Canon T1i Battery Problem

Carl Becker · 06-03-2014, 02:06 AM

I have a Duracell "copycat" of the LP-E5 battery for the Rebel T1i, and I use it in a third party battery grip alongside the original Canon battery. All has been good, have noticed no obvious difference between the two, until lately, when I put the Duracell in the charger, it causes the red/green light to blink continuously between the two. The Canon original does not blink, just shows solid red until charged, then green. I'm therefore thinking that the Duracell has reached an early end of life.

Note that I also have a Lenmar version of the LP-E8 for the Rebel T3i (used in the same manner as described above), and it does not make that charger blink. However, I'm not certain that the behavior of that charger's light is the same. Has anyone else had a battery (or charger) that mimics this behavior?

Dennis A. Livesey · 06-03-2014, 04:19 AM

I find that OEM batteries are made of the best possible cells available. 3rd party batteries are made for a price cheaper then the OEM so you have a choice as well as to get you to buy them. However, something has to give. Thus I find 3rd party batteries will work just great for a few months then they start to lag. OEM batteries last much longer in the camera and on the shelf in my experience.

John West · 06-03-2014, 04:30 AM

I have tried some non-OEM batteries with my Nikon D90 with poor results. The first was purchased as a spare with the camera from a reputable camera dealer, and seems to work okay except instead of indicating a full charge the charger light just goes off. The second non OEM battery just died quickly. So I bit the bullet and bought a second OEM battery as a spare. Life is good and everything works as it is supposed to. OEM batteries are expensive but apparently worth the extra cost.

bigbassloyd · 06-03-2014, 02:12 PM

I've used nothing but opteka brand (also sold under several other names) batteries, and have had nothing but good things to say about them.

Loyd L.

Oskar · 06-03-2014, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John West

I have tried some non-OEM batteries with my Nikon D90 with poor results. The first was purchased as a spare with the camera from a reputable camera dealer, and seems to work okay except instead of indicating a full charge the charger light just goes off. The second non OEM battery just died quickly. So I bit the bullet and bought a second OEM battery as a spare. Life is good and everything works as it is supposed to. OEM batteries are expensive but apparently worth the extra cost.

Tha same happened to me with the D90, but with an original battery; I bought it from Nikon, it has its envelope and guarantee but anyway, it woudn't charge. They gave me another one and it was fine. I don't know what the problem was, you're the first person I know that had this problem.

KevinM · 06-03-2014, 09:30 PM

My experience with 3rd party batteries has run the gamut. I had both a Nikon battery and a 3rd party battery for my P&S camera and my first DSLR, the little D40x. In both cases, the 3rd party battery didn't hold a charge as well, nor did it last as long as the OEM battery. For that reason, I bought two Nikon batteries for both my D90 and my D7000 and was happy with those. All of them still work, and the D90 is now 6 years old. Nikon batteries are generally pretty good.

Now, the rest of the story....

When I bought my D4, the seller threw in a 3rd party battery in addition to the Nikon pack that is included with the camera. Both are now a year old, and I think I can safely say that the 3rd party battery provides more shots than the Nikon unit. Go figure. It is my primary battery! Now, we'll see how many years they both last, but my first impression of the 3rd party is pretty good.

Carl Becker · 06-03-2014, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigbassloyd

I've used nothing but opteka brand (also sold under several other names) batteries, and have had nothing but good things to say about them.

Well that definitely makes me think more positively about a battery that's only $7.95 on Amazon, perhaps I'll give it a shot if I can't figure out what's going on with this Duracell.

Thanks for the comments folks.

bigbassloyd · 06-03-2014, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl Becker

Well that definitely makes me think more positively about a battery that's only $7.95 on Amazon, perhaps I'll give it a shot if I can't figure out what's going on with this Duracell.

Thanks for the comments folks.

The ones in my XS are 4 years old now. Still doing just fine.

Loyd L.