EOS 5D Mark III Battery power and charging issues

[TomRyan]

Hi Canon community: New to community. Appreciate any help.

I purchased the camera new, used it briefly and placed it in a Pelican case along with lenses for the last few years.

Not surprising the battery is dead and did not seem to charge; rapid blinking. I have a LC-E6 charger and LP-E6 battery.

Best Buy sold me a new battery; LP-E6NH. Tried charging with the LC-E6 but do not believe it charged. Inserted but nothing.

Retried the LP-E6 and the camera energized. What am I doing wrong? Is the LP-E6NH compatible with the camera and the charger? Are LP-E6 batteries still available? Guidance?

Thanks!

[stevet1 · Accepted solution]

Tom,

In researching your question, it seems that Canon has discontinued the LP-E6 battery and has replaced it with the LP-E6NH. That's why Best Buy sold you that model. It's said that the NH is backward compatible, so it should work in your camera, and it's said that your current charger will charge the newer LP-E6NH battery.

I think I would call Canon Support and ask them if this is true for your Model 5D MarkIII. If not, they may have a recommendation for you.

Steve Thomas 

[Stephen]

You're correct. All batteries in the LP-E6 family are backward compatible (and somewhat forward compatible).

[jasusu]

Rechargeable batteries are great but there’s aspects to them that most people are unaware of.

This is a general statement as I’ve not read up on the batteries the cameras use but as a cautionary tell I know someone who purchased a brand new computer during covid and moved and never opened it. Two years later the battery was completely dead when they opened for the first time. Battery would not hold a charge.

That computer company has an about battery page where they say if you’re storing a computer for longer than six months to charge to 50% then in six months charge back to 50%.

Again I do not know what the rule is for camera batteries but I know with my power tool batteries it’s the same principal. Store at half charge during winter for example.

Hope that helps explain why it may have happened and if not may be helpful for other tech.