cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Canon Accessories

TonyK
Apprentice

After owning my 60D for only 14 months, the battery charger or battery became faulty. Canon say their warranty only covers 12 months, so I have no choice but to replace them myself. So if there is no prospect of Canon accessories lasting any longer than cheaper compatible ones which are also covered by a 12 month warranty, what if any are the advantages of buying genuine Canon accessories?

7 REPLIES 7


@TonyK wrote:

After owning my 60D for only 14 months, the battery charger or battery became faulty. Canon say their warranty only covers 12 months, so I have no choice but to replace them myself. So if there is no prospect of Canon accessories lasting any longer than cheaper compatible ones which are also covered by a 12 month warranty, what if any are the advantages of buying genuine Canon accessories?


I guess the most obvious one is that Canon accessories usually last more than 12 months.

 

Seriously, there are cases when it probably doesn't matter. And not all Canon accessories are that great. Their expensive AA battery packs (the ones you wear on your belt to provide extra power to a flash unit), for example, are famously crappy. The plastic tabs that hold the batteries in place keep breaking off. But in general, photographers (professionals and semi-professionals, anyway) tend to be highly risk-averse, and Canon components have a good reputation for reliability. I've never had a Canon camera battery quit on me without warning; I have had it happen with a 3rd-party battery.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

Thanks

I was thinking that perhaps a genuine Canon battery may offer a longer lasting charge or something like that. If its only a question of life expectancy then I cannot see how any product is worth more the length of its warranty.

My main problem is not knowing which had gone faulty the battery or the charger, and with the price charged for Canon replacements there was no way I was going to replace both only to have one or the other laying useless in a drawer. I have ordered a cheap compatible charger which should tell me which needs to be replaced, and if its not the battery then I may just stick with the compatible charger to see how long that lasts.

 


@TonyK wrote:

Thanks

I was thinking that perhaps a genuine Canon battery may offer a longer lasting charge or something like that. If its only a question of life expectancy then I cannot see how any product is worth more the length of its warranty.


I'm a big supporter of generics, and use many myself.  I'm glad the market exists, both to help minimize the prices manufacturers charge for brand names, and to provide alternatives.  In many cases the generic is every bit as good as the original, in others, it's not.

 

That said, on average the brand name versions are more reliable, and Canon is certainly no different.  You happened to get a lemon, it happens.  There isn't an electronic, or even mechanical system, on this planet that isn't subject to the same possibility.  If you have had a history with Canon products going defective then I'd say you have something of an argument, but just because one went wrong I wouldn't write them off. 

 

But, if you want to go generic, I would consider a charger to be a low risk item.  I had one to replace a lost charger for one of my point and shoots, and never had a problem.  Chargers are fairly simple electronics, and should be reliable.   But I'd do some research, and don't get the cheapest generic you find, I always go middle of the road.  Even then, your chance of getting a lemon with generic is probably greater than a Canon.

" If its only a question of life expectancy ..."

 

Tony,

Just as you had a battery and/or charger fail at 14 months, I have a EOD 1D, yes the original from 2001, that is still using it's original battery and charger.  And believe me it has been used!  So there is both sides, you just got a bad one.  BTW, I bet it is the charger and not the battery, just a guess.

 

I have friends and myself that have tried off brand batteries over the years and they are what they are.  Some are pretty good although not ever as good as Canon OEM.  But they are cheap, so who really cares.  I can't afford to have questionable equipment so I buy Canon.  The worse part about them is, they don't fit right.

 

Contrary to what you may have read, chargers can be dangerous.  I would keep an eye on it.  There have been fires reported when using them.

 

BTW, the charger for that old dinosaur 1D is $450 so don't feel too bad. Smiley Frustrated

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!


ebiggs1 wrote: 

Contrary to what you may have read, chargers can be dangerous.  I would keep an eye on it.  There have been fires reported when using them.



Sure, and just recently we've had $80,000 Tesla cars caught fire, the Kindle Fire (no pun intended) had charger issues not too far back, as did one of the Chromebook laptops, name brand battery rechargers (Maha for one), televisions, toaster ovens, microwaves and probably just about every other electrical appliance out there.  No need to live in fear of electricity, just respect it.  Use common sense and you'll be ok for everything other than 'acts of God'.  And there's nothing you can do about that, so why worry.

 

Heh... chargers are dangerous.

Oh dear, calling a 1D an old dinosaur makes me feel so old. My first cameras being a brownie box and later a Ensign Ful-Vue.

 

Anyway, thanks for all the good advice, and all taken aboard. I have to agree that I too believe the problem lies with the charger rather than the battery, that is why I ordered a cheap replacement charger first.

 

The most important thing to me though is being the proud owner of a Canon camera at last. All my life I have wanted to own one but never could afford it. Still can't, but decided what the heck, I am retired and living alone, so why not treat myself for a change.

Oh, another BTW, buy off brand battery/chargers but never buy "knock off" types.  They are the really bad ones. Smiley Sad

 

click me

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!
Announcements