How do I care for this Sony Camera Battery from the very first charge? NP-FR1 InfoLITHIUM Rechargeable Battery

Question

How do I care for this battery properly? The model number is:

NP-FR1 InfoLITHIUM Rechargeable Battery

And an Amazon page containing details on it can be found here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0002K0QH0/202-6003673-7115820?v=glance&n=560798

I want to know how to keep it working well. Questions like if you don't use the camera for a month, should you leave the battery fully charged, fully discharged, or does it not matter? How do I avoid it losing it's battery life? General tips on the best battery practice with this modern Lithium Ion battery.

Feel free to use scientific terms, I've just finished A-Level Chemistry and Physics. :)

Thanks!

Answer 1

Any solid state battery can develop a "memory". Meaning if you continually shoot an hour or so and then recharge, the battery will actually "think" it can only hold a 1 hour charge, even though it should go 3 to 5 hours. This means FULLY DISCHARGE the battery before you recharge it. You don't have shoot frivolous things to discharge the battery. There are battery chargers that have a discharge cycle. Get one, they're not that expensive (less than $50). That will keep your battery in peak performance for many years.

Answer 2

Li-ion batteries don't have a memory. There's no need to be paranoid about fully charging/ discharging or pampering it in any way. With luck, it will outlive your camera.