Using non-nikon batteries?
- Thread starter jdeg
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sonicbuffalo_RIP
Senior Member
winning!
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
Do you mean to exclude Wasabi batteries as part of the conditions? Because I use those now, and would do so again in a heartbeat, but I wouldn't buy a no-name, Chinese knock-off.
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Yes, excluding Wasabi batteries. For example, this one is probably from China, but has good reviews: Amazon.com : Replacement EN-EL15 Battery for Nikon 1 V1, D600, D610, D800, D800E, D7000, D7100 Digital SLR Camera + More!! : Camera & Photo
I've seen reports that some of them don't show the number of pictures left on the display when the camera is off.
Fred Kingston
Senior Member
I thought that Nikon had played games with certain recent battery/charger configurations and chips to prevent certain Non-Nikon batteries from being 'recognized' in specific cameras... ????
I have one non-Nikon battery in the grip of my D200, and it seems fine...
I have one non-Nikon battery in the grip of my D200, and it seems fine...
RocketCowboy
Senior Member
The D5300 kit that I bought came with an extra battery that was non-Nikon. I grabbed a second Nikon battery just to be safe, but I'll give this non-Nikon one a chance first.
rocketman122
Senior Member
When I bought the no name grip for the D600, the kit came with 2 no name batteries as well. they work excellent. actually I bought two battery grips and got 4 batteries. for backup spare.
shot quite a few weddings. shot video as well with it and no issue. I also have a no name EN-EL4 (not "A") battery and plan on getting another and couldnt be happier. no issue thus far and have had it for about a year now.
as I see it, there is no need to buy genuine anymore. if the price was reasonable then sure, we all want to use OEM but not for those prices. it doesnt make me feel less confident that I bought aftermarket. same goes for chargers . I bought extra aftermarket chargers just in case. cheap and work very well.
in fact nikon had a recall on D200 batteries and the D7000 batteries so its not like theyre bullet proof themselves.
shot quite a few weddings. shot video as well with it and no issue. I also have a no name EN-EL4 (not "A") battery and plan on getting another and couldnt be happier. no issue thus far and have had it for about a year now.
as I see it, there is no need to buy genuine anymore. if the price was reasonable then sure, we all want to use OEM but not for those prices. it doesnt make me feel less confident that I bought aftermarket. same goes for chargers . I bought extra aftermarket chargers just in case. cheap and work very well.
in fact nikon had a recall on D200 batteries and the D7000 batteries so its not like theyre bullet proof themselves.
A lot of the aftermarket batteries now come with chips. They'll say "Decoded".
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
I have 2 Nikon batteries, 1 Watson & 2 Wasabi for my D7000 and D7100. Just used the Wasabi for the first time today and no problems. The Watson came with my D7100 as a extra battery and I have never seen any difference in it.
So the reason I brought this up is I'm considering having a special Nikonites battery made. Naturally that involves a bit of R&D.
The problem is sourcing batteries that are good and actually work well. What I've found is a lot of times with the no name batteries, if the casing says 1900MAh, it's a lie, and the batteries are actually 1200MAh. If if says 2200MAh, they're probably 1400MAh.
The problem is sourcing batteries that are good and actually work well. What I've found is a lot of times with the no name batteries, if the casing says 1900MAh, it's a lie, and the batteries are actually 1200MAh. If if says 2200MAh, they're probably 1400MAh.
sonicbuffalo_RIP
Senior Member
No, they're not bulletproof, but Nikon will issue a recall and replace bad batches with a brand new Nikon. My no name 3rd party batteries that I got with both of my cameras don't even have a name or a batch number so if they're bad, I won't be receiving squat from the manufacturer. I'll just have to toss it, and lose money on it. Of course, that may NOT happen, but it could. Nikon will at least replace the battery and tell you the lot number that was bad. Only read of that happening once, though.
sonicbuffalo_RIP
Senior Member
My 3rd party battery that came with my new D610 doesn't even have the Mah listed on it. It's completely void of any lettering at all. I called the vendor for the camera and told them I would return the camera if they didn't send me a Nikon brand battery. They sent me one right away and I even got to keep the el cheapo.
I bought my D610 (and D600) from B&H. Both cameras came with an original Nikon battery as well as an extra off-brand battery due to B&H's promotion. The D610 off-brand battery is by Watson while the off-brand battery that came with the D600 is by Pearstone (no longer available). I never tried either one because I opted to order a second Nikon battery.
Watson: Watson EN-EL15 Lithium-Ion Battery Pack (7.0V, 1800mAh) B-3410
Pearstone: Pearstone EN-EL15 Lithium-Ion Battery Pack (7.0V, 1800mAh)
sonicbuffalo_RIP
Senior Member
I wanted to buy from Adorama or B & H, but they both were out of stock on the D610. I finally bought at the same price Adorama and B & H advertised. I bought mine from AJ Richie, which aren't authorized Nikon dealers. They did deliver though, and made things right, and it is a USA model, and has the warranty. They only thing they tried to screw me on was the battery. They did send me a new one.
I don't know what I'll do with the no name batteries.
Fortkentdad
Senior Member
Yes I use the Wasabi batteries,
I found they work just fine in my D610 and D5100. Just started one in my D610 but have used them in my D5100 for a couple of years. See no difference in performance or longevity of these batteries.
I did fall for the Nikon Knock off counterfeit from China - watch out. They come in a box that looks like a genuine Nikon - even have the Nikon hologram but if you compare the print and the exact details on the battery to a known real Nikon you can spot the differences. Google identifying nikon counterfeit batteries for a detailed way to spot them. Having said that I did use it for a while before learning it was counterfeit and have since stopped using it. It worked just fine just not comfortable using it.
I did not learn how to spot them for some time after the purchase so never went back to the vendor. Can't recall the price I paid but probably about $25 which I thought was great for a battery that costs $100 here in Canada. But if it like my Pa always said "If it looks too good to be true, it probably ain't true"
I get my Wasabi's from Amazon. I see they are sold by reputable companies and are not afraid to put their own name on the battery.
CHARGERS +
FYI - my original charger died I also bought a knock off MH-24 battery charger for my D5100 - it works but it ain't as good (also a counterfeit bought with the counterfeit battery). So I bought a "Digipower" universal charger from "The Source" (aka Radio Shack in Canada) and while it works it is a pain to get the battery just so in place. Marked the spot and that helped but can't recommend them.
I found they work just fine in my D610 and D5100. Just started one in my D610 but have used them in my D5100 for a couple of years. See no difference in performance or longevity of these batteries.
I did fall for the Nikon Knock off counterfeit from China - watch out. They come in a box that looks like a genuine Nikon - even have the Nikon hologram but if you compare the print and the exact details on the battery to a known real Nikon you can spot the differences. Google identifying nikon counterfeit batteries for a detailed way to spot them. Having said that I did use it for a while before learning it was counterfeit and have since stopped using it. It worked just fine just not comfortable using it.
I did not learn how to spot them for some time after the purchase so never went back to the vendor. Can't recall the price I paid but probably about $25 which I thought was great for a battery that costs $100 here in Canada. But if it like my Pa always said "If it looks too good to be true, it probably ain't true"
I get my Wasabi's from Amazon. I see they are sold by reputable companies and are not afraid to put their own name on the battery.
CHARGERS +
FYI - my original charger died I also bought a knock off MH-24 battery charger for my D5100 - it works but it ain't as good (also a counterfeit bought with the counterfeit battery). So I bought a "Digipower" universal charger from "The Source" (aka Radio Shack in Canada) and while it works it is a pain to get the battery just so in place. Marked the spot and that helped but can't recommend them.
Fortkentdad
Senior Member
Here is a link to one of the detailed "how to spot the difference" postings on line - there are many:
Identifying a fake EN-EL15 battery. | Occasional musings
Identifying a fake EN-EL15 battery. | Occasional musings