Battery Question

[DVC Jen]

Well now that I have learned to not worry about spending the big bucks on memory cards - what about on batteries?

I only have the original battery that came with my XTi but really want to get one or two more. I have a tendency to not pay close attention to what is left on my battery and run out of "juice" at the worst times.

Not gonna let that happen in June.

So - when I go buy another battery or two - should I stick with the canon battery or will another brand be just as good?

 

[boBQuincy]

"Just as good" is the hard part. OEM batteries have protection circuitry that the aftermarket batteries may or may not have. The OEM is very likely to notify consumers if a batch of batteries is defective, the aftermarket may or may not.

Lithium batteries can do some very impressive things (like 3' flames) if they are overcharged or rapidly discharged. There are numerous news stories on the web, including videos, of batteries on fire with unpleasant results.

Many users have had good experiences with aftermarket batteries but the quality is always an unknown unless the supplier shows what is inside. I design electrical systems for a major manufacturer and have seen what can happen when cost reduction and offshore suppliers are involved. It is highly likely the OEM battery price includes a hefty amount of profit but it is just as likely the aftermarket battery is not made to the same specifications.

I consider it insurance to pay the extra for the OEM battery. I suppose this is a lot longer answer than you wanted but I feel this issue is important and is glossed over by many consumers.

 

[ndelaware]

I agree with Bob and I have had lots of experience with rechargable batteries due to the business I was in. Many here use Sterlingtek (.com) batteries and are quite happy with them but I personally stick with Canon.

 

[Servants of Evan]

To me, it really depends on the battery. If you're talking about a basic AA then it makes sense to check out the rechargable Nimh batteries by the likes of Energizer, etc. If you're talking about something a bit more special, then go with an OEM battery.

 

[JR6ooo4]

I bought an aftermarket for my sony 717 from a computer store and it would not even take a charge. It was like 60% of the manufacturer's price.

But then I bought two from sterlingtek for my rebel xt and they are the exact same battery life as the original and going on about one year of use. I bought a two battery and ac/dc charger for about $50. THe DC option is nice when you are away form the room. You can leave one battery charging in the car!

I bring three batts on all my trips.



Mikeeee

 

[DVC Jen]

Thanks .. looks like I will be sticking to the canon batteries. I had a feeling I should - but wanted to double check with all the experts here.

 

[Groucho]

Did I mention that I'm cheap? We got a $6 battery off eBay for the wife's Canon SD600 and it works great. I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't have quite the battery life of the real thing - but the theory is that it's primarily a backup battery.

If I were planning a WDW trip and my camera took a proprietary battery and I was concerned about that, I would probably charge the OEM one every night but carry the cheap one as a backup. Chances are that with daily charging, you'll never need to use the backup, but it's there.

FWIW, her camera ran for several weeks (with occasional usage) on the cheap battery until we put back in the freshly-charged OEM battery (just before leaving for WDW) - no problems at all.

Now, if you were going hiking in the woods for a couple weeks and expected to drain your batteries to nothing and had no electricity to recharge... that'd be one thing. But I think it's unlikely that you'll chew through an entire charge in one day, and certainly not the charge of one OEM plus one cheap battery.

As for reliability... well, again, I'm sure the OEM one is built to more rigorous quality controls, but even the junky ones are pretty unlikely to burst into flames. And controls are no guarantee, just look at all the Dell and Sony battery recalls over the past couple years.

 

[gruZ]

I'll second Sterlingtek - had an extra for almost a year and it's never been a problem. In fact it seems to last longer than my original Canon battery.

 

[ndelaware]

I'll second Sterlingtek - had an extra for almost a year and it's never been a problem. In fact it seems to last longer than my original Canon battery.

The Sterlingtek's qouted mAH is twice what Canon claims for the NB-2LH so it should last quite a bit longer.

 

[PoohJen]

I'll third SterlingTek!!! I bought one over 6 months ago after surveying the good folks on this board, and use it side by side with my Canon battery. I've seen no difference between the two, except the SterlingTek was alot cheaper!!! (haven't "timed" my use of each, but if the charge didn't last at least as long as the Canon, I'd have noticed!).

I ordered from http//www.sterlingtek.com http://www.sterlingtek.com

eta: I use mine with my Rebel XT

 

[handicap18]

I've bought 3 batteries from Sterlingtek. 1 2 years ago that still works perfect for our Canon S30. Recently I bought a 2nd backup for the S30 and it has an even higher mAh. The battery that came with the camera is 540 mAh, the 2 I got from Sterlingtek are 1250 and 1700 mAh.

For my D50 I now have 3 batteries. The Nikon one that came with the camera, I got a backup before we went to Disney back in June. Got it at Best Buy, it is only 1200 mAh vs the 1500 that came with the camera, but it works perfectly fine. I also got a 3rd battery (the VR lenses take up some extra battery life) from Sterlingtek, it is 1500 mAh just like the Nikon. It works fine.

All the batteries I got from Sterlingtek were less than 1/2 the cost of what an original Nikon battery and Canon battery are. The one I got at Best Buy was about 3/4 the price of the Nikon battery.

 

[mcgrawfan]

Thanks for asking this question. I was thinking the same thing myself. I just bought a Canon S3. What battery should I get? (in lemans terms)