Nikon own brand Batteries vs cheaper altrnatives
I'm looking at getting a/some spare batteries got a Nikon d7200, there is a large price difference between Nikon's and some of the generic alternatives.
Is it worth paying the premium for the Nikon one's, in peoples experience?
I have found that Nikon brand batteries last much longer than off brands. That being said, I would suggest that you buy one of the off brands and one Nikon brand, then rotate the usage and test for your own satisfaction.
for my canon I bought after market half canon price but there were little bigger and a real pain to get get out of camera. now I only buy Canon batteries
Have had Nikon and Wasabi EN EL 15 for the D7200 for several years, and EN EL 14 for the last five. No perceptible difference except price. Just bought two more of the Wasabi 15 because my D810 uses them as well. Haven't had a failure or issue, and the Wasabi charger is smaller and lighter than the Nikon.
Get OEM when you can. Off-brand are built to the "minimum" spec. A penny saved is often a penny wasted.
orrie smith wrote:
I have found that Nikon brand batteries last much longer than off brands. That being said, I would suggest that you buy one of the off brands and one Nikon brand, then rotate the usage and test for your own satisfaction.
sagfgrump wrote:
I'm looking at getting a/some spare batteries got a Nikon d7200, there is a large price difference between Nikon's and some of the generic alternatives.
Is it worth paying the premium for the Nikon one's, in peoples experience?
This video answers your question.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBk7N9a66oIThe answer is no. I have been using Wasabi batteries with outstanding results.
Bridges
Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA
Several years ago I bought some no-name batteries from the web and had marginal success with them. Of the 8 I bought one never charged and one never charged fully. They were the cheapest found. Since then I have bought quite a few of the better known off-brands like Wasabi, Watson and Neewer. I have had no problems with these and they seem to perform just as well as my Nikon Batteries. I especially like Neewer. I buy the combo pack of two batteries with the double charger and they arrive well packaged and look very professional in their presentation.
You bought an expensive semi-professional camera - why in the world do you want to save a few bucks on off-brand batteries?
I'm sure some after market brands are OK, but which ones? Why would I spend $3,000 for a D-850 and then risk putting on off brand battery in it just to save $75? False economy to me.
Some years ago, I "saved money" with an after market battery in a Sony alpha 700. After a few months the battery leaked, but fortunately I caught it in time to save the camera. Good luck!
This is one of the endless arguments based on personal preferences not facts. If you want to spend more for the same utility, by all means do so. Experience lets me save some money and have all the batteries I want.
So, do you use a filter to protect your lens or not? Canon, Sony, or Nikon?
Thanks very much for all the replies. I am grateful for all your accumulated experience and expertise.
I just had a look on line and the wasabi ones that seemed the most recommended off brand batteries seem to be currently unavailable everywhere, so I guess I'll be going with the Nikon!
davidrb
Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel
sagfgrump wrote:
I'm looking at getting a/some spare batteries got a Nikon d7200, there is a large price difference between Nikon's and some of the generic alternatives.
Is it worth paying the premium for the Nikon one's, in peoples experience?
In life, as in photography there is a philosophy: Buy cheap, buy often. There are reasons why Nikon sells batteries with its name on them. If you have ever had a battery fail while on a shooting assignment you would understand this. Hang an 8 1/2" by 11" piece of black paper on your wall an explain to friends it is a photography you took of your family just at the moment your cheap battery failed. Batteries and tripods are amateur's biggest efforts at wasting money on inferior, cheap products. When you've spent good money on a superior camera as yours why degrade your effort with cheap batteries? Have you no pride in your work? Cheapness shows carelessness. Attend any photography workshop and cheapness will abound in careless fashion. The answer to your question depends upon how you feel about your finished product. Do you take pride in your work or do you make excuses?
I purchased a Nikon d7200 from B&H...
They thoughtfully shipped it with a "spare" Watson Battery...
While I couldn't initially tell much difference, that is until the Watson stopped reporting the a appropriate number of "Clicks". After recharging it always indicated 39 "Clicks" i.e. it didn't reset to zero.
Bottom Line? I only go with Nikon Batteries... However I LOVE my Watson AA (8 Cell) recharger...
It has vastly lowered my frustration with using Speedlights. This Watson recharger is so much better than anything else I've used... actually reports the progression of charging while in operation... handles mixed eneloop Ni-MH....
Kudos to Watson here... it's just their Nikon batteries have issues...
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