Off Brand Battery Failure

I have always been a bit cautious about batteries. I have used Nikon batteries in my cameras after one strange experience I had with off brand batteries causing an error in my D7200.

I found this photo on a Z page on Facebook. The photographer said this happened in his Z6II, but it fortunately did not cause any camera damage. It looks like a pretty good reason to continue with my current practice.

Lithium ion batteries have an issue with overheating. That is the reason there are many restrictions on them being shipped by air. I would suspect that major brands would have less issues with it than knock offs. But any of them can and do fail, at times very spectacularly. I'm sure you've seen pictures of Telsas going up in flames due to the Lion batteries.

Any Li-ION battery made by anybody can go up in flames with only minor provocation. But quality control by manufacturers is supposed to minimize this. But the cells are mostly made in China, so quality control is always something that is a challenge to maintain in that environment.

So a very reliable way to start a big fire is to charge up a Li-ION battery and pierce it by hammering a nail in it. Doubtful you could pull your fingers out of the way quick enough to not be burned though. There are videos to watch out there. Now think of how many rechargeable devices you have around the home and try to sleep at night.

At least 2 times I received a free aftermarket battery when I purchased DSLR bodies. One was made by Pearson, the other Watson. I think I included the batteries when I sold one of my D90 bodies but never used either myself.

It's good to know - thanks for sharing the info, Dan.

Yes, lithium ion batteries seem to have a bad temperature issue. The good quality batteries has some issues, but still present a danger. These batteries, especially the ones made in China, present a clear and present danger.

Thanks for that info, Dan. The only problem I have had with the few off brand batteries I’ve had is that they just don’t hold a charge worth a darn. I have read that the future may be aluminum based batteries. Made with common elements, less toxic, and no overheating issues. I heard that Toyota is working on this for their future electric cars. Maybe we’ll have them in or Nikons one of these days.

There are lots of new battery technologies in the pipeline. Which of them will actually pan out is anyone's guess. I know we can't move forward with the current push for large scale conversion to EVs without something with more energy density, affordability, safety, and environmentally friendly components than the current Lion batteries. I am fairly confident that will come along and that technology will likely filter down to camera batteries. The big question is when.