Aftermarket camera batteries,good or bad?
Genuine Canon NB-2LH camera batteries for my new Eos 350D cost about £40 whereas so-called equivalents are on the net for about £15. Are they really different in performance or ate the Canon products yet another example of “printer ink syndrome” – an inexpensive item which is used to greatly enhance profit. Or is it a case of “if it looks too go to be true, it probably is too good to be true” Opinions please, or better still, experiences.
The other experience you have to look at is the problem with "compatible" Nokia batteries. There were 3 or 4 stories of the batteries overheating and "exploding". In all cases they were Nokia compatibles and not the originals.Canon will have developed the batteries for the camera.How much R&D do you think the equivalents had spent on them?
Having looked into this myself over some time I can only come up with one explanation as to the massive price variations between genuine and alternative batteries. The genuine Canon NB-2LH batteries for the EOS 350D are 7.4V 2000mAh. All of the aftermarket cheaper alternatives seem to be a much lower rating, 1200mAh and below. Some as low as 700mAh. I have 2 lower rated spare batteries (1200s) and they do not last as long as the genuine article, especially if you are using larger non USM lenses and/or using the flash a lot. They should not "harm" the camera, but you may need to carry more than one battery if you are planning a long day out or a weekend away. I hope that this is of some help.
Are you sure about the EOS 350D battery being 2000mah? the specs say 720mah although there is no reason to not use higher capacity. I have 4 Canon DSLRs and like the FE I would not go for the real cheapies [the £10 ones), but I do use the Hahnel equivalent, rated at 1500mah and have been doing so for several years without any problem. These are approx 1/2 price of the Canon equivalent.
I have not been very satisfied with some replacement camera batteries bought from some sources. However, some time ago I found that one source that was excellent. They supply batteries with a 2 year warranty, and they honour it!
