Batteries - OEM and/or Third Party (Page 4): Got a Ford (insert car choice here) do you use only Ford batteries? If not then I would be it comes down to cost. People have to remember...

duane klipping Loc: Bristow iowa

Got a Ford (insert car choice here) do you use only Ford batteries? If not then I would be it comes down to cost. People have to remember you pay for brand names. Ford does not make their own batteries but they pay a premium to have their brand attached to them.

This cost is passed onto the consumer in higher prices and extreme mark-ups. Companies make a larger profit on accessories and many people are brand loyal no matter the cost. This is why many car dealers sell branded oil filters. They are not any better than Fram. If Fram were inferior they would not be in business long same with any non OEM products.

Get in a fender bender and see if most insurance companies get you OEM parts. Most will not.

How many here use OEM phone cords or chargers only?

duane klipping Loc: Bristow iowa

My thought exactly. OEM companies want your 💰 and will price accordingly.

Reply to longshadows post.

n3eg Loc: West coast USA

quixdraw wrote:

Have used Wasabi for years in several cameras. No problems - they also provide excellent small chargers which are much more convenient for travel than OEM.

Tried Wasabi, and all batteries had 55% of labeled capacity and 70% of what would be called "real" capacity. This would make them junk in commercial use. Plus, they failed before 11 months, and their warranty replacements were just as bad. They wound up taking them all back and gave me nothing.

Bill P

Longshadow wrote:

NOPE!
Nor tail/marker lights, headlights, wiper blades, oil, ..........
I'll only get OEM if that is the only option, like the rear wiper for our one car.
(But I won't intentionally purchase cheap crap.)

Of course the manufacturers WANT you to buy all THEIR stuff.

Of course they do. They want you to pay full list too. But have you ever heard of someone using a AAA battery and having their warranty voided?

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

I have used Wasabi batteries for several years with no problems.

insman1132 Loc: Southwest Florida

I have been using them in my FZ70 every since I got it and I have found them to be every bit as good as the battery that came with the camera. I have Wasabi's as back up batteries for all my cameras and have not yet had a sour experience with any camera.

Just one persons experiences.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

frjeff wrote:

Just received my new FZ1000 and need to get a couple of spare batteries. The OEM’s price knocked me over and I have read mixed (but mostly positive) reviews on the equivalent Wasabi batteries for much less $$.

Anyone here using them in their FZ’s and have any plus or minus thoughts?

I use Wasabi batteries in Lumix GH4s. We have no issues. As with all rechargeable batteries, they perform well when new, and if used frequently, they keep performing that way. If you store them, run them down half way, first.

After about three years, most rechargeable camera batteries start to deteriorate. So figure on replacing them a few years out. The Wasabis have lasted as long as the Panasonic batteries we got with our cameras. However, a Power2000 battery gave up the ghost after two years.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

duane klipping wrote:

Got a Ford (insert car choice here) do you use onl... (show quote)

OEM and NAME BRAND chargers only? (Belkin), yes. USB phone cords?, no. Some of the cheap chargers sold in convenience stores are worthless, and can ruin your battery due to under-voltage. Others may include WiFi devices to steal data from your phone, or tiny spy cameras. I buy decent quality cords with reinforced cables and strain reliefs on both ends.

Sidwalkastronomy Loc: New Jersey Shore

For the 2018 solar eclipse I knew I need lots of battery power. The eclipse would require few battery changes w/o taking camera canon t3i off the telescope for fear of losing alignment. During my practice runs I used my canon battery and it popped right out for quick change. Tried the after market wasabi batteries I had and they were very hard to remove as they were a drop bigger or swollen and I also notice they didnt hold a charge as long. Pretty new batteries too.
I ran out and got canon battery and was fine. No more after market batteries for me.

hpucker99 Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

frjeff wrote:

Just received my new FZ1000 and need to get a couple of spare batteries. The OEM’s price knocked me over and I have read mixed (but mostly positive) reviews on the equivalent Wasabi batteries for much less $$.

Anyone here using them in their FZ’s and have any plus or minus thoughts?

I have used third party batteries on all my cameras in the last 10 years. The only battery that went bad (starting swelling) was a Canon OEM battery.

jcboy3

Sidwalkadtronomy wrote:

For the 2018 solar eclipse I knew I need lots of b... (show quote)

I have found that battery grips tend to have more room for the battery, so if it starts to swell you can (1) use it in the battery grip until it explodes and catches fire, or (2) throw it out and get a new OEM battery.

The bigger the battery, the more likely that a third party battery will have acceptable performance and lifetime. So for your big DSLR batteries, you might get away with it. When you start looking at smaller batteries for m43 (excluding Panasonic GH series) and P&S cameras, I find that's where the difference in quality starts to show.

But I'm still not willing to risk my camera warranty on a flaky third party battery. I have enough other things to worry about. I got a free Promaster with my D750; it died within a year.

cochese

I have 5 Wasabi batteries for my Olympus OMD-EM 1 mark II. They work fine. I had 4 or 5 for my Canon 60D and used them for years. They never leaked. They do not last as long as an OEM, but for the price I can have 3 times as many.

DeanS Loc: Capital City area of North Carolina

frjeff wrote:

Just received my new FZ1000 and need to get a couple of spare batteries. The OEM’s price knocked me over and I have read mixed (but mostly positive) reviews on the equivalent Wasabi batteries for much less $$.

Anyone here using them in their FZ’s and have any plus or minus thoughts?

Personal opinion based on many yrs experience. I think way too much is made of this recurring brouhaha.

I have been shooting digital since the early, early 90’s, and while I generally use oem, I have also used two or three third party brands. I don’t recall a single issue or failure with either. Wasabi is the non-oem brand that I have the most exp with, though not the only one.

Good luck with what ever your decision.

hj Loc: Florida

Scruples wrote:

I shoot Canon so my experience with Panasonic is severely limited. So let me venture an answer to your question. I specifically use Canon batteries in my camera. I am aware that it is more expensive than third party batteries. However, my biggest fear is that a third party battery may leak and damage the camera. Rather than risk harming my "baby" I'll pay a few dollars more for that piece of mind. I have five OEM batteries.

Not sure why a third party battery would be any more prone to leak than an OEM as long as you pay attention to buyer's reviews and don't try to buy the cheapest one you can find.

Bluefish Loc: Berks County, PA

Whatever B&H recommends, go with.