07-04-2023 09:53 AM - last edited on 07-04-2023 09:54 AM by Arthur
Hi everyone, I'm from Brazil where camera equipment and accessories are double the normal price, so I was shopping around for new batteries and decided on buying from a well trusted site, but that started operating as a marketplace recently, so these batteries came from a third party.
What I noticed about them is that the plastic seems cheaper than my 3 original LP-E6, the fitting of the halves are bad, as is the fitting from that orange cover.
The holographic sticker also doesn't turn green and is off centered, although it features the "canon" and "genuine" words as you move them.
Both also feature the same serial number on the back "2021036A".
Did I buy fakes?
Solved! Go to Solution.
07-04-2023 10:29 AM
The holographic sticker should be highly reflective, use sunlight and it should sparkle and then change color as you rotate it off axis. If it doesn't, that is a very strong indication they are counterfeit. They may well have come off the same line in the Chinese factory as the legit products and may be of the same quality but that is an unknown with fakes.
I believe that number on the back is a date code instead of a serial number; to see the serial number put it in your camera and check battery info.
The LP-E6NH (my Canon 5DS and 5DS R use these) is the only time that I have switched from buying OEM batteries because I have been highly unimpressed with them. The last two Canon LP-E6NH batteries I bought (from Adorama) were both replaced under warranty shortly after I got them because they refused to accept a charge; they self-discharged sitting out of the camera in a couple of weeks. I could force them to start charging by using one of my benchtop power supplies to trickle charge them a little bit before then putting them into the charger but I wouldn't trust those two in the field again. Prior to those I had 3 LP-E6N and NH batteries that died within two years of pretty light use since my 1DX series bodies are the ones I use the most.
The Canon batteries for the 1D Mark II I bought long ago along with my 1DX, 1DX II, and 1DX III bodies have always been flawless but I have seen early death from multiple LP-E6 family batteries that were properly maintained. Canon released info about ways to try to force the LP-E6 series packs to charge after the owner was greeted with the fast flashing charge error light which is a strong indication that it has been a fairly common problem with this family.
So at this point I have been happily using third party batteries in place of the LP-E6NH packs. I don't mind paying high prices for quality parts but I wasn't getting that quality in the LP-E6NH line. I suspect the issue is with Canon's "too clever by half" charge management because as the label indicates the cells themselves are Panasonic and those are of high quality. I have several third party LP-E6 packs that are now past three years old and working without complaint.
Rodger
07-04-2023 07:54 PM
That information is helpful. My holograms are as you described. Single line of text, centered and evenly placed inside the recessed area on the battery. The ones on the box are similar. One line of text. A legitimate retailer should allow you to return them. Hopefully you can do that.
~Rick
Bay Area - CA
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