thoughts on 3rd party batteries from ebay...

Forget ebay. Get your batteries from sterlingtek.com.

there are lots of good sources for batteries, even including SOME sites selling on eBay.

1) buy name brands (not necessarily Canon, maybe especially not Canon)

2) make darned sure that the vendor is reliable and doesn't sell counterfeits - the latter can ruin your camera.

JDM, I've not heard of one of these batteries ruining a camera, but perhaps you've heard something I haven't. Has this actually happened?

FAIW, the cells in the cheapo Chinese battery packs are of Japanese manufacture. The connections are braised, and the cells are then enclosed in a plastic case. It's a rather difficult process to screw up, even by the Chinese.

The cheapo Chinese batteries I've bought have performed just as well as my Canon batteries -- have held the same charges and have given me the same service life.

Some of the Ebay vendors are indeed unreliable. I once ordered two batteries and got only one. PayPal buyer protection covered me, but I would have had to return my one battery to get a refund. (Couldn't get a half refund.) Considering the cost of the battery, it made no sense to ship the battery back for the refund. I just swallowed the loss. So I paid $16 (which included shipping) for one battery, not two -- still infinitely cheaper than Canon. When I ordered other batteries later, I made sure to order one battery per order, and I ordered out of Boston, instead of Hong Kong. No problems.

Well, I confess I am repeating rumor here. However, having wrecked the electronics on one camera with a "focus-confirmation" adapter that did short out the batteries directly into the circuitry, I'm willing to believe that there is a danger. Of course, Canon themselves warn that bad (non-Canon) batteries can damage the camera. :p

Let me amend my post to simply say that the cheap batteries may not work as well, or hold a charge as long--something I personally have found with some semi-off brands.

+1 for stirlingtek.com for batteries. I have 6 or 7 batteries, only 2 are Canon. I can't tell the difference, even after years of shooting. The stirlingtek seem to last as long, take as large a charge, charge in the same time, and cost ~1/4 of the Canon.

<Chas>

I've bought two NB-2L batteries from http://titanbatteries.com/cadicaba.html more then 3 years ago and they are still running well, on par with Canon original battery. I bought from SterlingTek http://www.sterlingtek.com/index.html two BP-511 and again they are as good as Canon battery. You don't loose too much buying a battery for 10 backs shipped in case it failed though I had only positive experience.

Happy shooting.

Another 3rd party option is Lenmar. I've had one with my 40D and can't tell the difference from the Canon battery. You can find them on Amazon.

I got a pair from ebay for about $10 shipped! They've been great, took them to Asia for a month. I'm still using them after almost 10 months.

YGWYPF: I`ve bought many BP511 from different sources, The cheapest (2 for 15) of e*ay, one lasted 3mth another 6 and one was fiddly getting out of the body, no more o them. The midrenge japan seem better (20~30$) been lastin up to 2yr. The local `battery world` store 55~65$ have been excellent, generally get up to 1800ma batts. Never bought a canon battery as last time I ask they were 140aud :)

I use SterlingTek for my 20D. Works well.

I'd watch out for the cheapest batteries- I recall reading about a lithium cell phone battery exploding and killing the young man who had it in a chest pocket. If there's any risk I'd rather avoid it (remember the big Sony battery recall- and they're a name brand! http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060928-7858.html)

I researched this a year ago, and decided to buy 2 batteries for my XTi from an ebay seller called orphanbiker. The batteries have performed as well, if not better than the original.

My 2 sterling tech batteries didn't perform as well as the Canon batteries. Lasted about a year. The new Canon 511a batteries perform much better.

Are there any problems sending it to Canada re:sterlingtek..it seems non-usa orders are processed differently due to credit card fraud..hmmmm,that somehow puts me off..

I have bought two no-name batteries from HK (from Ebay) back in 2005 for like $20 each. They are still holding charge as in day one. My Canon originals do not work as well anymore. I used them in my Canon G5, Digital Rebel and now in the 50D. It probably depends on luck as well, since a no-name battery I bought for a laptop died after 4 months of usage.

I bought 8 3rd party batteries for my 5D. After about a year, all but 1 failed. My original Canon battery is perfect. I bought 2 third party batteries for my D3. 1 has failed. My original Nikon battery is perfect.

I have used generic batteries on my Nikon D200s and D300 without problems with several batteries lasting 2+ years.

While I have never damaged equipment with a 3rd party battery, I have decided not to risk damage to expensive cameras with cheap batteries. These days the savings are minimal. Its not worth the risk.

Know off batteries can be fine or problematic. It's a craps shoot. The ones at B&H are better than any you'll find on Ebay.

I've used Sterlingtek and Lenmar and both have been great buys for me.

One thing I recommend: don't buy cheap brand-name batteries from Ebay. Don't buy a $5 "Nikon ENEL3e". I will guarantee you 2 things: it isn't a Nikon battery, and it IS from someone who is deceiving you.

3rd party makers who use their own names aren't pretending to be something they aren't. They market compatible products under their own name. They are priced competitively, not ridiculously.

I 2nd orphanbiker on ebay. I have 3 of them for my Olympus and they work great.

For what it is worth: it is a "risk" to do so if you make a purchase of a 3rd party batter. A couple of years back, Nikon had a massive recall of D50 batteries (made in China.) Now the Nikon batteries are "Made in Japan." Better idea? A few Nikon D50 owners had massive battery damage, and that prompted Nikon to recall and replace all of the 'other' batteries.

If you read your camera instruction book, any battery-caused problems from a non-Canon battery is probably going to void the warranty.

I don't know about Canon, but in my Pentax K10 and K20 bodies I have used Impact batteries from B&H and they have worked just as well as the much pricier Pentax originals for $30 less.

Another praising voice for sterlingtek. Had their battery for Canon Rebet XT for almost two years.

did anyone in canada have problems paying by credit card and receiving shipment from sterlingtek?if not,i would like to proceed to buy some batteries from them... One more thing,some people recommended B&H so i would like to know if it exists in Buffalo or perhaps nearer to Niagara Falls,state side..driving to NY is too far away and if it is near NF,i can at least enjoy the falls and buy the batteries just over the border,

thanks for all responses and suggestions,

cheers nico

I have batteries for my D300 and D3, as well as a Canon P&W that come from Calumet. The price is not so low, but the batteries are as best as I can tell, equal to the Nikon and Canon equivelents.

Bill Pearce

Eforcity.com sells a lot of batteries and deals on Amazon. Reliable, cheap, and decent batteries.

The cheaper the battery the better for me. I use BP-511 batteries I paid all of 3 dollars per battery for from Hong Kong on ebay. Bought a couple and saved on shipping. They work fine in my 40D, and last longer than my Canon batteries (which cost 1000 percent more).

I have used Sterlingtek.com batteries in my D30, 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, and two G3's and they deliver more images per charge than Canon batteries and last as long as Canon batteries. I highly recommend them.

I was skeptical of sterlingtek's prices and claims about battery life for the price. However, now I have 3 for my Canon dSLR and recycled the branded battery since it's actually quite pathetic (esp considering the price) to the sterlingtek's I have. I found there was no reason to keep it. The sterlingtek's outlast the Canon branded battery by at least 40% and they're so cheap I have 3 of them so I never really have to worry about having spare charged batteries handy.

I personally would avoid eBay batteries but I have no direct experience with eBay batteries. I'm sure it depends more on the source of the battery as opposed to who is selling it. My feeling is why take a risk when others have mentioned established good 3rd party battery suppliers that surely will save you money and probably for a similar or better product.

Third party batteries are fine. I've got 6 generics I've been using in three cameras for several years. They are higher powered than the 6 Canon I've got and work every bit as well. They cost me 1/6th what the Canon batteries did, including shipping. No difference and since my cameras are well out of warranty anyway, I'm not worried about voiding that.

Of course Canon would rather sell you one of theirs! They make a ton of profit off them! And they are probably made in the same factory by the same workers!

Buying from Sterlingtek or one of the brick & mortar stores that sell online is probably a little less risky than an unknown seller on eBay. But the latter has worked out fine for me and my cameras and all the battereis get hard use.

I bought a Sterlingtek battery for my 30D. It was ever so slightly too big, and it gets jammed inside the camera body and won't eject. I need to pry it out with a paperclip. To be fair, Sterlingtek offered to replace it, but I never sent it back.

My 10D is getting a bit long in the tooth but I understand it uses the same batteries as many newer EOS bodies, so I'll chip in.

I have bought replacement batteries from 7DayShop.com in the UK with much success - they're inexpensive and I would argue at least as good as a branded Canon battery, and for a fraction of the price. No problems whatsoever, and thoroughly recommended.

John

PS. I have no affiliation or connection with the above retailer other than having had good results from them.

I've had over 20 3rd party batteries for my 6 dslrs, from 300D to the 1D2. They've all worked fine.

@ Robert Tan, I've ordered from Sterlingtek, and I'm in Toronto. Everything was smooth.

I've purchased generic batteries off ebay many times and they have all been better than the original batteries by canon.

>>Kin Lau, Thanks for the info..i will try to contact them asap..

Hi i cannot tell any difference between canon and cheap eBay one in use but i think the mid priced branded batteries are cheapo with a name and a big price hike i have a $4 cheapo and a $30 uniross and without doubt they are out the same factory also if you see canon half price then thay are $4 fake so buy the proper canon or the cheapest hope this helps Dave PS i mean British pounds not $ must set this keyboard up

I have bought loads of cheapo batteries on ebay and never had a problem and have had lots of use out of them

I just sent in an order to Sterlingtek for 2 bp 511 for m canon 40d. And there is a shipping option for US post over fed X for international shipping. So far so good. A bp 511 at best buy is over 90 dollars! thanks for the tip.

I agree with SterlingTek. I purchased batteries and chargers for my 5D and G9. They work as well as the stock Canon parts.

count another happy Sterlingtek customer here, BP-511s, nb2l happy customer has saved a bunch of money.

Count another dissatisfied SterlingTek customer here. I have had to return 4 of 6 5D batteries from them. (4) 5D batteries have failed to accept a charge with practically no use. 2 of 6 were too large to fit in the camera. After returning 2 that didn't fit and wouldn't charge SterlingTek did not replace them. I am happy with 2 from Amazon.com (actual vendor was BargainCell).

When you consider that your batteries are to your camera, it just doesn't make sense to take chances. Good batteries that hold a charge and last for years will make using the camera much easier -- bad batteries can be like dragging an anchor. Find a good source of batteries that has an explicit return policy and avoid ebay. The money you (might) save isn't worth the chance that you'll wind up with an expensive paperweight.

I bought two non-canon-branded batteries from Calumet for my 30D, and both of them (well, three of them really; I returned one and the replacement was no better) don't hold a charge. I'm not against 3rd party wares in general, and like Calumet, but those batteries were crap.

My eBay purchased batteries works just as well as my SterlingTek. I'm curious if they are from the same source. Just be sure to buy from an eBay seller with 99% or better rating and has sold many of the same batteries in the last month (that way you know that he/she moves inventory and not selling old batteries).

I like the Upstart Battery brand. They have a lifetime warranty and are not much more than your no name generic. I bought mine from Certified Battery, but I see you can also get them on Amazon too. I have quite a few now, and only had troubles with one that was DOA. The company was really good about swapping it out.

I did buy an NB-1LH off of ebay years ago - one of those generics. It was really cheap, but I went and left a positive feedback after the battery arrived - but before testing it. Even from new it never took more than five pictures without dying. Was worthless and I recycled it. I won't do that again.

I received my batteries yesterday general mail (no duty to pay) they look similiar to canon' but darker grey, they fit my charger and my camera. Now to see if they perform. It sure beats 95.00 at best buy for one!

My batteries charged up quickly and are lasting as long as the original, happy camper here. Go sterlingtek.

2nd vote for eforecity batteries. Ebay or Amazon not sure where i bought them but you can get a battery and charger for about $12. The chargers are very cheap but smaller than the canon ones so I can keep it in my camera case and the canon one at home. The batteries have all worked well for my P&S and EOS. Can't imagine paying $40 for a battery.