Canon NB-4L backup battery

[Muse]

This battery has been around a long time, there are a lot to choose from. Canon charges a huge premium for this OEM product ($60!), so I want to get a cheaper one, but don't know who to trust. The apparent standout at Amazon, costing $10 with Super Saver Shipping, turns out to be a phony claiming 1400 mah and has a ton of bogus 5 star reviews. What/where/why do you get?

 

[MontyAC]

You can try Staples:

http://www.staples.com/Lenmar-Replac...product_595420

 

[Muse]

You can try Staples:

http://www.staples.com/Lenmar-Replac...product_595420

In comments to an Amazon review for the ELPH 100 HS I'm getting, the reviewer said they were happy with a battery they got at Overstock.com, part number 12273547. It's actually 3 batteries for $7.49! They claim 1400 mah, dubious, of course. I'm wondering WTH I'll do with 4 batteries!

Link: http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/NB-4L-Lithium-ion-Battery-For-Canon-Camera-3-Pack/4293938/product.html

This is 1/2 the price of the Staples battery and you get 3.

 

[Muse]

Actually that battery at overstock doesn't have my camera on the compatibility list (Canon ELPH 100 HS). They do have one by Insten at $3.49, Item #: 13645393, but there's shipping. Says it's 1200 mah. I see another at ebay says 1400 mah, also Insten, $3.25 free shipping. Man, not a lot to lose there:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/140642745966?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

 

[wirednuts]

i clicked because i used these batteries for a canon i had... i always bought the cheapest knockoffs i could find. sure, you might not get quite as long on a charge, but you have 10 of them so who cares! i spent about $4 each for them...

 

[PhoenixEnigma]

If you want first-party ones, KEH has ones in EX condition for ~$15, and my faith in KEH is second only to B&H and Adorama for photostuffs.

Probably not worth triple the price of 3rd party though, unless you really really want the authentic Canon version anyways.

 

[Muse]

i clicked because i used these batteries for a canon i had... i always bought the cheapest knockoffs i could find. sure, you might not get quite as long on a charge, but you have 10 of them so who cares! i spent about $4 each for them...

Yeah, I'll probably just get one of those $3.25/free shipping off ebay linked in post #4, WTH. 1400 mah? Not likely, but it's a backup and as long as it gives me shots and video I'm probably OK with it. I'll try it as my primary battery see how it performs. If decent, I can get another as needed down the line.

Edit: I made the BIN ebay order, included CA tax, $3.53.

 

[wirednuts]

youll be happy with it. cheap li-ion batteries these days are usually pretty good. just make sure to charge it and use it a few cycles before you make judgement... the capacity seems to stretch once you charge it a few times.

 

[Muse]

youll be happy with it. cheap li-ion batteries these days are usually pretty good. just make sure to charge it and use it a few cycles before you make judgement... the capacity seems to stretch once you charge it a few times.

Thanks for the tips! :thumbsup:

The camera should arrive today. I'm going to go crazy with it!

 

[slashbinslashbash]

Yeah I have plenty of generic BP-511's to go in my 40D/5D/etc. I pretty much can't distinguish between them and the original Canons that I have; except when they get pretty aged in which case I they will give me <100 shots as opposed to the 400+ that I generally get out of them. And by "pretty aged" I mean 5 years+ -- the BP-511 has been around since the days of the D30, in 2000 -- and I have owned both an original Rebel and a 10D, both of which came with their original batteries, and I don't really keep track of my batteries so well, so I know that at one point I have owned batteries that were well over 5 years old. I decided to label them at one point with a Sharpie (A, B, C, etc.) and threw out the ones that I found to be lacking, which were mostly the original Canons from the older bodies (and probably the oldest by far).

In any case, I have no problems buying cheapies from eBay/Adorama/Random-Yahoo-Store when I need them (which isn't much, seeing as I have about 10 of them on hand at the moment).

You will enjoy your camera. I think that you will find your fears over the viewfinder to be pretty much unfounded. I am a heavy DSLR user, but when I use a P&S I don't miss the viewfinder at all. Part of this is the fact that the DOF in a P&S is generally deep enough that I don't have to worry about exact focus.

 

[Muse]

Looking I see I have two of those batteries, a BP-511 and a BP-512, the first was a generic I bought online and the BP-512 came with my Canon Optura 20 mini-dv (analog) camcorder that I bought in May 2004. Still have it, but rarely use it, so I have kept the batteries in the fridge. I generally put them in there with roughly 50% charge. Don't know how much capacity they have these days, haven't used the camcorder in around 3 years or more I guess. It's kind of a hassle to have to transfer files to my HDs in real time.

The ELPH arrived this afternoon and I've spent the last couple of hours going over the Get Started guide, charged the battery (it said it would take 1.5 hours, but it was 1/2 that), set time/date, a few other tweaks in the configuration menus. It's a genuine Canon refurb, obviously, came with everything and looks brand new. Didn't have a film on the LCD. Has all the trimmings.

I took it outside and took 1/2 dozen shots, haven't looked at them yet, am about to.

I was blown away how small it is. I hadn't handled one before. It makes my old P&S look pretty large. It's like comparing a sports car to an SUV. Very pocketable. I put the wrist strap on immediately. Seems like it would be too easy to drop it. I can't remember ever dropping any of my cameras, and don't want to start now.

Edit: Here's my first shot, I'm growing these in my back yard. In Auto mode, this camera automatically does macros. This was semi-zoomed too, and hand held.

 

[slashbinslashbash]

Yeah the wrist strap is definitely a good idea. I put it on all of my P&Ss. It gets in the way sometimes (falls in front of the lens and/or flash when you turn the camera sideways) but not a big deal.

 

[Muse]

Yeah the wrist strap is definitely a good idea. I put it on all of my P&Ss. It gets in the way sometimes (falls in front of the lens and/or flash when you turn the camera sideways) but not a big deal.

I actually have two straps on my Pentax DSLR, a high quality neck/shoulder strap (which I customized with snap-on connectors), and a wrist strap, which also snaps on and off. Here's a shot of the system I made for the neck strap, note the hand-sewn loop on the camera:

 

[Muse]

Yeah, I'll probably just get one of those $3.25/free shipping off ebay linked in post #4, WTH. 1400 mah? Not likely, but it's a backup and as long as it gives me shots and video I'm probably OK with it. I'll try it as my primary battery see how it performs. If decent, I can get another as needed down the line.

Edit: I made the BIN ebay order, included CA tax, $3.53.

Just arrived, put it in the camera (without charging it first) and the camera works fine, shows the battery as having a full charge. Brand is Insten, the ebay seller was rtrimming.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/140642745966?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

How many shots I'll get I don't know yet.

Yeah the wrist strap is definitely a good idea. I put it on all of my P&Ss. It gets in the way sometimes (falls in front of the lens and/or flash when you turn the camera sideways) but not a big deal.

I swapped out the wrist strap that came with the ELPH for the one that came with my old Samsung Digimax V3. It's infinitely nicer. This baby is staying in my pocket! I plan on using the wrist strap all the time!

 

[wirednuts]

thats actually a bad sign. lithium batteries come with about a 40% charge from the manufacturer to maximize shelf life.

that ebay seller likely got a hold of used batteries and charged them

 

[Muse]

thats actually a bad sign. lithium batteries come with about a 40% charge from the manufacturer to maximize shelf life.

that ebay seller likely got a hold of used batteries and charged them

Maybe used, maybe not, I'm thinking the seller bought them in bulk and charged them (or it, before sending it to me). It didn't come with a plastic end cover like my Canon did, and it was slipped into a sleeve, not professionally packaged. I have the cover from the Canon, and one will be in the camera at all times, so I'm cool with that. Hopefully it'll perform OK. It's in the camera right now.

Edit: Actually, this is a very high volume seller, has over 2 million feedbacks. I have to wonder if they'd go to the trouble of charging these batteries. Is it possible they came fully charged from the factory?

 

[Muse]

thats actually a bad sign. lithium batteries come with about a 40% charge from the manufacturer to maximize shelf life.

that ebay seller likely got a hold of used batteries and charged them

Actually, I think the likelier explanation is that the ELPH is not good at determining the charge state of the battery. Even a 50% charge state battery shows as "fully charged." My experience so far bears this out. In fact I've yet to see the camera show other than fully charged or damn near dead. I'm carrying a fully charged spare if at all in doubt.

 

[wirednuts]

Actually, I think the likelier explanation is that the ELPH is not good at determining the charge state of the battery. Even a 50% charge state battery shows as "fully charged." My experience so far bears this out. In fact I've yet to see the camera show other than fully charged or damn near dead. I'm carrying a fully charged spare if at all in doubt.

this may be true... but from what it sounds like theyre probably used batteries that were charged.

however, it is MUCH better to keep them charged then to keep them dead flat. so at least the seller was trying. and if the batteries werent used much, then they will likely work like new anyway... so just be glad you didnt receive them flat.