batteries (Page 2): I use the Canon battery in my 7d as the main, but I use third party for backups. Never had a problem. The 2 third party batteries cost me $24 so I figure I can go...

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

davidv wrote:

Ok so I have a Canon 7D. I need to purchase a couple of new or backup batteries for it. Now I'm thinking that their are only a couple or so manufactures that make batteries in the world. So the question is other than price is there really ant difference in batteries. I see the one I need from $16.00- $80.00 for what looks like the same batterie. What is your guys input on this? I can buy 5 of one kind for the price of 1 of the others. Thanks for your thoughts.

I use the Canon battery in my 7d as the main, but I use third party for backups. Never had a problem. The 2 third party batteries cost me $24 so I figure I can go through 3 or 4 and still be ahead.

davidv Loc: salt lake city utah

Thanks everyone for your response

magicray Loc: Tampa Bay, Florida

Never buy another battery again. They now have a small crank generator that fits on any DSLR.

edhjr Loc: Needham, MA

I agree with all those that said "be careful". Had one "inexpensive" battery swell up after being charged so much it would not fit in the camera. Was on a long, middle of nowhere photo trip and down a battery.

Dan Mc Loc: NM

OK...saying up late at night with a bottle of wine (or scotch) on E-Bay is probably NOT a good idea!

I have bought many of the cheapo E-Bay "Close before striking battery and dentistry shop" batts for 1/10th the cost of branded (must have a dozen each for a D3100, D90, T2i) and all have performed identically to OEM (perhaps a little less capacity, but not enough to trade your first born for!)

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

davidv wrote:

Ok so I have a Canon 7D. I need to purchase a couple of new or backup batteries for it. Now I'm thinking that their are only a couple or so manufactures that make batteries in the world. So the question is other than price is there really ant difference in batteries. I see the one I need from $16.00- $80.00 for what looks like the same batterie. What is your guys input on this? I can buy 5 of one kind for the price of 1 of the others. Thanks for your thoughts.

I have used off-brand batteries in everything for years. No problems. Although I haven't counted shots, I've never noticed a difference in how many shots different batteries would take.

As you said, you can buy on or buy five.

OviedoPhotos

I use the one that comes with it, and Wasabi.

revhen Loc: By the beautiful Hudson

magicray wrote:

Never buy another battery again. They now have a small crank generator that fits on any DSLR.

Where's the crank? Is it on the camera or is it the one turning the handle? A jest or for real?

:D

biscuithead

I only use after market batteries, never the Canon batteries in my Canon cameras. Check the milliampere rating and you'll find that often the third party or "cheap" batteries have greater capacity. Every so often I'll get a battery that might die prematurely. The last one that died prematurely was a Canon battery. Third party batteries are equivalent. As someone else mentioned, if I buy on Amazon I do check reviews and go with the best reviewed "cheap" battery. You don't want to get batteries that have sat on the shelf for a decade.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

revhen wrote:

Where's the crank? Is it on the camera or is it the one turning the handle? A jest or for real?

:D

We've had quite a few cranks on this forum, but they eventually got booted off. I'm sure it would be easy enough for one of our clever members to rig a crank generator to charge a camera battery.

Sounds like a topic for a separate post.

revhen Loc: By the beautiful Hudson

jerryc41 wrote:

We've had quite a few cranks on this forum, but they eventually got booted off. I'm sure it would be easy enough for one of our clever members to rig a crank generator to charge a camera battery.

Sounds like a topic for a separate post.

To be somewhat serious, where would such a generator be used? If one carries two or three batteries charged up the normal way, they should last a day of shooting. I could see a generator being used on a hike in the wilderness when one is out of reach of normal electrical supply. But then it would add seriously to the weight carried on the hike. Hmmm

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

revhen wrote:

To be somewhat serious, where would such a generator be used? If one carries two or three batteries charged up the normal way, they should last a day of shooting. I could see a generator being used on a hike in the wilderness when one is out of reach of normal electrical supply. But then it would add seriously to the weight carried on the hike. Hmmm

My thoughts exactly, which is why I'm not going to try to make one. I've never run through even one battery in a day, although I often shoot with two cameras, so that spreads out the use. My D7100 and D610 use the same model battery, so I can get by with carrying just one spare. Of course, I can always charge batteries in the car, too. If I were spending a week in the wilderness a solar or crank charger would be useful.

azburg

While they may have the same physical dimensions look closely at the power specs: voltage and mha, they can vary and will affect how many photos each will take under identical circumstances.

azburg

JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

davidv wrote:

Ok so I have a Canon 7D. I need to purchase a couple of new or backup batteries for it. Now I'm thinking that their are only a couple or so manufactures that make batteries in the world. So the question is other than price is there really ant difference in batteries. I see the one I need from $16.00- $80.00 for what looks like the same batterie. What is your guys input on this? I can buy 5 of one kind for the price of 1 of the others. Thanks for your thoughts.

Buy the cheaper one(s); with the money saved you can but several spares. I firmly believe that somewhere in the Far East there are one or two manufacturers that make them for everyone. I have one Canon and one 'knock off' battery and after two years I still can't detect any difference but male ot a practice to take both fully charged to any shoot.

That said I've heard that some manufacturers are including software in their newer cameras that will reject anything but a "genuine" _____ brand battery. I don't know if Canon is in that group; I'm using a 60D so don't have the problem.

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

I have had aftermarket batteries fail after about eighteen months. It is not worth the risk - OEM batteries last far longer, and I have never missed a shot with an OEM battery that took a normal charge with the OEM charger.