battery amperages

[naptime]

so i've been looking at extra batteries.

for the Canon 450d it takes an LP-E5 which is 7.4v and 1080mah

looking at replacements on ebay they come in 1080mah, 1200mah, and even 2000mah but, all are still 7.4v


now, when i competed in car audio, high amperage was a great thing, and we paid dearly for it. (my competition batteries were over 500 each)

when i raced r/c cars the same held true. same voltage, higher amperage, got us longer run time and faster speeds, but, lower amperage generally got us more torque.


of course, i'm referring to AGM car batteries, and Nicd rechargeable.


any noticeable difference between amperage?

and more importantly, any risk of damage from a higher or lower amperage?

 

[SCraig]

The values aren't referring to amps as such, but milliamp hours. For example the 1080 mAh battery can handle a load of 1080 milliamps (or 1.08 amps) for an hour. It can also handle a 540 mA load for 2 hours, a 270 mA load for 4 hours, etc. It could also handle a 500 amp load for 7.8 seconds.

In general the higher mAh batteries will simply provide more service between charges. There is no danger to your equipment whatsoever as long as the voltage is compatible.

FWIW I'm not a big fan of aftermarket replacement battery packs for cameras. I got one once that would not even go in the camera. I have one for my D60 that is rated the same ampacity as a Nikon battery but in reality lasts about 2/3 as long between charges. I personally stick with the manufacturer's batteries (Nikon in my case) but that is just personal preference.

 

[naptime]

thanks.

and sorry. i knew that lol

i have no idea why i said "amperage"

so, given the same battery maker, and voltage, in theory, the 2000 will last twice as long as the 1000.

providing it's not junk, and labeled properly, etc..


because of course, i'm looking on ebay at knock off batteries for only 5 bucks each.


i just wanted to be sure there was no danger of damage to the camera. but, i guess that goes back to me being momentarily confused between amperage and amp hours.

 

[Edsport]

You can use those higher mAh batteries. It just means more storage of power. You can read about it here. Battery Specialsits - Milliamp Hour Explained

 

[SCraig]

... so, given the same battery maker, and voltage, in theory, the 2000 will last twice as long as the 1000....

In theory, yes that is correct.

In most cases it's a moot point. I've gotten 800 shots from one battery in an afternoon and it was still going strong so in most cases you'll never need the extra capacity. Especially if you use a dual-battery grip. It does become important on a camping trip or something along those lines where you may not have the ability to recharge a battery at night.

 

[Railphotog]

When I bought my first Canon Rebel 300, I was astounded at the $80.00 price of a spare battery. Think that's the only time I've paid retail for an OEM battery. I discovered replacement clones on eBay, and have used nothing but ever since. Most work just like the OEM ones, but I have had a few that didn't. At two for $10.00, postage included, I'm sticking with the clones. Think I have four for my current Canon 450D, at at least two for my other digitals.

I picked up a used Nikon Coolpix P80 this week for all of $10.00, and ordered two spare batteries on eBay for around $6.50, postage included. Can't beat that.

Bring on the clones!

 

[Big Mike]

I've been using 'off brand' batteries in my Canon DSLR cameras for over 5 years. Not only were they a faction of the cost of Canon batteries, they have a higher rating and did truly last longer. Although, it seams that these cheap off-brand batteries die out (won't hold a charge) sooner than a name brand one...but at 1/5 the price, that's OK by me.

I've bought from Sterlingktek.com and Link Delight (forum sponsor).

 

[naptime]

sweet. now if i can just get my hands on two 450d's for the price i want, i'll be golden!