Different brand batteries in grip at one time...really that bad?

[budawg]

Is it really that harmful to have, say, one Canon battery and another off brand model in your grip at the same time? I'm just curious since I just got a grip for my 10D yesterday and I have one canon battery and three aftermarket.

[Jon]

Where'd you hear that? I never did while I used one. As long as the voltage is OK, you're OK. And if the voltage isn't OK you wouldn't want to be using that battery anyhow (I'm not talking 7.2 vs. 7.4 V BTW; that's a difference depending on how you measure, not a real difference).

[PhotoJourno]

If you use two brands in one camera for too long, I heard that you will go blind.

[Wilt]

Actually there IS a potential problem!!! If two batteries of different MaH capacities are used (not different brand, but different electrical capacity) one cell can run down faster than the rest of the cells, and depending upon what is being powered, the remaining batteries can put a reverse current into the run down battery and ruin the polarity of that battery!

In practice, this happens if you try to run down a set of cells in a flashlight. An electronic item, like a camera or radio, is not likely to allow the reverse current to occur, due to the polarity electrical flow one-way controls inherent to solid state electronics, that does not happen in flashlights!

[Jon]

That's not an issue in Canon's grip - people have tested them and they draw down the higher potential battery first, then when they're equalized draw from both equally.

[Grentz]

So with that said there must be some smarts to the grip. Which is a very good thing!

Good to hear all that money is going to more than just plastic and a few wires :)

[Wilt]

So with that said there must be some smarts to the grip. Which is a very good thing!

Good to hear all that money is going to more than just plastic and a few wires :)


What Jon says happens in the grip is due to the fact that the batteries are in Parallel, not in Series (which is where the reverse polarity issue happens). It takes no smarts at all, for the grip to behave that way!

[r.morales]

The thing that will happen is the batteries are in parallel - the one with the higher voltage/ charge tries to charge the other one to it's value - the charge will go back and forth between the 2 until they are discharged - [ 2 to 3 months for good ones . ] the camera will discharge them faster than the battery in balance .
Where you will notice this is when batteries get below 1/2 charge . Don't replace one battery when you think they are low . Charge both up and install at same time . Kept a spare set charged and replace 2 at a time .
It doesn't matter who makes the batteries - they are not the same . That said I believe that Canon has tighter standards than a no name brand - BUT they still contract out to low bidder . More care is taken when building batteries for brand names than for a non-brand battery - they will probably be under bid on next order - so ----.
I just got my XTI and know as sure as I am sitting here someone will want to borrow a battery till theirs is charged . [ I go to a lot of family weddings , parties , 1st comm , baptisms and just gatherings . ]
When you find the battery on sale buy at least 2 .
The battery for an XTI fits about 30 other models .
My old camera used AA's and I carried spare ones in a memory card case - need to get another for spare XTI batteries .