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good (cheaper) 3rd party battery for the panasonic G3?
- Thread starter lulu2001
- Start date
What ever you feel comfortable with. Personally having a costly camera and lens or lenses for me saving $20 or so makes no sense to know the power source is ok.
Many spend $1,000 on camera & lenses but go cheap on Tripods, bags, batteries. For me a good tripod reduces the chance of it falling apart or knobs breaking etc, cheap bag to store everything, but if the bag takes a fall or you have bad weather its not protected or padded like it should be and last could a battery heat up to much, maybe or maybe that generic battery won't fit the OEM battery charger.
I say just reduce your cell phone calling plan or cancel a cable TV extra or switch car insurance providers and you may find that money and more to spend on good gear IMO.
Many spend $1,000 on camera & lenses but go cheap on Tripods, bags, batteries. For me a good tripod reduces the chance of it falling apart or knobs breaking etc, cheap bag to store everything, but if the bag takes a fall or you have bad weather its not protected or padded like it should be and last could a battery heat up to much, maybe or maybe that generic battery won't fit the OEM battery charger.
I say just reduce your cell phone calling plan or cancel a cable TV extra or switch car insurance providers and you may find that money and more to spend on good gear IMO.
For more than a year now I've been using two very cheap ebay batteries to supplement the original. I have never had a problem and use the original charger and have taken thousands of pics with my G3. The only issue I have ever had is that the meter on the camera doesn't tell how much battery power there is remaining on the non-original batteries.
Thats a really important feature to know when the battery will need to be charged and or get ready to use a spare if in the middle of something like the "I do's" at a wedding or blowing candles out at a birthday party or the older person who needs lots of Air and is not going to do a re-do at the retirement party.
If I am down to one bar I usually switch to a fresh battery.
If I am down to one bar I usually switch to a fresh battery.
JimLindner
Senior Member
I've been using this battery Power2000 BLD10 for over a year. Battery gauge works OK except drops quickly from last bar to red. For the price I have no complaints.
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Regards Jim
We All Need Water!
Kim Letkeman
Forum Pro
In Canada you save as much as 60 bucks ... does that help you?
Many use the 3rd party batteries with no consequences.
That's condescending as hell ...
Kim Letkeman
Forum Pro
Do you think it is possible that many people do not shoot weddings for pay?
And do you think that those who shoot weddings for pay need to buy cheaper batteries?
Using cheap batteries allows you to carry 4 for the price of 1 ... since weddings have three or four segments, there is nothing wrong with changing batteries for each location or phase. Problem solved.
Kim Letkeman
Forum Pro
I bought a used GH2 and the fellow included a power2000 battery in the box. Seems to work fine. I bought a second one from bhphoto and it was DOA. They shipped a new one today, no questions asked. The battery cost 17 bucks ... 3 or 4 for the price of one.
grapher
Senior Member
I have a 10$-battery for my G3, it charges in the G3-charger and shows the battery-meter. Capacity is a little less than the original, but I can buy 6! of these for the price of 1 original here in Germany.
My cheap ebay batteries do affect the bar readings in a similar way to the original. They just slightly delay the two bar stage and have fewer shots left when it goes down to two bars, but by one single bar they are back to the same as the original. So if you change at a single bar there is no difference in terms of being sure.
My ebay batteries give about 20 more shots than the original, when compared by running both to death (or to one bar - they are the same between one bar and death) and tallying the total number of shots. I wonder how someone who spent 50 pounds on an original would feel about that
I have three ebay batteries on which I spent less than half of 50 quid. At this price and with ebay delivery efficiency, they are just low-care throw-away items to me, almost like AA rechargeables.I think when buying such batteries, one should choose sellers who do not say "remaining charge will not be shown". Mine looks like this one.
It's a cat and mouse game the OEM plays with clone makers on battery compatibility. There is just so much room to wriggle for Panasonic to keep distinguishing "official" batteries from clones with firmware updates etc. Eventually after a few years all clones will be fully indistinguishable.
Penny Wise Pound foolish for me, but then again Canada discontinued the penny.
You say many, but many is not Everyone that owns a camera. Many use cheap batteries and some have issues even as small as not knowing remaining charge. I have no excuses to make for the OEM batteries no matter the item/camera body.
Depends how important your camera is to you and if you want to take a chance over $60 to replace a $600 or $1000 camera if something occurs. If you are trying to save $60 have lots tied up in camera and lenses worth thousands one day your camera melts or your unpredictable battery dies as you press the shutter, Oh well.
If you can afford your flat panel TV's, fancy car rims, special football packages, drinks, cigarettes, dinning out, playing lottery how can one not find $60. I'm not complaining and I will never use a 3rd party battery to take any chances not matter what.
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Yes, not everyone is a wedding photographer
No, wedding photographers should buy OEM batteries for consistency and to know what to expect out of a camera especially if you have an assistant using your gear.
Have no idea what your talking about. If the battery still has all bars and its not till the reception it goes to one bar then switch so you may only need two. You should always take more than you need.
Problem Solved.
thank you all for the great thoughts. my concern was that a 3rd party batt. would somehow mess up my camera, but it seems from this thread, that my fears are unfounded. Of course, i'm using the orig. batt. but i intend to buy a couple of 3rd party batts. as back ups.
thanks again!
thanks again!
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