capewrl

Please be aware there are Chinese counterfeit batteries that are exact copies of OEM batteries,be careful of what country the batteries are shipped from.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

A few years ago, mercury was removed from alkaline batteries. Duracells even wore a slightly different label for a while to mark the change in construction/formulation. It was about that same time that leakage from unused cells became a problem. Not sure there is a connection, or whether other, non-related changes were made at the same time that the mercury was removed. But I remembered that the two things created a positive vibe, followed by an almost immediate disappointment in the plant where I worked. We lost several expensive electronic items to leakage-caused corrosion during that time period.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

Alkaline batteries are known to leak. And it doesn't seem to matter what manufacturer.

I have seen just about every manufacturer leak. Usually when their charge is about gone.

User ID

There is ALWAYS a battery in any modern
camera, while you store it. It's no longer
up to you !

David C.

Well I was not going to mention the company name but seeing all the comments I will confirm the Battery Testing Lab and Company was Duracell, Danbury CT. Yes, they door did make coin and button batteries with the Duracell logo. I do not have a loyalty to one brand but have my best results with Panasonic. Longest lasting and no leakage to report...to date. Duracell batteries have leaked and I have concerns about their longevity but that may be my own fault. I tend to purchase the standard AA, AAA, B, C, D, 9V sizes in 24 packs around the Holidays when they go on sale. Then have them on hand for use as needed. By the following October, November there is an obvious 1/2 life but they still work until they are replenished with new. Note: check the date codes on your package it will let you know the manufacture and use by dates. Most brands now claim 10 year shelf life I do not believe it even in the best of storage conditions. My button and coin batteries, common in cameras, are purchased as needed. With Radio Shack gone it is getting hard to find some sizes like the PX 625 and U15. Does anyone remember the Burgess Brand? Their can, button and coin as well as standard sizes were great. I used them in all the cameras and equipment I worked with in Alaska.
They were the Military/spec. Standard back in the 60's. Something we did was coat the batteries and their holders/housings in silicone grease, harsh conditions with sea air and wet work exposure was very hard on helmet lamps and flash lights, cameras and flash units, just about everything that used a battery had corrosion failures at some point. David C

therwol Loc: USA

That's my experience, even when unused and even before the expiration date. Even more likely if partially discharged, as I found out recently with several flashlights, all of which had to be tossed.

hassighedgehog Loc: Corona, CA

I have never had a Duracell battery leak. I used them exclusively in my old Pentax K-X. Never had the OEM battery. That camera did die, but not from batteries. Use their ultimate Lithium for every other thing.

lwhitehall Loc: St. Louis

I have had the worst luck with the copper top. THEY LEAK. I have even been walking through the store and have seen new packages that have already started leaking. I use Energizer Lithiums in my gear or the original battery manufacturer (unless it's the copper top).

itsnoelb Loc: Edgewater, FL. Originally: FLINT. MI.

Have non-OEM batteries in my T1i, 7D. takes longer to charge but performance is fine. My 1D mk iv is in need, not gonna be scared to go with a well-reviewed non-OEM.
A friend's Son did a Science Fair project by comparing several brands of batteries (not Camera Batts) made for everyday use. AAA, AA, C, D. The off brands lasted longer than the top brands. He attributed this to shelf time. People bought the "off" brands to save money over "top" brands. His conclusion was the age of the battery was more important than the brand.

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

I have had only 1 alkaline AA cell leak and I suspect that it might have been inside the equipment for 4-5 years. I don't buy any of the main name brand alkalines because they generally only come in small packs and cost an arm and a leg. I always buy lesser name brands which come in 20-40 packs at very good prices - two that come to mind are Varta and Eclipse. Similar capacity, same claimed shelf life, 1/3rd the price and I don't have to shop as often.
Another thing to watch for are P&S cameras that now come with the "great" feature of allowing charging the battery internally. I have a new Panasonic TZ110 (same as TZ100 or ZS100). So now you don't have the ability to have a backup battery for those times when the internal one runs out of charge. A really GREAT feature ! Well you can actually if you want to remember to charge a 2nd battery when topping up the original - plug your USB lead into the very flimsy USB 3 connection on the side under the little flap door that you just know is going to break off down the track !
The camera cost me NZD 960 odd (remember that we pay through the nose for most goods here in NZ before you even allow for exchange rate differences). You can buy an OEM spare battery AND charger (new camera doesn't come with one) for NZD 200 ! More than 1/5th the price of a new camera. So you buy clone batteries and chargers to keep the sticker shock lower. Forget OEM batteries - I don't have enough spare blood to cut my wrist at the counter. And no audio input which also annoyed me but that is a different issue.
So we are already seeing useful features being dropped (just like no audio outputs on cellphones) and manufacturers well into making spare batteries the same as OEM ink cartridges.

Forgot to mention the first thing you do with a non OEM battery is to charge it and check that it works - or it goes back. You DO NOT buy 3 clones a day before a trip and then be surprised that they don't work while away. It is called planning. Every single non OEM battery I have owned for more than the first month has worked well and not given premature failures or low capacity. For 15 years. You do need to weed out the crap first though.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

I do remember Burgess brand batteries. They are no longer in business. I don't remember them making alkaline batteries, but I do remember their manganese dioxide batteries. And I don't remembering this type of battery leaking as much, if at all. But I also remember the manganese batteries not lasting very long too. Of course in those days, there were no LED bulbs, and flash lights went through batteries like there was no tomorrow.

As for alkaline batteries, I have seen them leak so often, that you should just assume that you need to replace them before they leak. And leaking was always more common with batteries that didn't have much charge left in them.

Years ago, the Nickle Metal Hydride batteries were common. These came after the NiCad batteries which were known for developing memory as to what it considered discharged. I didn't find them leaking, but they certainly wouldn't hold a charge for very long. If I remember correctly, they lost something like 30% of their charge in just one month when sitting on the shelf.

tom1cda

Be Careful- There are a lot of fake batteries out there that might say Duracell on them. Look close at the packaging and it the price is way low usually that is your first clue. I am in the wholesale business so we see fake items like this on a regular basis. Look on the manufacturers website and sometimes you can see codes or packaging differences that flag them as fake. Duracell- real ones are a good battery- and is this a reputable supplier, ask yourself that as well.

Harry0 Loc: Gardena, Cal

I've got OEMs, fake OEMs, clones, etc.
I never had a problem with Duracell.
Eveready batteries leaked on me, when I left them in.

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

The reason for not sending the battery is fear of fire. They will be able to see what make of battery was in the camera when it failed, so you can't evade the law by switching to an approved battery before sending the camera in. Given that, it is better tosend it without battery.

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

I prefer OEM batteries for the same reason. Yes, they are a lot more money now, but I would cry if they leaked and destroyed my baby, I mean camera.