Aftermarket Ebay LP-E6 Batteries, Tested..

[SimpleSimon]

Now testing NI-MH AA Batteries that i use in my Canon Speedlite 430EXii. This includes Quality batteries and eBay batteries.

See Forum Post Here --> http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...i-aa-rechargeable-ni-mh-batteries-tested.html

Cheers.
Simon..

 

[ghache]

always used aftermarked batteries and they always worked fine. buy the chipped one so your camera reads them. they are a bit more expensive but you still save a load of money.

 

[Masejoer]

Now testing NI-MH AA Batteries that i use in my Canon Speedlite 430EXii. This includes Quality batteries and eBay batteries.

See Forum Post Here --> http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...i-aa-rechargeable-ni-mh-batteries-tested.html

Cheers.
Simon..

Please update us on your battery analysis. The Wasabi LPE6 batteries I picked up are testing out at 1300mAh with a 500mA drain. The last Sterlingtek cells I used performed very poorly, compared to the same product I had purchased 5 years prior. I have no idea who to buy batteries from anymore, other than Canon.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Masejoer.

I can vary my load applied and i have done tests fromm 400mA to 100mA and these batteries dont vary much at all.

I have received 2 more batteries from the supplier to replace the 2 origional ones i received. These 2 are of the same weight, BUT still only have a capacity of about 800mAh which is a long way off the 2100mAh that they say on them.

I have included pictures and weighs for a reason, as i have found with all batteries that i have tested, this includes the LP-E6, NI-MH AA's and even some 18650's all weigh less than the quality brand ones.

In all my research in relation to Li-ION batteries, if the ratings are higher than the OEM ones then they probably are not. Eg, the LP-E6's say 2100mAh (OEM 1800mAh) and are really only 800mAh. Some 18650's i have say 3000mAh (Quality ones 2200mAh) and are only 700mAh. Ni-MH AA's that i use for the Speedlite say 2500mah (Quality ones 2100-2500mAh) these tested about 720mAh!!

Its hard to know what your buying, if there really cheap, then they are usually of very poor quality and a lower capacity of what there sold as.

 

[Masejoer]

Yes, I understand the capacity differences, degradation, etc of Li-Ion cells. I used to use select Trustfire cells, but have switched solely to Panasonic 3100mAh and 3400mAh cells pulled from laptop packs. I use 18650 and 16340 cells the most often.

I received some SterlingTek LP-E6 batteries and they tested to 1900mAh on average (between two cells). This is much better than the Wasabi cells I tried, and sent back. My 2 year old genuine Canon pack tested at 2100mAh with a 500mA drain and 2000mAh with a 1A drain. The STK and Canon batteries both weigh 76 grams (two gram scales, and one fractional kilogram scale). I am not sure there is much point in testing other batteries at this time. The SterlingTek product appears to be as close as we can get to the Canon battery. I purchased 2 more after my tests the last couple days. I do have another battery coming from a fourth brand, but I am not expecting more than 1400-1500mAh.

I am glad the STK batteries are working out. For my older camera, I had received some bad batteries from the company last year. My previous STK batteries lasted 5 years before they suddenly dropped in capacity.

Real drain tests are the only real way of knowing how different batteries compare in capacity. Also having your analyzer calibrated and tested for accuracy, against a known load, helps provide consistent, valid results. My other hobby charger, an iMax B6, is less inaccurate, but I keep it around for charging up cells to either 3.8V or 4.2V. I only need one battery most of the time, so my spares get charged to 3.8V and kept in a sealed bag in the refrigerator. I have only started this recently. Compared to room temperature, Li-Ion can last anywhere from 3x to 10x longer, stored just above 0ºC, depending on the charge level.

Basically, if we can find 18500 cells with a certain capacity, then the LP-E6 should also be able to support the same capacity. The cheapest, decent 18500 cell with any real capacity that I have found is the Sanyo UR18500FK - 1700mAh and you can get two for $10 retail. I would think that a manufacturer could make $5-10 profit per battery if they used these cells. After all, they could get the cells for a lot less in wholesale.

Thank you for the tests! We need more real information about the different batteries. If enough people did capacity, performance, and lifespan testing, it is possible that we could see actual improvements in aftermarket battery quality.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Hello Masejoer.

Thanks for your results as i have only tested 1 unknown brand of LP-E6 bateries and your testing of known brands is truly a great help to many in the photograpic world. I use a lot of 18650 and did not think about getting them from laptop battery packs. Thats where i might go next time for quality cells.

My test equipment is not calabrated but i make sure i test all batteries the same, i charge them the same and test all batteries against either OEM ones or a battery of known quality.


Thanks again.

 

[Masejoer]

My test equipment is not calabrated but i make sure i test all batteries the same, i charge them the same and test all batteries against either OEM ones or a battery of known quality.

Yeah, this is a good way to compare one versus another. Note that many devices and batteries will test a little different based on ambient temperature and airflow. The voltages and amperage of my analyzer match up to my Fluke 87V, and the results are within 1.5% of my Maha C9000 when using NiMH cells. Who knows which is more accurate, but it is within a margin of error.

Now my cheaper iMax hobby charger is off by about 12%, and I can't get it dialed in.