Need suggestions for new battery for Canon EOS Rebel T3

[petenorris]

Hello Forum!

Where is the best place to buy spare batteries and a charger for my Canon EOS Rebel T3 camera?

Amazon has got a battery and battery charger combo pack. There are two batteries. The charger can accommodate both batteries at the same time. The batteries have 1600mAh on them. I think the mAh means the capacity rating. My original battery says 860mAh.

Other sellers on Amazon offer batteries with 1100mAh ratings.

Thank you in advance.

[Waddizzle]

Direct from Canon or an authorized Canon dealer. Only buy genuine Csnon batteries and chargers. I buy from bhphotovideo.

[petenorris]

Waddizzle;

Thank you for responding.

I already knew about B&H Photo. I considered buying a Nikon camera bundle from them before I bought my Canon.

I just called them on the phone. They have an original Canon battery for $44.00. They have what they call a Watson battery for $24.00.

If I buy a lesser expensive battery from Amazon do you think there might be a problem with something like leakage or would the battery likely not be as dependable as an original Canon battery?

[ebiggs1]

"They have an original Canon battery for $44.00. They have what they call a Watson battery for $24.00."

The truth is the Watson batteries work fairly well.  I know lots of guys that use them with few issues. I have tried them.  But for $20 bucks do you really want an aftermarket battery?  Mainly they don't last as long so you just might be buying two when one Canon would have lasted longer. Some of the aftermarket batteries can be dangerous so be careful if you go down that road.

Swelling and leakage problems. Saving a few bucks on a battery can cost hundreds in camera repair. Aftermarket batteries are also much easier to counterfeit and they are dangerous to use, period.

"I considered buying a Nikon camera bundle..."

Two thoughts here, never buy camera bundles or packages.  Second never buy brand-N!  

[Waddizzle · Accepted solution]

Lots of counterfeit batteries and memory cards out there. Stick with known vendors. If you know of reliable vendors on Amazon, great.

I always buy Canon batteries and chargers. B&H has bundled Watson batteries for years. Watsons seem to perform almost as well as Canon, I am told.

The newer and more expensive cameras use intelligent batteries. So you would really want to use Canon batteries.

[petenorris]

Waddizzle;

You're right. I just talked to the owner of the company I work for. She told me to buy a genuine, new Canon battery.

I am going to start taking wedding pictures. It would be really embarassing if my camera quit working right in the middle of a job.

A local camera shop recently told me about those smart batteries. Newer cameras have got to have authentic batteries or the camera won't work.