Generic batteries.

[JohnP]

I've purchased a few generic camera batteries in my time with varying degrees of success regarding their lifespan, some have been quite good considering the low price paid for them and others not so good. My main camera is my Canon 60D and I did purchase a genuine battery to carry should I need to change the battery when out on a shoot. I also still have a Canon 400D which used to be my main camera before getting the 60D and I still use it sometimes, I still have and use the original supplied battery but the spare battery is a cheap generic and that won't hold a charge now so I needed to replace it. I didn't want to pay Canon prices for a battery that will be in a camera that only gets used  occasionally. When looking for a replacement I came across Duracell Direct who sell replacement batteries for cameras at very good prices and they come with a 3 year warranty and free delivery unless you need it urgently. I ordered a battery on Thursday 4th June and it arrived this morning the 6th June and that was with free delivery, I paid £14.99 here's a link if anyone is interested.

 

http://www.duracelldirect.co.uk/digital-camera-battery-adapter-charger.html

[Leon]

http://www.buyabattery.co.uk/duracell-replacement-canon-camera-battery-lp-e5-lpe5-7-4v.html?gclid=CLLHrbff_7cCFQEc4QodTDcAUg

 

I used these for duracell, works fine and so far as god a life as the OEM one, ordered friday 4pm arrived saturday morning!! for less than £10 delivered!

[bugmeister]

It's worth looking at the capacity of these.

 

The ones for a 40D (and lots of other cameras) appear nearly identical at 1400 mAh V the 1390 mAh of the Canon BP511A original 

I also have a couple of generic spares for these and they are rated 1200 and 1300 so not so good and the performance was much lower. Obviously not as many shots, and they are now past it while the originals are still going fairly strong some years down the line.

 

However the LP-E6 equivalent for my 5D is 1400 mAh against the original 1800 mAh so a substantially lower capacity.

[Guest DaveW]

Li-on (Lithium Ion) batteries have a shelf life and start to deteriorate as soon as they are made:-

 

"The problem with Li-ion batteries is that they are incredibly unstable. As soon as they have been manufactured they will start to wear out, even when they haven’t been used yet and are kept at the depot or on the shelf. When using your battery, you will realise that after a few charge cycles, the battery won’t be able to last as long as it used to when you first started using it. Eventually, it might only hold half the charge it used to, or even less. There are ways that you can slow down this battery deterioration by looking after your Li-ion the right way. All batteries wear out faster when they hold a larger charge or are subjected to higher temperatures. If your battery is kept at too low a charge, it can damage the battery as it continues to slowly discharge in storage."

 

Therefore only buy spares that you need as the spare will continue to deteriorate whether used or not.

 

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/five-apps/five-tips-for-extending-lithium-ion-battery-life/289

 

Travelling by air there used to be restrictions on how many lithium batteries could be carried in bulk as cargo due to fire risk (as with the Boeing Dreamliner lithium battery problems), However they are not a battery you can abuse with safety, so treat them with respect:-

 

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/is_lithium_ion_the_ideal_battery

Edited July 7, 2013 by DaveW