Looking for a backup battery...

jenn76 · Oct 13, 2008

We are going out of town next Friday (to Europe) and I wanted to get a backup battery for my canon 20d. I realize I should have looked into this sooner, but you know how it is getting ready for a trip, then realize how much you haven't done yet?

So I see that B&H and Adorama are both closed pretty much til my plane leaves. I looked on ebay, but just about everything on there is a generic brand. I need a Canon BP-511a, 7.4V, 1390mAh (Li-ion). So would you get a generic brand or find a Canon battery somewhere? The generic brands on ebay seemed to have a different mAh, like 1600 or so. I'm assuming that it's important that it's the same? And I don't have any photog stores around here... just the usual elec chain stores (best buy, etc) and a tiny Ritz camera at the mall. So i will probably definitely have to buy online. Thanks in advance!

tirediron · Oct 13, 2008

The mAh (milli-amp-hours) rating is simply a measure of (in basic terms) how long the battery will last. The higher the mAh rating, the longer it will last. This can be higher than your original, what is critical is the voltage. If your camera requires a 7.4v battery you MUST use a 7.4. As for "generic" batteries, I strongly recommend avoiding them. Yes, lots of people have used them with success, however, you don't always know what you're getting, and if there is an issue with your camera, very likely the first thing the Canon service dept will say is, "You used a non-approved battery. Sorry, it's not covered by warranty!".

Photog · Oct 13, 2008

Cool, whereabouts are you headed?

jenn76 · Oct 13, 2008

John- Thanks for the advice. I ended up ordering from amazon.com. Got a new Canon battery just like the one I have. It was $70 straight from Canon, but $45 on amazon, and got free shipping, too. Thanks again!

Photog- I'm heading to london and paris. Used to live in England (dad was in the air force), and have been to Paris a few times, but haven't been back to Europe since I moved back to the States (I was 19 then, almost 32 now). I'm looking forward to my return visit and documenting it all!

Photog · Oct 14, 2008

Nice one, I used to live in London and I'm now living in Paris, so I reckon you'll have a great time shooting both places!

Big Mike · Oct 14, 2008

The ones to avoid are the batteries that say 'Canon' on them, but are dirt cheap, those are imitation batteries. I've been using off-brand batteries for years, with no problems, in fact, I like them better than the Canon batteries because they last longer...and they are very affordable.

I buy mine from www.sterlingtek.com. I seem to remember that they were $12 or two for $20...plus shipping.

jenn76 · Oct 14, 2008

Thanks Big Mike. I'll keep that in mind. I think my original Canon battery is starting to lose its life (I bought my 20D used), so I'll probably end up buying another backup battery soon. The one I just ordered from amazon was a genuine Canon... i saw the ones you're talking about (the imitations). They're dirt cheap on ebay. But i will probably try the ones you recommend for next time. Thanks again!