Canon DSLR Battery $140 - Aftermarket Replacement $6!

[hugh]

Recently the rechargeable Li-ion battery for my Digital Rebel gave up the ghost. I checked the Canon site and found they wanted $140 for a Canon BP-511 replacement battery. Searching around, I found a local camera retailer that I frequent for my camera needs who was selling it for $119.

Annoyed that a camera battery should cost more than what one typically pays for a car battery, I found an online vendor with a good reputation selling two "Maximal Power" BP-511 replacement batteries for U.S. $12.

With shipping the total cost was $25 Canadian. The total cost from the Canon would have been over $160!

I have read from some manufacturers that "aftermarket batteries" are dangerous, can explode etc, however, nowhere did I actually find any substantive evidence of this.

I read about Sony, Panasonic, Dell etc batteries overheating but the incidence of aftermarket batteries burning up seemed to me to be no higher than OEM batteries which suggested to me that much of the "evidence" against after market batteries is fear mongering.

Anyway, I refused to spend over $150 for a battery for my almost five year old Digital Rebel and will take my chances with my $6 battery.

The $140 dollar will go towards my next Digital SLR which I will buy if these batteries die quickly or I really really want a new camera before then!

Anybody else with an aftermarket battery story?

[Tezster]

I have 2 Canon cameras, and bought 3 backup aftermarket batteries for each of them - all for less than the cost of a single original Canon battery. Even though many aftermarket batteries claim a higher capacity (i.e. mAH rating), I find they don't last as long as the original Canons. But is that worth the price premium they're being sold at? Definitely not in my case.

It's not big deal for me to carry around an extra 2-3 batteries.

[hugh]

My original OEM battery lasted four years. If my two aftermarket batteries last three years combined then I still think I will have gotten a great deal!

[Icemann]

I have used aftermarket batteries for my Rebel and now my 40D (luckily their the same BP-511's) for over 4 years now and they are still fine. I found an online vendor here locally in Greater Van that had them for $15 CAD and I drove in at lunch time and picked them up so no shipping fees.

I would highly recommend these guys and these aftermarket batteries. I have not found any issue with them at all.

My only issue now is finding an aftermarket battery for my HF100 as it's so new and low volume that their are no aftermarket units available.

[talljak]

I use a couple 3rd party batteries for my 30D and 40D (511A) and its true they do not last nearly as long but for the price you can simply buy more and replace them more often. I could go through a dozen or more before the MSRP of a canon battery.

Here is a question for those who have higher end DSLR
(1d series) with the very precise battery life reports. Does this feature work on 3rd party batteries?

[chilipad]

I bought 2 batteries from Sterlingtek ( something like that ) a while ago for my rebel. No problems yet but I've only used one and it seemed to last as long as the original or close enough. I think I paid about $20 including shipping. They came by mail and no duty or brokerage was applied. Great deal and great service. Someone on this forum recommended them.

[57]

When I purchased my Panasonic TZ5, I wanted a backup battery for vacations, etc. The Panasonic battery was about $80 and the knockoff was available in Toronto for less than half that. The knockoff doesn't provide as many pictures (run time) as the original, similar experience to others here, but that's OK since it's basically a backup. The "run time" was still quite acceptable - hundreds of photos or several weeks, it just wasn't quite as much as the Panasonic battery - perhaps 70%?

Similar experience for cordless phones, car batteries, etc - if you know where to buy, you can save a bundle by not going "OEM".

[753951]

I have bought exactly 1 OEM Canon battery for my camcorder some 10 years ago (while I was stilll young(er) and stupid). Since then I only buy aftermarket batteries (and chargers from same supplier) for camcorder, DSLR and compact digital cameras and had zero problems. They are often of higher capacity then OEM, hold charge as same as OEM do and last as long as or longer than OEM. All that at less than 10% of OEM price. If that's not 110% satisfaction I don't know what is.

[springle]

How does an OEM battery maker protect its market?

I've been told that newer Sony devices respond to a chip embedded in Sony batteries. If you install a battery that has the correct electrical properties, size, etc., but lacking this chip, then the Sony device will not function.

If this story is true, it validates the profit margins on OEM batteries. That is, why build such technology into Sony devices unless you are protecting something of value - like a high profit margin?

[Petee_C]

I have 2 aftermarket online non-OEM batteries (sterlinktek?). One works well, and gives an adequate number of photos. The other one doesn't charge at all.

I have 2 30d's, and about 4 OEM Canon batteries (I didn't pay retail for the batteries, they were in 'bundles' that I got on sale.)

Given the cost, when my batteries die, I will likely go non-OEM via an online vendor, and hope that the failure rate drops from 50% to next to zilch.

I heard Li-ion degrades up to 20% of year by just going stale.....

P

[shabbs]

Originally Posted by hugh

Anybody else with an aftermarket battery story?

I've always used Sterlingtek for my replacement batteries for my digital cameras and camcorders:

Fantastic prices and quick service. I found that site based on user reviews here on DHC.

[Chumley]

I found out about Sterlingtek in this forum.
I bought a replacement battery for my Nikon D40 two months ago, and it's been worth every dime!
Thanks, DHC.

[U]

Originally Posted by hugh

Anybody else with an aftermarket battery story?

Fuji f30... As far as I remember the replacement was around $60 in a camera store. Got one on eBay for $6 (!) that is in all ways identical to the original it replaced (form factor, made in China etc.). Had it for over a year now and it's just as good as the original, if not better...

Unrelated to cameras I also got an aftermarket battery for my MacBook Pro that was like half the cost compared to the Apple store. Again, totally identical and just as good as the original.

[RRH]

Although brobably everyone and his brother uses Non OEM Batteries including myself. Be advised if you have a problem with your device while under warranty you had best have an OEM battery in it when it goes in for service.
Most Major camera makers WILL DENIE Warranty repairs if you send it in with a Non- OEM battery Period, and have instructed authorized repair depots
to look for this.

[David Susilo]

I'm a Sterlingtek user. Been using their batteries for years with no problem whatsoever.