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  • Battery Packs

    I now have a camera that has a manufactured battery pack. My other camera used AA batteries. I would like to buy a spare and when looking at the manufacturers product versus an after market one, the price difference is like 4 to 1. Does anybody have experience with the after market ones?
    Dick

  • #2
    Re: Battery Packs

    Originally posted by dkandcar View Post
    I now have a camera that has a manufactured battery pack. My other camera used AA batteries. I would like to buy a spare and when looking at the manufacturers product versus an after market one, the price difference is like 4 to 1. Does anybody have experience with the after market ones?
    Dick
    Hi Dick, I've used them for 3 different cameras now and never found any difference. There is no noticeable difference in the life of a charge, and as they have the same spec I see no point in not using them.

    With such a price difference if you bought one and it failed after a time, you are still 'quids in' if you bought another. I've bought my copy batteries from 7dayshop and Ebay.
    Stephen

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    • #3
      Re: Battery Packs

      Originally posted by dkandcar View Post
      I now have a camera that has a manufactured battery pack. My other camera used AA batteries. I would like to buy a spare and when looking at the manufacturers product versus an after market one, the price difference is like 4 to 1. Does anybody have experience with the after market ones?
      Dick
      I have both the Panasonic FZ5 and FZ30.
      The original Panasonic battery costs around 60 Euros for each camera.
      I bought 3 spare batteries for each one of them.
      The cost was 20 Euros for each, so for 60 Euros that the original battery costs I bought 3.
      There was no difference in charging times and in the number of photos that I could take with the non-Panasonic battery.

      For the FZ30, the original battery was 7.1V and 710mAh, giving me an average life of 350-400 shots per charge. The aftermarket one was 7.2V 850mAh, giving me 450-500 shots per charge.
      For the FZ5 the non-Panasonic battery has exactly the same specifications as the original, giving exactly the same shots per charge.

      The after market brand is "Unomat", a German manufacturing company, that produces batteries, tripods and other camera accessories.

      The original batteries from both cameras are stored in the camera boxes and I charge them twice per year to keep them in peak condition to complement the camera as a colletion piece after years.
      I use now the Unomat batteries at all times and didn't have any problem so far.


      George

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      • #4
        Re: Battery Packs

        Hi Dick,

        As Stephen and George have confirmed, third party batteries are usually a very good value alternative to branded ones. My only advice is to go for a brand that has a track record, preferably recommended by someone reputable. There are stories of branded batteries going badly wrong, like with Sony, for example, so there is a very very small risk no matter what the brand, but I'd stick to a reputable third party rather than one that is very anonymous.

        Ian
        Founder/editor
        Digital Photography Now (DPNow.com)
        Twitter: www.twitter.com/ian_burley
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        • #5
          Re: Battery Packs

          Thanks everybody. The after market battery packs are too good to pass up.
          Dick

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          • #6
            Re: Battery Packs

            I have just bought a spare battery and memory card from Memorycardzoo. Ordered yesterday morning,delivered this morning. Their prices include postage too. I thought they were worth a mention.

            Regards
            Martin

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