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Planned Obselesence - Panasonic cameras unusuable after a year?

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i have an FZ5, i brought a 3rd party battery ($20) very shortly after buying the camera as i was not always going to be handy to a power plug. Both are still going strong many years later and i use the camera a lot. maybe i was lucky with the third party battery, who knows.
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it ain't easy being fat and greasy.....
Panny FZ5
samoan 'go anywhere shoes'

 
There have been enough examples, in other consumer electronics categories - mobile phones for example - where no brand batteries, or branded batteries from a different brand and not recommended by the manufacturer of the device, have failed, sometimes exploded.

I frankly find it no problem that Panasonic should want to prevent customers from using no-brand spares. At least as long as they don't "do a Sony", I'm thinking about the proprietary memory cards with inferior performance and at double the price.

It's easy to standardize memory cards because the interface with them is standard, and there is no risk of them blowing up (plus it's a quasi-monopoly these days).

It's much, much less easy to standardise batteries because each device will have its own specific power requirements.
 
An LC1 that must be about 5 years old now. And the original Panasonic battery is still going strong.

Has to be said that I've never had any problems with decent generic batteries either (eg Hahnel, Innov8), when I've used them in several cameras.

I have just bought a new battery for the LC1 - while I still can - as I was worried that sooner or later, the two that I have may fail, and with the demise of the L1, (used the same power) it's only a matter of time before batteries will be hard to get.

I have some sympathy with the original post - if a manufacturer designs their cameras so that generic batteries can't work, the least they should do is commit to make sure there is a ready supply of spares for several years after the camera has become obsolete. Unfortunately, I'm not convinced this will happen. But I am convinced that this is more about generating additional revenue and less about faulty batteries. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if some of the generic batteries came out of the same factory as the OEM ones anyway - in some cases they are indistinguishable from the originals aside from the label.
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http://jonschick.smugmug.com/
 
Surely failure of Panasonic to supply batteries for past models (and even current models) will ensure a solid on-going demand for non-Panasonic batteries, and therefore an on-going solid supply of non-Panasonic batteries from Hong Kong etc?

As for AA batteries, I just now decided not to buy a new Pentax Km 2-lens kit at a no-brainer price from Currys largely because it has AA batteries. Li-ion are smaller, lighter, handier, how many more reasons do I need for preferring them?

Mike
 
Mikedigi said:
Surely failure of Panasonic to supply batteries for past models (and even current models) will ensure a solid on-going demand for non-Panasonic batteries, and therefore an on-going solid supply of non-Panasonic batteries from Hong Kong etc?

As for AA batteries, I just now decided not to buy a new Pentax Km 2-lens kit at a no-brainer price from Currys largely because it has AA batteries. Li-ion are smaller, lighter, handier, how many more reasons do I need for preferring them?

Mike
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On the AA Battery front. I used to use a nikon 950 , which had a great swivel back. But it drank AA batteries especially if you used flash. Had to carry loads. It was great in Low light & for candid shots. I'd have hadv to carry 15x 4 AA sets, to do the wedding shoot I did with my FZ28 with 3 x Lithiums. Shot over 1,300 shots + video because each battery lasts for about 460 shots. It really takes the enjoyment out when your worrying about the batteries running out. Also didnt have to use the flash as much as it worked so well in natural or low light throughout the wedding proceedings. Ive tried high capacity rechargeables ie 2700 & up but I still need loads if using an AA camera.

I found it expensive, to spend about £4 to get an emergency battery supply, when the AA's died, so over a few yrs ownership, the 1 panasonic battery that comes with the camera, works out much cheaper to run. Bit like a cheap printer, with low capacity expensive cartridges vs high capacity printer. Both do the job but 1 saves u megabucks to run.

Thats why I dont use my AA Canon Powershot sx110 except as a backup, & the fact that the colours are not as good on the final print. I also noticed its not very sharp compared to the Panasonic.

I love the fact that the FZ cams share the same battery , so in our family where we have the FZ38, FZ18 , fz28, (Leica v-lux-1) FZ50, & my cousin has the FZ30 for wedding photography &, we just lend each other our batteries, SD cards and compatible batteries for big shoots. It doesnt matter which cameras battery was in which camera originally. I was so happy that the FZ38/ 35 I bought last month, shares the same batteries as the 4 yr old batteries. These batteries are the longest lasting batteries I've ever had in a camera ie nearly 500 shots, which is fantastic & I havent had any of the 4-5 yr batteries die on me yet.

elena
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40207062@N08/
 
Ron_M said:
towson said:
The problem? All lithium-ion rechargeable batteries eventually fail. Panasonic are > the only consumer cameras that may have a one-year planned usable lifetime. > Panasonic cameras work only with Panasonic batteries. But, Panasonic batteries for > current models are virtually unavailable. Most users (including the uncounted > thousands who do not follow this forum) have only one original battery for the > lifetime of the camera. By mandating use of Panasonic batteries while limiting > supply, Panasonic is making certain that most cameras will die an early, unnecessary > death. I've monitored over 50 online Panasonic dealers and local camera stores. No > batteries for the ZS3 have been available since introduction in any significant quantity.
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Interesting. I bought 3 Panasonic batteries for my ZS3 just a couple of weeks ago from Adorama. And yes they are Panasonic. Maybe you should watch a little closer. I also bought 3 Panasonic batteries for my G1.
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I can just picture Miss Emily Latella on the SNL news now.... "Oh - that's very different!.... Never mind."
 
Mikedigi said:
Surely failure of Panasonic to supply batteries for past models (and even current models) will ensure a solid on-going demand for non-Panasonic batteries, and therefore an on-going solid supply of non-Panasonic batteries from Hong Kong etc?

As for AA batteries, I just now decided not to buy a new Pentax Km 2-lens kit at a no-brainer price from Currys largely because it has AA batteries. Li-ion are smaller, lighter, handier, how many more reasons do I need for preferring them?

Mike
Click to expand...
I will never buy any camera which runs on 1950's-era pocket flashlight-intended batteries. I don't care what the latest formulation is, how nifty the chargers are, blah blah blah, AA's are heavy, unreliable, inconvenient, short-lived, annoying, and obsolete. I wouldn't buy a new "FZ60" if it hit every mark but ran on AA's.

I gave up having AA batteries as a "hobby" a few years ago (after always insisting that my camera HAD to use them) and I'm not going back to them. Not ever. Never. Leave them for the wall clock, the cordless mouse, whatever, but never again in my camera.
 
Midwest said:
I gave up having AA batteries as a "hobby" a few years ago (after always insisting that my camera HAD to use them) and I'm not going back to them
Click to expand...
I was like that tooo, having thrown out dozens of AA rechargeables over the years...

But the development of the Sanyo Eneloop batteries several years ago has totally changed the world of batteries. Expensive, but reliable and efficient at high rates of drain, these batteries don't start going flat until you use them (well, for a month or two anyway).

If you haven't felt AA and AAA batteries are reliable enough in the past, spend some money on a Sanyo charger and batteries and take another look (the Sanyo USB charger is handy and tiny for travel)

Oh - did I mention their low internal impedance means they can charge quicker than Lithium-Ion?
 
FlyPenFly said:
My Canon LION batteries are... 4 years old and still holds about 80% charge. The D40 battery is still like new despite heavy use.

OEM LION batteries aren't as easily perishable as you think. Now cheap chinese ebay batteries die in a few months if that.

People are reporting the cheap stuff still works in their supposedly mandatory Panasonic only batteries.
Click to expand...
So it is inconcevable to you that anyone would have use for a second battery? Strain your brain a bit and see if you can't come up with a reason someone would want more than one battery...
--
-Steve
 
FlyPenFly said:
FlyPenFly said:
Your toyota analogy falls on its face because it wouldn't be about Toyota gas, it would be about using cheap clone non OEM toyota parts in your Toyota. Would you use a off brand made as cheap as possible gas tank for your car? No.
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There are a few reputable companies that do have more stringent QC such as NewerTech. For most people, sticking with real OEM batteries from authorized retailers is a far better option.
Click to expand...
Your post falls on its face because the issue is that THE BATTERIES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. Sure I would happliy buy Panny batteries but THEY ARE NOT AVAILABLE...get it? My camera is now a paperweight because the batteries ARE NOT AVAILABLE!

--
-Steve
 
But yes, under Panasonic's current strategy, you may have an unusable classic camera a few years from now while classics from the 70s (sometimes requiring specialist batteries that can still be made) will go on.....

--
Regards
J



http://www.flickr.com/photos/jason_hindle

Gear in profile
 
I think some history lessons are required here- look up laptop battery recalls.

Sorry, there is NO excuse to put in fimware that forces only the manufacturers own brand of battery/ink/etc to be used.

This is anti-competitive behaviour! What is next, firmware that forces you to use a particular brand of DVD-R blanks because "other brands may cause problems"?

If a brand of battery does not meet safety standards it should not be sold. In every country there are laws which dictate product safety. If you are a manufacturer and meet these rules, why should you be locked out of a market purely for the additional profit of the camera manufacturer? It is not up to Panasonic to write the rules for the market!

You can see the real reason for the firmware- at AUD$84 a battery for an original Panasonic, this is a total ripoff. A laptop battery that has 10x to 20x the capacity is not much more expensive!
 
I too have the FZ35, got a spare battery from Amazon. I only got around 200 shots on original battery, put in the Lenar spare and only got around a 100. Hopefully these numbers will improve after a few cycles.

I believe the op was referring to those models which use a so called 'chipped battery'. Others have stated third party units can be used but battery indicator will not work. My guess is third party folks will duplicate the chipped battery.

I have a very cheap LiOn for my Canon p&s and that works fine with possibly more capacity than the original. I'm sure luck has something to do with it. That Canon spare was less than $4 including postage. If it lasts a year it doesn't owe me anything. As far as damage, I would assume problems would occur during charge cycle. Laptops of course charge with batteries not removed.
 
Indulis Bernsteins said:
Sorry, there is NO excuse to put in fimware that forces only the manufacturers own brand of battery/ink/etc to be used.

This is anti-competitive behaviour!
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It's smart business. Accessories are a huge source of income for any electronics product. As a consumer I don't like it, but from a business standpoint, it's obvious why so many manufacturers do this for cameras, printers, etc.
Indulis Bernsteins said:
What is next, firmware that forces you to use a particular brand of DVD-R blanks because "other brands may cause problems"?
Click to expand...
Actually, something similar happened already. :D There was a DVD burner that wouldn't work with one particular brand of discs (rather than only working with one brand). However, it was proclaimed a "mistake" and was fixed in a firmware update.
 
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