Will the camera (point and shoot or DSLR) that is switch off still consume power from the battery that is not removed from the camera?
I saw on most camera manual will tell user to remove the battery if not using the camera for a period of time. I was wondering what could be the reason behind it. Is it that the camera will continue to sip some power from the battery even if the camera is switch off?
Most cameras use a small amount of power while off. Some a little more and some much more.
On models with a GPS, the camera can attempt to keep its updates its location at regular intervals. On Fuji cameras this is an option in the Setup menu.
Most NiMh batteries lose power quite rapidly by themselves anyways so in a month or two, they will be empty regardless. In this case, the power-drain from the camera is unlikely to make any difference.
Eneloops, Imedion and Lithium-Ion (used by most DSLRs) also lose power but much slower. In the case of Eneloops it is only a 10% loss after one year. For one of these, you will get longer life by taking out of the camera. Even on a Nikon DSLR which keeps its status LCD on while the camera is off, this still does not make a huge difference.
TL;DR:
Standby power can still consume a bit of power, and you are risking leakage or damage to your equipment if the battery malfunctions.
I would not worry about it. All rechargeable batteries lose power over time, even if they are not connected to anything. Has nothing to do with cameras, its the chemistry of batteries.
