DSLR Batteries: I'm looking for some input on batteries - is it safe to buy aftermarket replacement batteries in lieu of camera mfg brands? Is it safe to save a buck or will the price...

photoqueen Loc: Vancouver Washington

I'm looking for some input on batteries - is it safe to buy aftermarket replacement batteries in lieu of camera mfg brands? Is it safe to save a buck or will the price difference redeem itself with performance/longevity? Nikon is my brand if that makes any difference.

Steve_m Loc: Southern California

photoqueen wrote:

I'm looking for some input on batteries - is it safe to buy aftermarket replacement batteries in lieu of camera mfg brands? Is it safe to save a buck or will the price difference redeem itself with performance/longevity? Nikon is my brand if that makes any difference.

No. There is a circuit which prevents overcharging. If that malfunctions, the battery overheats and may cause a fire.

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

photoqueen wrote:

I'm looking for some input on batteries - is it safe to buy aftermarket replacement batteries in lieu of camera mfg brands? Is it safe to save a buck or will the price difference redeem itself with performance/longevity? Nikon is my brand if that makes any difference.

The short answer is yes, provided you buy from a reputable dealer such as B&H or Adorama, or on the basis of good recommendations. Nikon and Canon don't have battery factories. They buy them from suppliers. The same suppliers that make many of the aftermarket batteries.

rebride

I use Wasabi (Blue Nook) batteries in my Fuji X cameras. For over 6 months now. No problems. Inexpensive. Quite the favorite with the Fuji crowd.
Blue Nook's customer service is just outstanding.
http://www.bluenook.com/
Also sold at Amazon.

amehta Loc: Boston

photoqueen wrote:

I'm looking for some input on batteries - is it safe to buy aftermarket replacement batteries in lieu of camera mfg brands? Is it safe to save a buck or will the price difference redeem itself with performance/longevity? Nikon is my brand if that makes any difference.

How many extra batteries are you buying? When I got a second battery for my D800, it didn't seem to make sense to save $30 on the battery to power a $3000 camera.

photoqueen Loc: Vancouver Washington

amehta wrote:

How many extra batteries are you buying? When I got a second battery for my D800, it didn't seem to make sense to save $30 on the battery to power a $3000 camera.

At this point in time, I'm only looking for one extra. I agree with that reasoning, but I've also got a grocery list of things I might want to have for an event coming up, so I need to stay in a budget. I'm a newbie, so I don't want to stock up on too much too soon, without checking out my options. Thank you all for your input. Nice to know there is a place to toss the questions out!

amehta Loc: Boston

photoqueen wrote:

At this point in time, I'm only looking for one extra. I agree with that reasoning, but I've also got a grocery list of things I might want to have for an event coming up, so I need to stay in a budget. I'm a newbie, so I don't want to stock up on too much too soon, without checking out my options. Thank you all for your input. Nice to know there is a place to toss the questions out!

The one extra Nikon battery will last you as long as the camera. A third-party battery may work as well, but it may not. Do you know ahead of time which you'll get? I don't. The camera being able to reliably tell me how much battery life I have left is very useful. Will the third-party battery also work with that? I don't know.

I'm all for taking chances where the cost of failure is low, but not where it is high. The only thing worse than a battery failure is a tripod failure.

Good luck with the event! :-)

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

amehta wrote:

How many extra batteries are you buying? When I got a second battery for my D800, it didn't seem to make sense to save $30 on the battery to power a $3000 camera.

I'm with Anand on this. With a single extra battery the savings don't seem compelling. I'm sticking with the Nikon batteries.

JMHO

mdorn Loc: Portland, OR

photoqueen wrote:

I'm looking for some input on batteries - is it safe to buy aftermarket replacement batteries in lieu of camera mfg brands? Is it safe to save a buck or will the price difference redeem itself with performance/longevity? Nikon is my brand if that makes any difference.

Since they'll be used in a Nikon, it makes no difference. :-) <joke>

I think there are some good aftermarket batteries out there, but I only use those offered by the mfg. Yeah, it's more expensive and I've been told I'm getting ripped-off, but after spending thousands of dollars on my gear, I'm not going to skimp on batteries and memory cards. Of course, that just me. I can afford to buy the more expensive stuff (to a point). If you do buy aftermarket stuff, just make sure it's from a reputable source.

mdorn Loc: Portland, OR

photoqueen wrote:

At this point in time, I'm only looking for one extra. I agree with that reasoning, but I've also got a grocery list of things I might want to have for an event coming up, so I need to stay in a budget. I'm a newbie, so I don't want to stock up on too much too soon, without checking out my options. Thank you all for your input. Nice to know there is a place to toss the questions out!

Since you are a newbie, this is the most compelling reason to stick with the mfg's batteries. Just my opinion.

Frapha Loc: Tulsa, Oklahoma

First, as someone has already indicated, not all third-party batteries are created equal. Second, if you're a Nikon user, you may be interested in this information:

http://buturooj.skyrock.com/3202925009-Nikon-firmware-update-prevents-use-of-third-party-batteries.html

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/12/09/nikon-firmware-update-breaks-support-for-third-party-batteries

mdorn Loc: Portland, OR

Frapha wrote:

First, as someone has already indicated, not all third-party batteries are created equal. Second, if you're a Nikon user, you may be interested in this information:

http://buturooj.skyrock.com/3202925009-Nikon-firmware-update-prevents-use-of-third-party-batteries.html

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/12/09/nikon-firmware-update-breaks-support-for-third-party-batteries

Interesting... Although I recommended sticking with Nikon batteries, this type of action by Nikon (or any camera mfg for that matter) does not sit with me very well---Canon did it with their legacy lenses. Like Apple products, I understand one of the goals of this action---a more consistent trouble free experience, but anytime a product or company limits my choices, it bothers me.

photoqueen Loc: Vancouver Washington

amehta wrote:

The one extra Nikon battery will last you as long ... (show quote)

My camera does not give me a time frame on the battery life, just a diagram showing how full it is or isn't. I have no idea how that equates to the actual time left. I don't think the battery itself has anything to do with that operation.

My event is in the Mexican Baja desert, so I won't be popping into a local battery store if need be!

I'm still in question, while Nikon doesn't make their batteries, is there is a difference between the other branded batteries. If you take the dollar figure out of the equation, what do you get? Are they in fact the same battery? And is all this worth the $20 difference. Probably not. Thanks again!

amehta Loc: Boston

photoqueen wrote:

My camera does not give me a time frame on the bat... (show quote)

The battery level display is shown by getting information from the battery.

Nikon does not make the batteries, but they did design the part which gets the battery level information and conveys that to the camera. And their batteries are used so much that, when there is a problem, they recall the batch of batteries and replace them fairly quickly. In a way, everyone benefits from the expectation that the battery will work, so if it doesn't, it tends to get reported, and they deal with it.

photoqueen Loc: Vancouver Washington

Frapha wrote:

First, as someone has already indicated, not all third-party batteries are created equal. Second, if you're a Nikon user, you may be interested in this information:

http://buturooj.skyrock.com/3202925009-Nikon-firmware-update-prevents-use-of-third-party-batteries.html

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/12/09/nikon-firmware-update-breaks-support-for-third-party-batteries

.

Thanks for the links... good read. I'm not going to side one way or the other on the marketing styles but I will stick with the Nikon battery after all that. Rather safe than sorry.