Is Canon ripping us off with batteries

[JohnStag]

Hmm...

Canon BP-511 battery, list price - $70
Canon BP-511 battery at B&H - $50
No-name BP-511 equivalent battery at sterlingtec.com - $12

I am not saying anything about rip-offs, Canon can sell its products for how much it wants; and I will concede that Canon probably has better quality control. Still, a battery is a pretty simple piece of equipment. Given that I can buy FOUR for the price of one Canon-branded one...

[ChuckWestfall]

Perhaps the reason that the generics are cheaper than the Canon-branded BP-511 battery packs is that the generics are missing the built-in safety devices that prevent overheating when a short circuit is created.

[Dick_Ginkowski]

[ QUOTE ]
As a reminder, EOS 10D/D60/D30/Digital Rebel owners should be aware that any damage caused by use of a generic battery pack will void the camera's warranty.

http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/...er/libatt.html

[/ QUOTE ]

Chuck's warning is something that should be considered carefully.

If you do use a third party battery, I recommend that you stick with name branded alternatives from a recognized source with a manufacturer's warranty that should the battery damage any device in which it's used, the battery manufacturer will ante up for the repairs. In other words, ordering from somebody's garage on E-bay is pretty risky. Wal-Mart sells generics for $25.72. Not sure about the warranty on them but at least Wal-Mart is a recognized seller with deep pockets if you need to deal with legal issues.

[Doug_Kerr]

John,

[ QUOTE ]
No-name BP-511 equivalent battery at sterlingtec.com - $12

[/ QUOTE ]

So far on the DPR 300D forum there have only been about six reports of these batteries arriving DOA. (I fielded one five minutes ago.)

I bought two to see what they were like, and one of them worked (although it looks as if its capacity may be substantially less than other batteries I have).

But the proprietor of SterlingTek was real cheery about replacing the dead one, as well as the battery charger that was all "melted" out of shape.

Best regards,

Doug

[Doug_Kerr]

Jim,

[ QUOTE ]

Technically, using non-Ford motor oil in your Ford will void the engine warrenty

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, leave it to Ford! Doesn't work that way on any car I have ever owned.

Best regards,

Doug

[Michael_Feinberg]

Regarding Chucks post, the catastrophic failure of the battery would void the warranty. This makes sense as Canon should not pay for damage caused to their product from another companies product.

However, simply using a 3rd party battery cannot void a warranty. Car manufacturers use to do that and the laws in the US were changed to prevent that.

All that said, as stated in Chucks link, not all batteries are created equal. I see no problem with 3rd party accessories including batteries, but there are reputable vendors and no-name vendors. I'm not going to risk my camera with a $15 battery. I choose 3rd party batteries more for the option of greater capacitance (mAh) than for price.

I've been using a DigiPower purchased as Best Buy without problem. You mileage will vary. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Michael Feinberg

[JohnStag]

[ QUOTE ]
But the proprietor of StelingTek was real cheery about replacing the dead one, as well as the battery charger that was all "melted" out of shape.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL. That's good to know :-)

Anyway, the issue really is of acceptable risk. I am quite sure that it's possible for a bad battery to overheat and kill the camera, but I am also sure it happens fairly rarely. It's up to each person to figure out whether the additional risk is worth the difference in battery prices.

Of course the answer for a professional who spends hundreds of dollars just to set up a shoot will be different from an answer for a non-affluent amateur who wants to go on a backpacking trip and needs 5-6 batteries to take with him...