3rd party battery is better..

[wal]

Hi all,

I was just wandering, any of you guys have ever used 3rd party battery on your camera..? I hear, that they are better than the original ones..?? And they sell at only 20% the price of the original.. that's a huge difference..

I'm no science expert in batteries.. so can anybody justify this if its logically true..??

[wildbird]

I had a generic in my D90, worked great, for about 9 months, now wont charge. I will be buying a genuine one again soon. Others may have had better luck. Money spent on quality is soon forgotten, the quality isnt.

[vsa]

I haven't tested 3rd party batteries yet but some most likely are at least as good as the originals. Mostly depending on how reputable the seller is. Buying some unknown brand stuff can be hazardous but might be just fine too.

But if I had to bet which ones are better most of the time, my money would be on the camera manufacturer's batteries.

[neubauer6]

I am using a Zeikos battery that I bought from Amazon as a spare for my Nikon D5000. It appears to work just fine. I have charged it twice and can't tell the difference between that and the Nikon battery.

[wal]

Originally Posted by wildbird

I had a generic in my D90, worked great, for about 9 months, now wont charge. I will be buying a genuine one again soon. Others may have had better luck. Money spent on quality is soon forgotten, the quality isnt.

The cost for the copy's are cheap.. if they can hold for a year or so. i think that is a sound investment.. Original 's batt will probably stand 2-3 years the most.. and we still need to replace em.. is it possible that your generic are recycled/ recon batt's..that may be the reason for the short life span huh..?

Anyway What really concerns me is, will 3rd party batt damage the equipments.... if the materials/chemicals are the same, this shouldnt be an issue right..? I think the cost of the genuine parts are more due to the branding they stamp on the sides...

[kirbinster]

Originally Posted by wal

The cost for the copy's are cheap.. if they can hold for a year or so. i think that is a sound investment.. Original 's batt will probably stand 2-3 years the most.. and we still need to replace em.. is it possible that your generic are recycled/ recon batt's..that may be the reason for the short life span huh..?

Anyway What really concerns me is, will 3rd party batt damage the equipments.... if the materials/chemicals are the same, this shouldnt be an issue right..? I think the cost of the genuine parts are more due to the branding they stamp on the sides...

I have four year old batteries and they work just as well as when they were new, but I guess it depends on how you treat them. As far as third party batteries, since they are charged outside of the camera (at least for Nikon's) I would not be too concerned. If there is going to be a problem it typically is when a battery is being charged.

I have aftermarket batteries I use in my D5000 and they have higher capacity than the Nikon batteries. I have aftermarkets that I used with no problem with my D80, but for some reason they will not work in my D90 or D300 even though the D80 uses the same battery - can't figure that one out.

[Nicole]

I'd say from the responses here, and from my own experience it can be a pretty mixed bag.

So, I have a third party battery that I use in my grip along with a Nikon battery. The third party one dies a lot quicker than the Nikon one, but it also doesn't hold a charge as long when not in use (at least that's how it seems). It's not bad enough to stop using it, it just is what it is.

[WVCoalMiner]

Original Canon 5D battery = 1100 mAh battery
Opteka 3rd party battery = 2200 mAh battery
Opteka lasts twice as long and cost $22.00 for 2 of them on eBay
I have owned Opteka batteries in my XS and XSi for years and never ever had any problems whatsoever and they last twice as long as the canon original. Check the mAh rating before you buy. The bigger the mAh the longer they will last.

[wal]

Originally Posted by kirbinster

...since they are charged outside of the camera (at least for Nikon's) I would not be too concerned. If there is going to be a problem it typically is when a battery is being charged.

I have aftermarket batteries I use in my D5000 and they have higher capacity than the Nikon batteries. I have aftermarkets that I used with no problem with my D80, but for some reason they will not work in my D90 or D300 even though the D80 uses the same battery - can't figure that one out.

that's relief.. at least i'm sure it wont fail in-side the camera...

I heard just recently (in forums) that there is some circuitry(chip) inside the original ones, so the camera/ charger can recognise/check them ..something like tht... but, soon after the new models came out the 3rd party came a way around this so their products can be used again...

Originally Posted by WVCoalMiner

Original Canon 5D battery = 1100 mAh battery
Opteka 3rd party battery = 2200 mAh battery
Opteka lasts twice as long and cost $22.00 for 2 of them on eBay
I have owned Opteka batteries in my XS and XSi for years and never ever had any problems whatsoever and they last twice as long as the canon original. Check the mAh rating before you buy. The bigger the mAh the longer they will last.

thnks for sharing the experience WV.. Guess this is a matter or trying out, I'll just try one n see how it comes out.. newly purchased shouldnt be a prob to return if they aren't working first time..

[Saralonde]

I used Opteka for years without any problems on my XTi. Unfotunately, they didn't make them for my 7D. I needed a second battery a few months ago, but apparently the popularity of the Canon battery had them backordered everywhere. I was also shocked to see the price had gone from about $60 when I orginally bought my 7D to close to $100 in some places. Supply and demand, I guess. I did find a housebrand for around $50 at Adorama. A bit nervous about it, but it has worked fine both in the camera and the Canon charger for 4 months now.



For my 7D