Generic Battery

[Grossie]

I want to buy a backup EN-EL3 for my camera. I've seen a number of different generic brands, all rated 7.4V 1300mAh. The price differencs is remarkable ($50 vs $15). Any experience out there with these?

Thanks again.

[Rhys]

I want to buy a backup EN-EL3 for my camera. I've seen a number of different generic brands, all rated 7.4V 1300mAh. The price differencs is remarkable ($50 vs $15). Any experience out there with these?

Thanks again.

No experience but they're probably just as good if not better.

[D70FAN]

I want to buy a backup EN-EL3 for my camera. I've seen a number of different generic brands, all rated 7.4V 1300mAh. The price differencs is remarkable ($50 vs $15). Any experience out there with these?

Thanks again.

Ya know, while I sort of agree with Rhys on this, I can't help thinking what happens if the battery craps out in the middle of a shoot? So I decided to pay $50 for the real thing from the local camera shop. $1200 camera...$50 battery. Peace of mind?

[jamison55]

I have had great success with "cheap" EBay replacement batteries. The BP511 copy that powers my DReb and 20D, lasts just as long as the Canon original...

[Samuel Lo]

I have had great success with "cheap" EBay replacement batteries. The BP511 copy that powers my DReb and 20D, lasts just as long as the Canon original...

Hmm.., I read the newspapers in Hong Kong a few weeks ago about explosion of these replacement batteries and the camera is damaged, the owner was injured. I can't remember the brand name, but please check carefully. Not only camera's batteries, there are cases of mobile phones' batteries.

[Rhys]

Hmm.., I read the newspapers in Hong Kong a few weeks ago about explosion of these replacement batteries and the camera is damaged, the owner was injured. I can't remember the brand name, but please check carefully. Not only camera's batteries, there are cases of mobile phones' batteries.

I suspect that the worst that could happen is that the battery would get very hot. In theory a lithium battery - if it got wet - could explode as the lithium reacted with water to produce hydrogen.

Personally, I find Lion batteries run cooler than NiMh (which run cooler than NiCad).

I would guess that the Honk Kong newspaper was probably talking about batteries made in China. Very little that I've seen coming from Chinese factories has been of anything more that awful quality.

[Samuel Lo]

I suspect that the worst that could happen is that the battery would get very hot. In theory a lithium battery - if it got wet - could explode as the lithium reacted with water to produce hydrogen.

Personally, I find Lion batteries run cooler than NiMh (which run cooler than NiCad).

I would guess that the Honk Kong newspaper was probably talking about batteries made in China. Very little that I've seen coming from Chinese factories has been of anything more that awful quality.

Yes, i think so. But unfortunately cheap items were always come from China, even some batteries in some products made in Japan, for China have the largest batteries plant in the world!

[D70FAN]

I suspect that the worst that could happen is that the battery would get very hot. In theory a lithium battery - if it got wet - could explode as the lithium reacted with water to produce hydrogen.

Personally, I find Lion batteries run cooler than NiMh (which run cooler than NiCad).

I would guess that the Hong Kong newspaper was probably talking about batteries made in China. Very little that I've seen coming from Chinese factories has been of anything more that awful quality.

Uh... even OEM batteries are assembled in China using cells from Japan. Recently, some LiIon cells (specifically for cell phones) are fabricated in China as well.

Some of my biggest customers are in China, and their quality is every bit as good as other places in the world. Depends on the company. This trend will continue.

My only concern is that a lot of QC rejects have found their way into the grey market, so recharge life may not be up to snuff. I have had one 3rd party EN-EL1 bite the dust after about 40 charges (but worked fine for about a year and a half).

Hence my reluctance. Most people I have talked to have had little or no problems with 3rd party LiIon rechargables.

[Samuel Lo]

Uh... even OEM batteries are assembled in China using cells from Japan. Recently, some LiIon cells (specifically for cell phones) are fabricated in China as well.

Some of my biggest customers are in China, and their quality is every bit as good as other places in the world. Depends on the company. This trend will continue.

My only concern is that a lot of QC rejects have found their way into the grey market, so recharge life may not be up to snuff. I have had one 3rd party EN-EL1 bite the dust after about 40 charges (but worked fine for about a year and a half).

Hence my reluctance. Most people I have talked to have had little or no problems with 3rd party LiIon rechargables.

I have no prejudice on Chinese products; in fact I'm a Chinese! Corruption in China is very serious, unqualified products are always selling parallel to the real one (you can't tell which is from grey market or not), but customers cannot identify, sometimes I feel it's just a Chaos! So I think go to a shop that you can trust and pick only the product that seems to pass the QC!

[Rhys]

I have no prejudice on Chinese products; in fact I'm a Chinese! Corruption in China is very serious, unqualified products are always selling parallel to the real one (you can't tell which is from grey market or not), but customers cannot identify, sometimes I feel it's just a Chaos! So I think go to a shop that you can trust and pick only the product that seems to pass the QC!

QC doesn't really exist these days. I remember having lots of things with QC stickers on them that just plain didn't work. The best was our old microwave. That had a QC label. We plugged it in, switched it on and the turntable spun, the light and fan came on but it never warmed the food. Thus, an engineer was summoned from the company that supplied the oven. He opened it and found the lead to the microwave circuit had not been plugged in! Some QC!