The Strange Case of the Compatible Camera Batteries

Every camera manufacturer that we know always tells us 'never use the 'compatible batteries you can find online on eBay for half the price of ours,' insisting that their own batteries, designed specifically for an individual camera, are much more reliable.

However, something very interesting happened last week when we were testing a new camera.  The charger that was included didn't work, so we couldnt charge the battery.  We wanted to at least try a few basic tests, so we looked at the spec on the battery itself, to see if we couldn't cobble together some way of charging it up.

Imagine our surprise, though, when we found a battery whose specs matched exactly, right down the last millimetre.  And as for the connections, you can see for yourself ...


The two batteries are strictly identical and it's hard to tell them apart.  In fact, neither camera has the slots designed to match the outside of the batteries, meaning both can go into cameras the wrong way round.

So we ended up testing a camera with a battery that was not just from another camera, but from an entirely different manufacturer.

It also left us doubting the manufacturers' assertions that their batteries are designed specifically for their individual cameras.  From what we can see here, it looks like both companies have relied on a third party that has made a generic battery that they've gone on to brand themselves.  Which rather begs the question of why this third party manufacturer doesn't start producing unbranded batteries directly itself at a significant discount ...

It's not all good news though: some manufacturers, including Panasonic, fit an electronic ID chip in their batteries, without which the camera refuses to work at all.  In that case, you're stuck: even if you could find a battery that was strictly physically identical (and it's not something we've checked) the circuitry will keep you from using them.


> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products