Canon Zoom 518 Battery Drain

[PopeofChillitown]

Hello everyone,

About two years ago my cousin gave me a Canon Zoom 518 Super 8 camera he had gotten from a friend. He never used it, so I asked if I could take it. The camera is in excellent shape, the lens is clear and sharp, and the motor works fine. Here is the problem. The first time I used the camera was at another cousins wedding receiption. I took some movies, then went to play some horseshoes. Half an hour later when I was done playing horseshoes I tried to take some more movies but I could not, the camera had gone dead. Or more correctly, the batteries had been drained. I could tell by the battery indicator on the side of the camera. When I got home, I decided to do a test. I put three fresh "AA" batteries in the camera, and just let it sit. I put the camera on lock, to make sure the motor couldn't be engaged, and just let it sit. Within an hour the batteries were totally drained. Now, the only way I can use the camera is to shoot a little, take the batteries out when I'm not using it, and replace them when I want to shoot again. What a pain in the butt. Has anyone else had this problem with this camera? Is this normal? Can the camera be fixed? Is it worth being fixed? Just to clarify things. My camera uses three "AA" batteries. You remove the top of the camera and put them next to the viewfinder. My camera came with a Canon Trigger Grip 4, no battery. Any help, or information you can give me would be most appreciated. In case I can't get this camera to work properly, I thinking on getting a newer camera. What is the group consensus on the Canon 512XL and 514XL cameras?

Thanks again,
PopeofChillitown

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[dogstarman]

Actually, I think your camera SHOULD take another battery. On the bottom of the 518 handgrip there should be a little, grooved button-type cap, that you can unscrew with a dime. This should hold a fourth AA. I have no idea how your camera would run if you didn't have this battery in, and it doesn't explain the unusually fast drain of the others. But it might solve your problems. Drop me an email and we'll talk.

Sam
[email protected]

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[chas_ucla]

I have the exact same battery-drain problem with a Bauer CM-1 camera I got at a flea market in France. It works fine for a few hours then is dead the next morning. Is there something wrong with the connections or is there something I'm missing on the camera? I haven't used it that much so it's really not too bad a problem.

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