube while surface area shrinks with the square, so a small pack has a larger surface-to-volume ratio but a smaller absolute radiating area, and heats up faster for the same heat generated. The NB-13L holds only 4.5Wh, and in a small body like the G7X or SX740 it sits right against the processor and the screen, so its working temperature is not low.

More likely to be stored full. This is a habit issue. A small pack charges quickly, so many people top it up right after shooting, drop it back in the bag, and take it out full next time. Large packs charge slowly, which makes long full-charge storage less common.

Four closing steps before storage

1. Bring the charge down to about half. If it is freshly full, put it back in the camera and shoot for a while to drain it. Do not discharge it by shorting contacts or repeated insertion.
2. Take it out of the body. Left in the camera, standby current slowly drains the pack and the contacts stay under pressure.
3. Inspect the case and clean the contacts. Press gently on both sides and feel for springiness or a dent that stays. If you find one, do not store it — treat it as swollen. A dry cloth is enough for the contacts.
4. Store it separately, insulated, with the date marked. Use a case or a sealed bag, never mixed with metal objects. Write the last date of use and check and top up three months later.

Storage conditions at a glance

What to do when you find swelling

The first step is to stop all charging and discharging. Do not try to puncture the case to release gas — the electrolyte inside can ignite on contact with air, and a puncture breaks the seal and triggers further reaction. Do not press it flat with a weight and do not freeze it. None of that removes the gas, and all of it adds risk.

The second step is to isolate it. Keep it on its own away from flammable material, do not stack it with other packs, and do not leave it in the camera while it is swollen. If the case is clearly deformed, if there is an odor, or if it is warm, handle it with extra care.

The third step is recycling. Take it to a local waste-battery collection point or an electronics recycling channel. Do not put it in household trash.

Note that early swelling may only show as a slightly uneven case that is hard to spot by eye. The daily check is simple: lay the pack flat on a table and see whether all four corners sit flush and whether it rocks; or pinch both sides gently and feel for abnormal springiness. A healthy pack should be firm and should not give.

FAQ

Can a slightly swollen pack still be used?

Not advisable. Swelling is an irreversible structural change, and continued use keeps generating gas, so the risk only increases. Even a slight bulge means retire it and recycle it as soon as possible.

Is a slightly bulging new pack normal?

No. A new NB-13L II should be flat, firm, and flush at all four corners. If it arrives swollen, that is a quality defect — contact the seller for a replacement and do not use it.

Will a dry cabinet prevent swelling?

A dry cabinet solves humidity, while swelling is driven mainly by charge level and temperature. Low humidity helps, but a full pack in a warm cabinet will still swell. Charge level and temperature are the levers that matter.

Does brand affect swelling?

It matters, but it is not decisive. Low-grade cells and products without a protection board carry higher risk, and reputable brands — including YO’s NB-13L II — are more disciplined in cell screening and protection design. But even a good pack will swell if stored full and warm for long periods. For storage guidance see the NB-13L II category, and for OEM specs see the NB-13L category.

Short answer: the NB-13L and the NB-13L II have essentially the same capacity; the difference lies in cell consistency and cycle life. Specifically, the second generation controls the spread of capacity and internal resistance within a batch more tightly, and loses capacity more slowly across repeated charging. This is not a “double the capacity” upgrade, and it will not show up on a spec sheet. What you feel in daily use is a more linear charge reading, more uniform behavior between packs, and no sudden collapse after a year or two.

First, a point that is easy to misunderstand: Canon offers exactly one NB-13L model, and there is no official “first generation” or “second generation”. The version numbers used here are the replacement manufacturer’s own product sequence, and the second generation is often written as NB13L-2. Once that is clear, phrases like “OEM second generation” stop being confusing.

One: what cell consistency actually affects

A battery is cells, a protection board, and a case. As cells leave the factory, their capacity and internal resistance naturally vary, and a well-consolidated batch has a narrower spread. That sounds like an engineering detail, but it directly determines three things you can feel:

Note that none of these differences is an order of magnitude. Good consistency does not mean twice the shots; it means fewer failures at the worst moment. For a casual user shooting a few dozen frames a day, the difference is nearly invisible. For someone shooting several hundred a day and planning the schedule around bar counts, that predictability is worth real money.

Two: how to read cycle life

Cycle life means how many full charge and discharge cycles a pack survives before capacity falls to some proportion of its initial value. The common industry figure is about eight tenths remaining after several hundred cycles, but published numbers vary by maker and depend heavily on conditions — heat, long storage at full charge, and frequent deep discharge all shorten real life below the rating.

The second generation’s improvement here shows up as a flatter degradation curve: not almost nothing for the first two hundred cycles followed by a cliff, but a slow decline. The practical meaning is that you will not wake up one day to find the pack “only lasts half a day now”.

One caution: cycle life cannot be verified in a short test. Any claim of “tested to 800 cycles” on a consumer product is hard to trust, because it would require years. The more reliable way to judge this kind of improvement is whether the maker states clearly what direction it improved, not whether the number looks impressive.

Three: three differences you can feel in use

First, judging when to swap becomes easier. A common pattern with older packs is: two bars showing, you keep shooting confidently, and ten minutes later the camera shuts off. With good consistency, the tail gives you more buffer, and at least it will not jump from “still have charge” to “no charge” in one step.

Second, two packs can genuinely be used interchangeably. In a batch with wide spread, two units of the same model may differ by more than a tenth in real capacity, and you will unconsciously favor one while the other becomes the “emergency” pack. With a tight batch, the two rotate as equals and wear more evenly.

Third, long-term cost is lower. This is the least intuitive point and the most practical: if a pack lasts two years instead of one, your battery spending over two years is halved. For someone who carries a G7X everywhere and shoots tens of thousands of frames a year, that adds up.

A word on capacity: the OEM NB-13L is rated 1250mAh / 4.5Wh / 3.6V, and the second generation is close to that. If a product claims a capacity far above this figure, either the rating convention differs (for example quoting an equivalent value as if it were actual) or the number is inflated — and neither has anything to do with being a “second generation”.

Four: who does not need to upgrade

If your current packs still work normally and show no obvious degradation, there is no reason to replace them over the word “second generation”. Batteries are consumables; replacing them when they need it is better value than upgrading early.

If you shoot a handful of times a year and the camera mostly lives in a dry cabinet, consistency does not matter either — your usage never reaches that boundary.

Conversely, the second generation is worth considering in these cases: you regularly drain two packs in a day, you plan your shooting rhythm around bar counts, the camera is two years old or more and you are replacing the whole set, or you have been burned once by a sudden shutdown. To see the specific models, visit the NB-13L II category; to compare OEM specs and compatible bodies, see the NB-13L category.

And one honest closing note: consistency is an improvement that reduces surprises, not one that raises the ceiling. Read it as steadier rather than stronger, and you will not expect more than it delivers.

FAQ

Will a second-generation pack fit a first-generation G7X?

Yes. The G7X, G7X II, and G7X III, along with the G9X, G9X II, SX730, and SX740, all use the NB-13L spec and share packs. Everything works normally after fitting; a few bodies may show minor differences in the charge display.

Can I mix first and second generation packs?

You can, but avoid doing it long-term. Rotating two packs with different levels of wear erodes your sense of how long “one pack” lasts. Either replace them as a set, or keep the old one fixed as an emergency spare.

Can I check cycle count in the camera?

These small Canon bodies generally do not offer a battery cycle counter, unlike some DSLRs and mirrorless models. Degradation can only be judged by comparing actual runtime, or by watching whether charging time has clearly shortened.

Does “second generation” mean it lasts longer?

The cycle-life improvement does point to a longer service period, but a battery is still a consumable and will eventually degrade. Treat it as “ages more slowly” rather than “will not fail”, and your expectations will be accurate.

Short answer: the SX740 is a 40x compact superzoom, and its main power draw is the zoom motor, optical stabilization, and the screen rather than the sensor itself. One NB-13L II at room temperature, with little zooming and single-frame shooting, will manage roughly 200-250 shots; a travel day of constant zooming drops that to 150-200. Two packs is the floor, and three is sensible for telephoto work.

This class of camera is unusual: the sensor is only 1/2.3 inch with modest pixel count, so per-shot processing costs little, but it is paired with a 40x optical zoom lens and strong stabilization. That combination gives it a power profile completely unlike the G7X you may be used to.

The SX740 drains power differently from a G7X

The zoom motor. This is the biggest variable. Pushing from the wide end to the tele end means a small motor driving the entire lens group forward and back over a long travel. On a 40x body the barrel extends further than the camera is long, and every full sweep draws a substantial pulse of current. For birding or shooting a performance, where you hunt for a subject again and again, a few dozen sweeps can eat a noticeable amount of charge.

Optical stabilization. The longer the focal length, the more handshake gets magnified and the harder the stabilization group has to work. Half-press the shutter at the tele end and you can feel the image “settle” — that is the lens group moving in real time, drawing power continuously.

The screen. The SX740 has no electronic viewfinder, so all composition happens on the rear screen. A screen that is always on and turned up is a steady baseline load, only loosely tied to how many shots you take and closely tied to how long the camera is on.

Autofocus. At the tele end depth of field is shallow and contrast is low, so autofocus has to search back and forth. That costs more than at the wide end and produces more hunting.

How many shots one pack delivers

Treat that table as a starting point, not a promise. Two people shooting the same 200 frames can use twice the difference in charge — one standing still and composing slowly, the other tracking a bird back and forth at full zoom.

Budgeting batteries for a trip

1. Estimate the day’s shot count. City sightseeing usually runs 150-300; nature subjects (birds, animals, flowers) often run 300-500 because of repeated zooming.
2. Convert conservatively at 200 shots per pack. 300 shots means two spares, 500 means three. That conversion already accounts for moderate zooming.
3. Add the cost of being switched on. Ten hours out means the camera may be on for six or seven, and the screen and stabilization at idle will eat close to another half pack.
4. Check for a charging window. If you can charge back at the hotel, carry one fewer. For multi-day camping with no power, plan three per day plus a power bank.
5. Add one more for cold trips. Winter, altitude, and early-morning shoots all lower usable capacity temporarily. It recovers at room temperature, but in the moment it is simply not enough.

Power-saving settings and choosing a pack

• Turn off continuous autofocus. Switch to single AF and focus with a half-press; it saves a lot of back-and-forth current.
• Shorten the image review. Do not auto-display for two seconds after each shot; turn it off or set 0.5 seconds.
• Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Enable them only when transferring. Constant connection costs real standby power.
• Drop screen brightness one step. Bright outdoor light genuinely needs it; indoors and on overcast days you can turn it down.
• Compose first, then zoom. Point the camera in roughly the right direction before extending to the focal length you want, instead of sweeping from wide all the way to tele while hunting.
• Avoid power cycling. Switching off and on involves the longest barrel travel of all, which costs more than idling. For short pauses, let it sleep.
• Shoot single frames rather than low-speed bursts. Bursts load the write path and buffer, and they draw more power.

Two points on choosing a pack

First, the NB-13L is the only option for this body. Do not try to substitute another model or add an adapter. Second, rotating several packs is more practical than chasing one high-capacity pack — the physical size of the pack sets the capacity ceiling, and expecting one to last all day is unrealistic.

The YO NB-13L II is positioned as a backup: capacity close to OEM, with the improvements in cell consistency and cycle life. For a camera that burns two or three packs a day like the SX740, consistent behavior across packs matters more than a bigger single pack, because you do not want the one you just loaded to drop a bar without warning. For compatible bodies and specs, see the NB-13L II category and the NB-13L category; the G7X and G9X series use the same model.

FAQ

Is one battery enough for a day with the SX740?

For most travel, no. City sightseeing at 200-300 shots plus long hours switched on usually outlasts a single pack before evening. Two is the floor, and three is advisable for telephoto subjects.

Why is the tele end so much more demanding?

Three causes stack up: a long zoom motor travel, larger stabilization compensation, and autofocus that hunts more at long focal lengths. All three get worse as focal length increases.

Can I power the SX740 from a power bank?

It depends on whether the body supports USB power and on the firmware installed; check the manual for your unit. The safer approach is to carry more packs and recharge them in a dock or by direct pack charging, which avoids the heat of charging while shooting.

A pack sat unused for a long time. Is it still usable?

Charge it first and see whether it reaches full normally, then put it in the body and check that the charge reading is stable. Do not use it if it gets unusually hot while charging, if the case has swollen, or if it drops bars quickly once installed. The right storage level for long periods is 40%-60%, topped up every three months.