baron_silverton Loc: Los Angeles, CA

Maybe it can be as much as $30 difference with the modern batteries costing a bit more - still I feel the extra money is worth it - especially if you shoot professionally as I do. The last think I need is a battery dying out of the blue on a paid shoot.

I'll only buy OEM due to my experiences with both the aftermarket batteries I have owned.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Whatever works for you!

baron_silverton Loc: Los Angeles, CA

Yep - just sharing the experiences I have had - I also have never spoken to any pro (or camera store agent for that matter) that feels that after market batteries are nearly as good.

If you have had better luck with them, I am glad to hear that - I haven't and I understand that most people don't.

Have a great day! :)

Badgertale Loc: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

AnotherBob

My experience too. An off-brand from B&H; fine one day, dead the next. Perhaps you really do get what you pay for. I still buy batteries from B&H, but always Nikon brand.

User ID

The 70% you saw is not 70% of *rated* capacity. Cameras don’t know the amp hour rating of a battery. They measure what’s at hand.

The battery was likely operating less than half of rated capacity. When the charger tops it off it’s topped off at that diminished capacity. Like the camera, the charger does not know the amp hour rating. It just sees the present recharge health of any battery as being normal for the battery.

I’ve got 1.8 and 2.6 amp hour batteries of the same model number (manufactured years apart) and the charger just charges both versions to completely full.

I have an old SLR that reports the “recharge health” of the battery. That report can be “33% or less. Time to replace”. But the state of charge can still be reporting 90 to 100% and the charger still reliably stops when that dying battery is topped off to whatever its current capacity may be. Any battery in such poor recharge heath could easily just “die in its sleep” like yours did. But remember, it was barely alive anywho.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

If the original is only a few dollars more, you've paid way too much for the third party battery! When I bought a third party battery (to use as an emergency backup battery), it cost me only about 1/3 of the price of a battery from the camera's manufacturer, which is certainly more than a few dollars difference. I think the difference was around $30.

Quixdraw Loc: x

A pittance they say, lets see. Nikon has the battery "Archived". At B&H a new EN EL 4, $159.95, Watson $59.95, a C Note isn't a pittance to me. On line, Wasabi $39.99, Kastar, 2 for $37.99. I have long experience with Wasabi, and wouldn't hesitate there. I have had few failures with OEM or off brand, performance has been indistinguishable. I have several cameras that use the same battery and others that are one off. If I needed another to replace the one that failed, I'd get the Wasabi, I can do all sorts of things with $120.

Sidwalkastronomy Loc: New Jersey Shore

Still $30 is nothing compared to thousands of dollars in camera equipment.

Sidwalkastronomy Loc: New Jersey Shore

I do have some off brand batteries with very little use. I'll charge them fully and use them but will carry a spare too

Doc Mck Loc: Terrell,Texas

The LP-E6N CANON BATTERY T Amazon is $40. I can get 4 Wasabi batteries same specs from Amazon for $40. At the price difference, if one goes bad, I have 3 more to go. So far, my Wasabis are acting fine. 1-3 can be stored in my pocket.