Third Party Batteries. Should You Buy Them?

Having more battery power for your camera can make the difference between coming home with the shot you were looking for or running out of juice just before the golden moment.  Unfortunately most factory brand batteries are very expensive as most of them come with a $100 price tag.  So you might break the bank if you want to carry 3-4 batteries with you at all times.  But what about those cheap third party brand batteries, do they work?

I recently had to purchase some new batteries for my Canon 7d.   I looked for a deal or a good price the Canon LP-E6 battery online.  I had no luck as most of the links I looked at offered the battery for $100.  I decided to go ahead and buy 2 BM LP-E6 batteries just before leaving for Bali.  It cost me $35 for the 2 batteries and shipping.  I used them heavily during my 2 week trip and must say that I saw very little difference between them and the Canon one I still had in my bag.  In all fairness my Canon battery is old and probably looses it’s charge quicker than a brand new one but still I was able to shoot all day with a BM battery.

All and all I believe that the BM batteries I bought are great and hold their charge long enough in a very hot climate.  I would love to be able to try them in a very cold environment as well.  The batteries are compatible with the Canon 7d, meaning that I can see their status on my body or in my menu.  I was able to shoot around 500-600 photos without fully draining the charge.  I don’t use the Live View Mode unless I shoot very specific scenes, so it could be a little different for someone that uses the Live View Mode a lot on their camera.  That being said I was deleting photos on my camera everyday for about 20 minutes on the same charge that I used to shoot them.  I came back home with hundreds of great photos and never ran out of power in the field.

So should you buy them?  My answer is ABSOLUTELY!!   How can you go wrong with two batteries for $35.  You can get six batteries for the price of one Canon LP-E6…  Click here to take a look at these BM LP-E6 batteries at Amazon.ca