Experience with non-OEM Batteries? Vivitar? Wasabi?

[ColSebastianMoran]

What experience with non-Sony batteries?

Vivitar and Wasabi have NP-FW50 for $15 to $20.

Adorama has used (!) Sony batteries for $9.

Any experience with these? vs. the genuine Sony new batteries?

(I know the caveats. These are a risk. Sony doesn't recommend. Looking for actual experience.)

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Vivitar NP-FW50 Batteries are sold on Amaz.... where we can find customer reviews.

Of 40 reviews, 4 say they received batteries that did not work. Additional half dozen said they wouldn't charge fully. Of course, an unknown number of happy customers left no review.

Any experiences out there?

 

[NickTrop]

I have Vivitar batteries for my Nikon. I have zero problem with them. I looked carefully at the specs of the 3rd-party battery suppliers and the Vivitars were better than the Nikon batteries and other 3rd party suppliers. They seem to last as long as the Nikon batteries -- close enough not to notice a difference. As always YMMV.

 

[JeffS7444]

Have had good luck with brands like Wasabi for simple 3-terminal batteries (most camera batteries)

But Sony's "Infolithium" batteries are trickier and my understanding is that the reverse-engineering isn't perfect, so there's no promise they will work in newer models which the 3rd party battery maker couldn't anticipate.

 

[Jamie Pillers]

I've been buying Wasabi batteries for all my digital cameras for a few years now. Never a problem. Amazon sells them in a two-pack with wall-mount charger for around $20.

 

[f16sunshine]

Hi Rick

For Sony I would not mess with thirds party. The A7 battery seems more complex.
Wasabi was fine for the simple Fuji Batteries but still not as good as the Fuji ones in the end.
At first they worked as well but within a year of use and recharging, all of them swelled up.

 

[JoeLopez]

What experience with non-Sony batteries?

Vivitar and Wasabi have NP-FW50 for $15 to $20.

Adorama has used (!) Sony batteries for $9.

Any experience with these? vs. the genuine Sony new batteries?

(I know the caveats. These are a risk. Sony doesn't recommend. Looking for actual experience.)

On My DSLRs, I've had excellent success with OEM Nikon batteries.
On my X100T, I have both OEM and Wasabi, both perform excellent.

Many moons ago, I used two third party batteries on a sony camcorder, they didn't hold a charge much at all compared to the overpriced OEM versions.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Thanks, everyone.

Two Vivitar batteries included as freebie with a new body, so I'll soon have my own experience to report.

 

[Dogman]

I've had good luck with off-brand batteries. For the last couple of years, I've shot mainly with Fuji cameras and I mix Fuji batteries with Wasabi, Patona and Watson batteries. I can't tell the difference in normal use, they all perform about the same. I don't expect the off-brands to last as long as the Fuji brand but it's a fair trade off considering the price difference.

 

[Lss]

What experience with non-Sony batteries?

Cheap, and they often have higher (actual, not just printed) capacity.

 

[Lss]

The A7 battery seems more complex.

Most of the A7 line uses the same battery as used already on the old NEX cameras. The A9 and (at least) A7RIII have a newer battery. I have not checked whether that battery has any extra measures to protect the business.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Two years later:
- Sony NP-FW50 batteries continue to perform well, some pre-2017.
- No problems with a couple of Vivitar batteries from 2018.
- A couple of Wasabi batteries purchased 2019 are now dead.

 

[Austintatious]

I have a couple of Wasabi batteries for my NEX6. Been using them for six years with no issues.

 

[Dogman]

In addition to the third party brand batteries, I've also been buying used batteries for my Nikons. Nikon brand batteries are expensive bought new but used ones can be found from most online dealers for excellent prices. Every one I've bought has registered as "new" on the camera menu and function perfectly.

In my experience the trick with off-brand batteries is tossing them out when the first sign of expansion is noticed. Same for OEM batteries. If they begin to swell in the slightest, they go to the trash.

 

[nikon_sam]

I have some Wasabi Power and Powerextra batteries for my Sony a6000 both work well and so far I've only had one that stopped taking a charge
Wasabi Battery 7.2 VDC-1300 mAh-9.4 Wh
Powerextra Battery 7.4 VDC-1500 mAh-11.1 Wh
Sony Battery 7.2 VDC-1020 mAh-7.3 Wh

To help keep my batteries charged longer in the Sony I turn "On" Airplane Mode and turn "Off" the EVF...

I have rebuilt several Nikon EN-EL4a batteries for my D3x and those work fine...they are easy enough to crack open and you can find replacement cells for them on ebay...I've gone to BatteriesPlus and they sell connecting blades you solder the batteries together with...

 

[maddoc]

I use the original Sony NP-FW50 that came with my bought used A7 (ILCE-7) and the seller claimed it was the original battery that came with the camera. Still good for 300 or so images (RAW + JPG) and a mix od AF and MF lenses. AF only reduces the number to maybe 250 images. I bought to OEM batteries from Amazon with charger, one works well as the original Sony, the other discharges itself from 100% to 70% within a minute.

 

[muser53]

I've been using Wasabi and Watson batteries in my A6500. Though they don't last quite as long as the Sony OEM the price more than makes up for there lesser performance.

 

[boojum]

I have used the B&H batteries in my A7M II and now A7M III with no problem, ever.