Topic: Canon Powershot replacement batteries?

[gewwang]

I got a Canon SD630 for my wife for mother's day. It's much nicer to use than the Canon S50 it replaced. But I ran the lithium-ion battery down fairly quickly today and am now in the market for a better battery or maybe just have 2-3 spares to take with the camera and swap in when the battery gets low.

Anyone know if the generic brands that work with the Canon's are any better (more battery life)? They appear to be about 50% of the price of the Canon brand on amazon.

[guitard]

I'll just say this...

You'll find loads of sellers on eBay that make claims like, "Identical specs as Japanese made batteries" or "Core made in Japan and assembled in China."  Or some variation there of.  I'd stay away from them.  They will be a lot less in price - but equally if not more less in quality.

Stick with OEM batteries, and get them from a reputable dealer (lots of counterfeits out there).

[mdarnton]

I've gotten ebay batteries for several different things I own, and MOSTLY my experience has been good: eight batteries, as four sets of two, and only one individual was a dud. I didn't initially notice that often the ones listed are lower amp-hour ratings than the manufacturer's own, and one pair ran very short, so the last couple of times I've been more careful about reading the details. Still, I'm way ahead of where I'd have been buying Canon's own, for instance. Since lith-ion batteries normally don't have more than a year or two of life, and need to be replaced sooner rather than later, I figure I can buy a few duds and still come out OK in the very long run. Watch the shipping, though!

As O-Canis says, it sure is nice not to have to worry about running out of juice--I don't take my charger on trips anymore, for instance.