Quixdraw Loc: x

One benefit to Wasabi kits - their chargers are small and handy, some come with car and international adapter. LED goes from red to green when charged. They are what I always travel with, and all I use unless I need to charge several batteries at once.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

I have used third party batteries from well-reviewed companies. I don't think they last quite as long as OEM batteries, but given their price difference, you still come out ahead.

toxdoc42

I bought a not-inexpensive replacement battery for my Nikon D3400. When I put it into the camera, an error message popped up saying it cannot be used. The local photoshop, which sold it to me, was shocked, until they tried it themselves. I then bought the OEM model.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

I refuse to reward Nikon for charging obscenely high prices for their accessories. I have no choice when buying their cameras but I won't buy their accessories.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

The brand of battery can make a difference. The one you bought must have usually been good, since the photoshop was so surprised it was bad. Even the best products can be faulty.

Izzi46

I had a camera ruined by a leaking non-nikon battery. So from then on, I just pony up the money for real! I do however have a few cheap batteries in the bag so if I really need power, they are available. But I take them out immediately and never let them stay in the camera.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

I own both Nikon and Watson batteries. I got my first Watson battery from B&H some time ago. I then bought another one later. So, for my Nikon DSLR, I have a total of 3 batteries for one camera. I charge them all, especially when I travel. Along with my charger. The Watson batteries are not such a bargain price anymore, IMO. So, my future battery, when one of my batteries no longer holds a charge, will be a Nikon Brand. I'll just pay the extra price. I don't trust buying camera batteries from eBay, and memory cards. However, I have bought other items from eBay with no problems. Nikon, has upgraded its EN EL-15 batteries. First, it was the 15, then the 15a, and later the 15b. The 15b was designed for the Z series mirrorless, to have the battery charged inside the camera, via USB cable. Nikon, is coming out, with another battery, the 15c, to be used in the new upcoming Nikon mirrorless Z8. I have seen good reviews on Wasabi batteries. They cost less than the Watson's.

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

You don't say what camera you have. If a D850 then be very careful if you buy non OEM. My wife has a D850 with 2 original EN-EL15a, one Wasabi equivalent and one other no name battery. They all work okay and have been for a few years. No one battery seems more or less reliable and they all seem to have a similar charge. Now read this carefully - all the rest of the none OEM batteries I tried are now used on my D800 because they wouldn't work on the D850. I have spare batteries for the D800 coming out my ears.
If you get original EN-EL15a OEM then you will have no problem wherever you get them from. Anything else you are on your own except Wasabi which will be our pick when we need more.
When looking for non OEM every seller claimed their batteries would/should work but none were prepared to give a guarantee.
This was a few years ago so maybe things have changed but like coronavirus test kits that have proven to have an extremely high failure rate brand x batteries come from the same place.

steve33 Loc: Yarmouth MA

If you remove the battery, before shipping the camera to Nikon repair, how would they know if you used oem battery or third party battery?

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

I’m not going to put a third party battery in a $6,000 body. Not worth the risk to save a few dollars. Your mileage may vary!

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Well they probably have any history of problems with their batteries for one thing. Second if you are seeking a warranty repair they may ask to have the battery returned too.

BebuLamar

I think the battery was good. It just that the camera detected non OEM battery and refuses to work. Cameras may do this after a firmware upgrade.

starlifter Loc: Towson, MD

This kind of stuff is getting old. For every 10 people who say I like non OEM batties there will be 10 who say they don't. Use what you want and move on.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

They (not sure who) is making copies of the EN-EL15a battery. They look like the real thing but are not. Please be very careful in purchasing this battery.

LXK0930 Loc: Souh Jersey

In my long experience, there are 4 categories of batteries:

(1) OEM bought from reliable sources, such as camera shops, Amazon, etc.. These are the best, but most expensive batteries. I think that most owners should have at least one of these.

(2) Major branded non-OEM, zuch as Wasabi. Watson, etc. These usually have 70-90% capacity of the OEM, at 25-50% of the cost. These make good back-ups. Sometimes they include a charger, because the OEM charger may not work with these batteries. Very rarely, the camera may have a problem with these, so buy somewhere that will honor a return policy.

(3) Unknown non-OEM branded batteries. Do some research to see how good they are. Make sure there are many reviews. If you have a problem, you are probably SOL.

(4) Counterfeit- These look EXACTLY like the OEM, and are hard to detect. Usually sold on Ebay or similar sites. Usually very poor quality. Basically, if the price is much lower than from a reputable dealer, avoid them. I have found a way to sometimes deterct these: Weigh them. If the battery weighs less than a known OEM, look elsewhere. Not a foolproof method, but a start.