alan_hui Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Hi, I just bought a new 50D a few days ago. I am going on a vacation trip for 2 weeks during x'mas. I would like to buy an extra battery just in case. Does it worth it to buy a 3rd party battery to save a few bucks? What are your takes on 3rd party batteries? Should I consider a battery grip? I am new to Dslr and I have no idea what a battery grip can do. I'd appreaciate your generous advice. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iqbal Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 I bought 3rd party battery twice from e-bay. Both costing about $10 including shipping. One was for Eos 40D and the other Panasonic Lumix. Both batteries are as good as genuine one, except one big difference. The generic one from ebay was only about 10% cost of the genuine, without any difference in performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger G Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Alan the very cheap batteries I bought from E-Bay work fine. Having those charged spares always on hand, and at such low cost, really works for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_steeper Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 I've had good results with batteries from SterlingTek. Much cheaper and hold a longer charge. Some of thier packages come with car chargers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomwatt Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 A battery grip is nice - I have one on my 5D, and it will go on vacation with me just fine - but the 50D is much more battery intensive than older Canon DSLRs. You're going to be charging a battery every 1 to 5 days, depending on how much/what kind of shooting you're doing. If you use the Live-View function, it will really limit battery life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomwatt Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 I should have added one last thought... with a battery grip, that thing is going to be a brick. If having a bulkier camera body suits you, fine, if not, you're not going to like it. I'd try it in a store first if I could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad_farwell Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Though I wish it weren't so, I've purchased two calumet batteries (on two different occasions) for my 30D, and they both are junk. Don't hold a charge, don't recharge properly. Totally sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffdr_rasouliyan Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Just bought 3 more from SterlingTek and I'm happy so far. v/r Raz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_hui Posted December 3, 2008 Author Share Posted December 3, 2008 Anymore good brand 3rd party battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhut-nguyen Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 Bought a pair from ebay for for 12 bucks last year, works fine till this day. No brand in particular, just look for a reputable seller. If you don't trust ebay stuff, a lot of folks here like Sterlingtek.com. Just buy a pair and bring the charger, you'll be fine with 3 batteries. Regarding the battery grip, it allows you to use 6AA or two BP 511 batteries, it also has the shutter button, main dial and a few other buttons. If you have a big lens the grip helps you balance it, oh and of course the grip makes you look cooler :) :) http://sterlingtek.com/digital-camera-batteries-canon-digital-camera-batteries.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_law Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 I used the 50D on my trip with one extra battery (Canon). I shot average 150 + photos each day with the same battery (including viewing my shots and IS on all time). I never use 3rd party battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_law Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 Oh, 150+ shots with viewing and IS on all time on the same battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_b.1 Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 The grip is very usefull whin you have heavy lens and (or) EX speedlight attached to your camera. It prevents your camera from turning upsidedown. Tought, grip adds some weight , but it also add the usefull vertical shutter release.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3rdpwr Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 I've had great luck with Sterlingtek as well... -Mario Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_john_appleton Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 Hi i cut this from the last time i answered this , Note what i said about mid priced battery's >>>Hi i cannot tell any difference between canon and cheap eBay ones in use, but i think the mid priced branded batteries are cheapo with a name and a big price hike i have a $4 cheapo and a $30 uniross and without doubt they are out the same factory also if you see canon half price on ebay then thay are $4 fake so buy the proper canon or the cheapest hope this helps Dave PS i mean British pounds not $ must set this keyboard up<<< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_myers Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 Hi, Out of 12 batteries I've got for my cameras, four are genuine Canon and the rest are generics bought off ebay. If anything, the generics have slightly higher capacity. Not anything noticeable. They work about the same, in the cameras and in the chargers. Last time I bought I got about six of them, including shipping to my doorstep, for less than the price of a single Canon battery. If you want a little better warranty, you can save about half buying from Sterlingtek, Adorama or B&H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdbarnett Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Alan, I bought some hi-capacity generic batteries, at about 1/3 or better than the retail price of Canon brand, and they last much longer. I take double the capacity of photos with my EOS20D. I think Canon sells their BP511A for around $75.00. I paid $14.00 each about 8 months ago. I bought 4 of them after I bought 1 and tried it out. That's my opinion. Canon recommends using only Canon batteries, and they would probably would void the camera warranty if they find out someone is using them and some type of mishap occurs relating to the battery. They only know what you tell them, though. best of luck. Tim<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now