Battery life-expectancy

[Bryan]

1 hour ago, Inchiquin said:

 

I've seen so many cautionary words about cheap replacement batteries that I always buy the manufacturers' own, even though my budget is limited.

 

Alan

 

I guess that's why I bought a Duracell replacement for the Sony, a respected brand, but cheaper than the Sony. Having said that I've also bought cheapo unbranded batteries in he past and not had any problems to date.

[John Mitchell]

7 hours ago, Inchiquin said:

 

I've seen so many cautionary words about cheap replacement batteries that I always buy the manufacturers' own, even though my budget is limited.

 

Alan

 

That's probably a wise idea. I'd do the same if I could afford to. I've been lucky so far (touch wood).

 

A single NP-FW50 battery costs$100 CAN, and I like to have several batteries. Hence I'll most likely be sticking with the cheapos until I win the lottery. .

[wiskerke]

From Sonyalpharumors: battery problems after new firmware.

 

wim

[John Mitchell]

21 minutes ago, wiskerke said:

From Sonyalpharumors: battery problems after new firmware.

 

wim

 

Thanks. I'll make sure not to update the firmware on my a6000 in the future

 

Regarding the A7iii, if I'd spent that much on a camera (ain't gonna happen), I think I'd want to use only Sony batteries.

[MizBrown]

I was able to get new old stock  NP-FW50 batteries in a now defunct Sony Store in a Managua mall in 2014.  They're black with a gray arrow, no hologram.   They were US $16 each and are still working.  A friend is still using two batteries with a Panasonic GF1 that I gave his NGO, and I bought the GF-1 used in 2012, with one original battery and one new one.  I've warned him to buy new batteries for it before Panasonic quits making them.  So far, so good for him. 

 

Everything I've read says that lithium ion batteries die in three years.   Mine are now five years old and were not recent manufacture when I bought them.  I also had two batteries of the newer type that came with cameras (new a6000 and new a7), but they're slightly lower in storage capacity.   I gave one to another friend who has my former a3000.   I have five batteries for three cameras. 

 

My a6000 is running firmware Ver. 3.21 (recent update) and doesn't have a problem with the older style batteries, but since they were selling at a Sony store and in Sony packaging, I think they were authentic Sony batteries.  Also, the warning is for the recent a7 ##  cameras, not the original a7.  I've got two of those, one used, one new, both under $900.

[John Mitchell]

19 minutes ago, MizBrown said:

I was able to get new old stock  NP-FW50 batteries in a now defunct Sony Store in a Managua mall in 2014.  They're black with a gray arrow, no hologram.   They were US $16 each and are still working.  A friend is still using two batteries with a Panasonic GF1 that I gave his NGO, and I bought the GF-1 used in 2012, with one original battery and one new one.  I've warned him to buy new batteries for it before Panasonic quits making them.  So far, so good for him. 

 

Everything I've read says that lithium ion batteries die in three years.   Mine are now five years old and were not recent manufacture when I bought them.  I also had two batteries of the newer type that came with cameras (new a6000 and new a7), but they're slightly lower in storage capacity.   I gave one to another friend who has my former a3000.   I have five batteries for three cameras. 

 

My a6000 is running firmware Ver. 3.21 (recent update) and doesn't have a problem with the older style batteries, but since they were selling at a Sony store and in Sony packaging, I think they were authentic Sony batteries.  Also, the warning is for the recent a7 ##  cameras, not the original a7.  I've got two of those, one used, one new, both under $900.

 

That's awfully cheap for genuine Sony batteries. In Nicaragua, they could easily be "grey area" ones, which of course doesn't mean that they aren't OK. I still have a Sony battery that came with a used NEX-3 that I bought in 2012. The battery still works, but not very well, especially in the a6000, which is more of a power gobbler than the older NEX cameras.

 

I see that my a6000 currently has firmware Ver. 3.20. Guess I'm safe to update to 3.21. Thanks for the info.