Canon T7I battery vs. generic

[illininutt]

I have had a Canon T3I camera for year and have plenty of Canon batteries.  The Canon T7I costs OVER $50 which is UNREAL!!  Has anyone used generic batteries in their dslr?  I so what brand.

[TCampbell]

Yes.  I’ve used many generic batteries.  

My conclusion was that ultimately the Canon batteries are worth it.

What I found that was the Canon batteries were better with respect to low-self-discharge and had a longer overall life (can take more recharge cycles, etc.)

Basically I found that after charging the generics... a month or so later they were already acting like they were dead whereas the Canon batteries were still fresh.  Also after a year or so I could notice the generics weren’t doing nearly as well but the Canon batteries were doing much better.

When I netted it out... I found that the Canon batteries cost more, but they also last a lot longer and are more reliable.  

I couldn’t tell you all the brands I tried (at least 3 different brands) ... but I went back to the Canon batteries.

[wq9nsc]

Listen to Tim.  A couple of years ago I realized both of my Canon batteries for my 1DM2 were rapidly losing capacity and I was leaving for vacation in a couple of days so I used Amazon prime to get a couple of generic replacements before I left.  The battery worked to some extent but:

1.  The mechanical fit wasn't as good as the real Canon battery, the real Canon battery locks in with a solid feel while the generic fit and stayed in place but it didn't have the same confident click of the real Canon.

2.  Number of shots per charge were noticeably less, far better than my aging Canon batteries but not nearly as good as real Canon batteries.

3.  The biggest issue, when I got back I was shooting some of my daughter's track events in the high speed mode and the genric batteries would often cause an error.

My daughter is getting the 1DM2 now that I have a new 1DXM2 and I got her a pair of real Canon NP-E3 batteries.  They are worth the price.

On a somewhat related note I am disappointed with the new E2 hand strap I bought for my 1DX M2, it isn't as wide as the older E1 which I have gotten very used to with my older 1D body.  The E1 isn't made anymore but there are a lot of counterfeit copies on ebay.  I was fortunate to find a new old stock real Canon E1 strap and it will soon be on my 1DX M2.  There may be some counterfeits that are well made but I am not taking a chance.  And the moral is don't buy your Canon batteries from non-authorized retailers or you may well end up paying near Canon retail prices for a counterfeit copy.  Gray market is one thing but counterfeit is an entirely different beast.  Anything easily manufactured with fairly high value is prone to attracting counterfeiters.  A couple of years ago I had to return some counterfeit Sandisk cards I acquired via Amazon; real Sandisk cards don't arrive with the manufacturer's label on crooked and falling off in the package.

[ebiggs1]

"The Canon T7I costs OVER $50 which is UNREAL!!"

Hey, I hear you.  Some third world batteries are pretty decent. I won't say which brand because I, too, don't want you to use them.  Some are to the point of being dangerous.  They can cause fires. They can even damage your camera.  That makes $50 pretty cheap!

While on this same topic, don't us third world chargers either.  Just not worth the risk even though some do work.  Keep your Canon all Canon.

[shadowsports]

I have been using Watson brand batteries purchased from B&H.  Half the price as just as good.  Battery meter communicates and displays properly.  After years they still perform.  I've had great luck with them.

[RobertTheFat]

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@shadowsports wrote:

I have been using Watson brand batteries purchased from B&H.  Half the price as just as good.  Battery meter communicates and displays properly.  After years they still perform.  I've had great luck with them.

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That's been my experience too. When I buy batteries, I buy Canon. But B&H tends to throw in a Watson battery when one buys a new camera, so I've accumulated a few of them over the years. They seem to work OK, and I don't think I've ever had one go bad. I'm not sure they support Canon's method of recording how long each battery has been used. But that feature seems like more trouble than it's worth anyway, so I don't use it.

[ebiggs1]

"Some third world batteries are pretty decent."

That was the brand I was not going to name.  Mostly because most of the time they do work well but they do have problems.  Until you experience one, you are good to go.  Most of the time the third world batteries are a bit lighter than real deal Canon.  Why?  Lesser quality cells I suspect?  Less electronics?