BATTERIES

[Steve Parr]

If all goes as planned, UPS should be delivering my BG-E1 tomorrow. I found the Canon BP-511 online for $29.99 (my understanding is that I'll need two of them for the grip).

Is this a decent price for the batteries? I'm a tad leery about using batteries other than Canon; read something where someone's camera was fried by one.

Thanks!

Steve

[Skip Souza]

Sterlingtek (http://shop.store.yahoo.com/sterlingtek/ln03-canon-bp-511-dlc511.html) has been getting a lot of good press lately. Can't beat the price. They will be my next batteries. Congrats on the grip.

[Steve Parr]

Sterlingtek (http://shop.store.yahoo.com/sterlingtek/ln03-canon-bp-511-dlc511.html) has been getting a lot of good press lately. Can't beat the price. They will be my next batteries. Congrats on the grip.

They look good, but what does "1100 mAh" refer to? If that's some rating for amperage, I'd be a bit concerned. With amps, more isn't always better...

Steve

[Dante King]

Actually the grip works just fime with 1 battery. You'll love what the grip does to the 300D :)

[robertwgross]

They look good, but what does "1100 mAh" refer to? If that's some rating for amperage, I'd be a bit concerned. With amps, more isn't always better...


Steve, this may come as a shock to you, but when you are discussing the capacity of a battery, more is generally better. More gives you more shots per charge. Milliampere (mA) is the measurement of current flow. Hours is the measurement of time. A battery will put out a standard measured current for that time. Well, for cameras, you are burning power on the LCD, on the sensor, metering, and processor. Maybe power for the flash, etc. That is why Canon gives you the little chart in the manual that translates all of this into 400 shots per charge, or whatever. If you jump up to a higher rated battery, like 1500 mAh, then you will get roughly 500 shots out of a charge.

---Bob Gross---

[Az2Africa]

I ordered 4 of the BP-511"s from Sterlingtek on Tuesday and got them on Thursday, so the compannies performance is great. I paid $54.95 with shipping. They look like decent quality. I hope the perform as well as the company did.

[Steve Parr]

Steve, this may come as a shock to you, but when you are discussing the capacity of a battery, more is generally better. More gives you more shots per charge. Milliampere (mA) is the measurement of current flow. Hours is the measurement of time. A battery will put out a standard measured current for that time. Well, for cameras, you are burning power on the LCD, on the sensor, metering, and processor. Maybe power for the flash, etc. That is why Canon gives you the little chart in the manual that translates all of this into 400 shots per charge, or whatever. If you jump up to a higher rated battery, like 1500 mAh, then you will get roughly 500 shots out of a charge.

---Bob Gross---

So we're not concerned here with the actual amperage, as that will be a fixed level that's the same as the Canon version?

Steve

[RTMiller]

So which of the following is a better deal...

http://www.batterytown.com/Canon_BP_511_Digital_Camera_Battery_p/btcvca511.htm (http://www.batterytown.com/Canon_BP_511_Digital_Camera_Battery_p/btcvca511.htm)
Capacity: 1250mAh
$23.66

http://www.adorama.com/CABP511A.html?searchinfo=bp-511&item_no=11 (http://www.adorama.com/CABP511A.html?searchinfo=bp-511&item_no=11)
Capacity: 1390mAh
$49.95

Are the extra 140mAh's worth $26.29?

[Todd Jacobsen]

[QUOTE=RTMiller]So which of the following is a better deal...
QUOTE]

Have you checked out ebay?

[RTMiller]

Have you checked out ebay?
No, I'm a little leary of e-Bay. How can some one sell me this battery for $5 unless they are selling their old batteries that won't hold a charge anymore.:cool:

[robertwgross]

So we're not concerned here with the actual amperage, as that will be a fixed level that's the same as the Canon version?

Your question is not clear.

The camera is going to have a certain amount of current demand from the battery. Of course, it is not constant. Each shot draws just a little bit of power (current times voltage). It is a simple matter, that if you have more capacity stored inside the battery, then the more shots it will serve for. This assumes that the voltage of the battery is within spec, and that happens because of the nature of the battery chemistry.

So, if you want to compare one battery of 1100 mAh with another one of 1500 mAh, then it is sort of like having identical cars but one has an 11-gallon gas tank, and one has a 15-gallon gas tank. One takes a little longer to "fill up" to full, but then it lasts longer.

---Bob Gross---

[dng]

I just bought 2 sterlingtek 511's yesterday i think it came to 20 something dollars, should get them soon. From what ive read there pretty good.

[ggibbs1971]

I have a Rebel, G2, & 420EX and I have used Thomas distributing for batteries and chargers. I have been very happy with their prices and service. Check them out at:
http://thomasdistributing.com/index.htm You will be satisfied.

Geoff

[Steve Parr]

The battery that came with my camera is 1100mAh. In the grip, can I use that battery as well as one of another mAh rating?

Steve

[rfreschner]

No personal experience with it, but I have seen other posts where it was mentioned that you might get incorrect power readings using mismatched batteries.

[S230]

If all goes as planned, UPS should be delivering my BG-E1 tomorrow. I found the Canon BP-511 online for $29.99 (my understanding is that I'll need two of them for the grip).

Is this a decent price for the batteries? I'm a tad leery about using batteries other than Canon; read something where someone's camera was fried by one.

Thanks!

SteveI personally have the BG-E1 and it works with 1 battery. If you get BP-512, it works also but hard to fit in or take out. what I've done is take a utility knife and carve the sides and corner just a little bit (LITTLE BIT) so that it slides smoothly. I recently purchased two for $5 each and is great. Just caution, if they don't look great and if you feel that it looks suspecious, then throw it out. it's NOT worth destroying your camera from a $5 or $20 battery. The battery grip does help a bit because if the battery does blow, it should destroy the grip and hopefully the grip's circuitry should not send a charge back destroying the camera.
Don't both too much about amperage difference because if it's not toooo much difference, it's better getting more than one battery therefore when you drain one, you can start using the new one while recharging the old one.

[Steve Parr]

it's better getting more than one battery therefore when you drain one, you can start using the new one while recharging the old one.

Well, I've got one battery in the grip right now, and I'm diggin' life, man. I love the vertical shutter release. I'll get another battery before my next shoot (on 4/25) but, for right now, the one is doing the trick.

I'll probably end up getting the Canon battery, only because I'm a wary SOB when it comes to things like this.

I do appreciate everyone's comments and suggestions...

Steve