Canon and Nikon issue service advisories regarding counterfeit batteries

When buying a new camera, one of the first accessories that most people get is one or more extra batteries. However, OEM batteries often come with a considerable price tag, and after an already expensive purchase, there may not be much money left to spend. Luckily, there are third party options available for most camera models which are often a lot cheaper.

And there's nothing wrong with that -- most third party batteries are just as good as those made by the OEMs. Unfortunately, though, there are those manufacturers who are more interested in making quick money rather than providing their customers with quality products. A low-quality or counterfeit battery will just have less battery life if you're lucky, but it can just as well destroy your camera in the worst case.

So, what can you do to protect yourself from ending up with a counterfeit battery that could potentially damage your expensive equipment? First of all, don't let yourself be fooled into thinking you can get an OEM product for half the official price or less. You can't, and you'll be better off getting a good third party battery from a trusted dealer. But if you're in for an original product, both Nikon and Canon have some advice for you.

Over on Nikon's website, you can find a detailed description on how to spot counterfeit batteries, including pictures that compare original Nikon batteries to counterfeit ones. If you're going to buy any of the battery types EN-EL1 , EN-EL2, EN-EL3, EN-EL3e, EN-EL5, EN-EL8, EN-EL9a, EN-EL9, EN-EL10 or EN-EL11, take a look at Nikon's article on how to distinguish the originals from counterfeit products.

Meanwhile, Canon has taken a slightly different approach to informing its customers about how to spot counterfeit batteries, by not only listing the differences between original and counterfeit versions of specific battery types, but rather by dedicating a whole section of its website to the topic. Besides information on how to avoid counterfeit products, the page includes a quiz that trains you in spotting fake batteries as well as an educational video on the topic (watch below.)

So next time you go shopping for batteries, keep in mind that low quality and counterfeit products aren't just cheaper than originals, they're often also dangerous for your gear. And it doesn't really make a lot of sense to buy an expensive new camera and then cheaping out on the batteries, does it?

(via PopPhoto, The Digital Picture)