Extra Batteries

[TexasMouseFan]

I recently purchased a Canon SX40 HS camera. I want an extra battery so that I don't miss a shot because of a dead battery. Should I stick with a Canon battery or is there a better brand I should consider? TIA!

 

[hakepb]

On Amazon, it looks like your choices are Canon brand or generic.

Generic can be either a great deal or a waste of money. I got 2 generic batteries + charger for less than half the cost of a Sony battery, and they work well, actually they had the better info lithium feature (shows life remaining in minutes instead of a less exact 4 bars) that my Sony battery did not have. Some reviews indicate not all users were that lucky

So while I do think name brand batteries have somewhat better quality control, they are also very high profit margin (50%+) accessories. It's up to you to decide what you are more comfortable with.

 

[hakepb]

Here's some user discussion on some of the other batteries:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3221547

There does seem to be talk that some generics can have higher capacity mha ratings, which should mean longer life vs Canon batteries.

 

[boBQuincy]

You will see many claims for aftermarket batteries, almost all unsubstantiated and with no actual testing done. The fact is there is no standardized test for battery capacity, with a discharge rate of 0.1 C used most commonly but having no correlation to actual camera usage. A battery seller can claim anything they wish and there is no organization to validate or refute their claims. So what are we to do?

We know the camera manufacturers battery works and that they back them up with a warranty. We know that (usually) the manufacturer will issue a recall for defective batteries and (usually) repair any damage done by them. We know that the manufacturers battery has some safety mechanisms since they do not wish to be sued and get bad press for unsafe products. They also can not afford to go out of business to avoid paying for battery damages.

We do not know *any* of this for aftermarket battery sellers, even if we get a good one today they could change their suppliers and sell junk tomorrow (knowingly or unknowingly). We also know that the camera manufacturer charges a lot of extra $$$ for what they provide. We can pay the price or take our chances with a less expensive aftermarket battery.

 

[handicap18]

I used 3rd party batteries for a long time with my Nikon D50. Then I upgraded to the D300 and the batteries were compatible with that body too. However, after about a year I started to notice that both 3rd party batteries just weren't working correctly. I don't recall now what the issue were (that was about 3 years ago). They didn't hurt the camera, but they just weren't working properly. Since then I've only used the Nikon battery. Better to be safe than sorry and stick with batteries made by your camera company for your specific camera. Sure you may save $20-30 up front, but if those 3rd party batteries have a problem and damage your camera, you could be out many many hundreds of dollars.