Comparing Panasonic to Third Party Batteries

[@AliasMrHackenbacker]

Thank you for making this video. I understood exactly what you were saying and would be interested in future updates. I have used 3rd party batteries but being mostly a stills shooter i haven't been affected so much with shorter run time. I have noticed as others have pointed out a swelling in the 3rd party batteries, this is why I don't charge them in the camera only using the travel charger. I have recently sent back to Amazon a 3rd party battery that was so swollen it wouldn't fit easily into the camera.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

A few other comments made about swollen batteries - I will add that note of caution to my next newsletter as well.

[@chiangmaicharlies]

Solid information in your video , as usual Graham. I bought 2 "Chili Power" batteries and charger a couple of years ago. Without your scientific analysis, I soon realized the 3rd party batteries were inferior, with one expanding after little use and being difficult to remove from the camera body. Never again.

[@ZitoVino]

Impressive. I have several 3rd party batteries but I always feel better putting the actual Panasonic batteries in my cameras. But I am glad that you didn't say there was a danger of damage with the 3rd party batteries. Thank you so much for your expertise.

[@HamiltonSRink]

I also noticed the reduced use time of the 3rd party batteries. Seems as though the ratio of reduced power is equal to the reduced price, more or less.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

probably a good approximation!

[@HamiltonSRink]

@@GrahamHoughton12 Got a question that you might like: I am lucky enough to have both a G9 and an FZ2500. With both set to 3:2 aspect ratio, and jpg fine, the image size is different, even though they both have 20mp sensors. G9 5184x3456, FZ2500 5472x3648. What is going on here?

[@svendtambis8724]

I have enjoyed the videos you have done featuring the FZ80. It's helped me make the most use of my camera, and I appreciate your content. Would you happen to recommend a good tripod for this camera? I am by no means a "photographer", but I do like going outdoors and taking pictures of landscapes and distant objects (such as planes and structures). My main problem is that my current budget tripod isn't sturdy, and light gusts of wind causes motion/blur in many of my shots. Panning is also difficult, since the budget tripod lacks smooth control and produces noise.

[@dapb-le2mk]

Very informative, I bought a couple of the third party batteries a year ago, it will be interesting to see how they match up to the Panasonic ones. Any thoughts on the travel charger itself? I bought it just to avoid charging my battery in the camera, so the batteries were almost a bonus.

[@rocknationac7332]

I recently replaced most of my year-old third-party Lumix FZ80/82 batteries. This very weekend, one of the remaining old batteries wouldn't come out of the camera's compartment without the help of pliers. When I inserted and removed one the newer batteries, however, it worked normally. It reminded me of when I had my very first mobile phone -- after about a year, the back cover wouldn't stay on. It turned out to be due to the battery being so worn, it had begun to bloat. Could history be repeating itself? I laid the old camera battery on the table next to a new one -- and sure enough, while the new one lay perfectly flat, I was able to rock the corners of old one: its middle had begun to expand, and that's why it got stuck in the compartment!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

That's a very good point and I had forgotten about in-camera charging. Here the situation is made worse because there is no air circulation to dissipate any heat generated during the charging cycle.

[@rocknationac7332]

@@GrahamHoughton12 So in-camera charging should be avoided? I've done it only once because I'd neglected to bring along extra batteries, but fortunately I had a battery charger.

[@44Mag]

I bought that 2-battery and charger kit. One battery lasted about a year, the other about 14 months. They both wound up swelling up while they were inserted in the camera. Granted, on both occasions, I had left them in the camera for a couple months without using it. When I got the camera out and saw it would not turn on, I tried to remove the battery, only to find it had swelled up. I had to pry it out with a knife. (On both batteries, about 2 months apart) The original Panasonic battery is still working fine, under the same conditions and use. If you only have the one original battery, then I would say the generic two-battery with charger kit is still a good value though, as long as you are willing to replace them every 12-18 months. (The charger seems to work fine, and having a spare is handy) In the long run, the Panasonic battery will be cheaper though, since they last longer. (buy once, cry once)

[@roblloyd1879]

Been their myself, would now only buy Panasonic batteries.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Yes I had forgotten about in-camera charging where the temperature can rise even more because there is no air circulation to help cool them.

[@alfsallander3400]

I do buy third party batteries for the sole reason that they can be found bundled with a charger that can take two or even three batteries at the same time. In the field I mainly use original batteries with the third party batteries as spares.

[@DaveAMcLaughlin]

Very informative video, Graham. thank you!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Thank you for your comment.

[@vorrison]

Hi Graham, Thanks for a very informative video. This together with many of the comments has convinced me to buy genuine Panasonic batteries for my FZ330. Unfortunately I can't find them either on Amazon or on the Panasonic site. I had previously purchased a couple of DSTE batteries, following your previous recommendations but they both failed in well less than a year, so I don't want to go back to these. Do you have any other recommendations following your testing?

[@FilmTrekk]

Thank you so much for this in depth review! great channel

[@hansminnema2162]

Graham, great video as usual. I have FZ1000, and I use 3rd party batteries for years without any problems. I also use for DSLR cameras without problems. I think many people don’t care if they last less time.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

I think the ones who shoot video for longer shoots are the ones more likely to look for better batteries or use other power sources. Stills photographers probably benefit from the cheaper ones.

[@crbooth1224]

Is the charger that comes with the camera able to charge in the car or is it wall plug only?

[@OldIronVideo]

How long does the orginal last shooting 4k video

[@bookedsam]

Where can I buy the official Panasonic batteries? On Amazon they're £90

[@exurban5207]

Thanks a lot for this again highly interesting video! I bought a vhbw battery for my fz48 years ago and it has been working perfectly like the genuine one until today. Abour 12 months ago I have bought a pair of Patona batteries for my EOS 100d and they both have been disappointing from a short while after the purchase. Seems to be a kind of lottery. 🤔

[@garypoole716]

Excellent Graham clever stuff, I use third party batteries just as a stand by as I don’t do a lot videos so suits me fine! I can get a couple of days shooting out of the Panasonic Batts on a city break no trouble! Gary.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

I've change my shooting to video only with the Panasonic batteries and stills with third party ones now.

[@AndrewWaltonPhotography]

Interesting stuff Graham. I have the DSTE batteries and charger and so far they're ok but just past that 12 months mark. I tend to shoot more stills than video so perhaps that is why I've not noticed the drop off. Having the external charger was one of the reasons why I went for a third party set up for my fz82. I'd be interested to see if you can find an aftermarket battery that is more reliable.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

I will be purchasing some for freezer tests and long term storage so it should be an interesting test to run.

[@hubby-tubadventures01]

Graham, can you let me know where I can get an original charger (and batteries) for the FZ82. I just got the new camera and after seeing this vid you've deterred me from getting the snide ones. Googled for the last half hour. no joy. Put a link up please if you have one. UK supplier if possible.

[@RobertTaylor-zt1ci]

I bought two of those batteries without the charger on Amazon back in May, I charge them using the charger that came with me camera (Lumix G80). I get about the same length of time as the Panasonic battery. Have you tried charging them with both chargers to see if you get different results. Thanks for the information in your video.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Yes I have tried charging them with an extended 8.4v float charge but the increase in capacity is minimal plus this also contributes to electrode plating and even more reduction in capacity.

[@RobertTaylor-zt1ci]

Thanks for the reply, I'll see how mine perform as time goes by.

[@gordonlane9457]

Hi Graham, watched with interest, have always used EXpro BLC12 's & considered to be great little batteries, but the last two I've had, long before I've noticed power loss and although they have a lot of use, less than 12 months old, have started to swell, to the point where they're a snug fit in the camera & no longer feel comfortable using them in case they get stuck. Perhaps just another reason to purchase original Panasonic batteries.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Thanks Gordon, I will be adding that note to the article in my next newsletter as af ew other comments have surfaced that point.

[@angheloiumarius]

I use Patons BLC12 and there are amazing

[@MrOldhoot]

Stupidly I've made the mistake of buying repro batteries too often. I bought 3 Duracell copies of the Nikon P510 battery, absolutely useless, wouldn't hold a charge for more than a few days. Exactly the same with some of their AA rechargeable batteries. How a company with a supposedly good name could put their name to them I don't know. Others I've had for other cameras have been equally useless. Having learnt I've now got 3 original batteries for my FZ1000 which are quite old now but still ok. Although it hurts in the pocket it pays in the long run. Thanks for the excellent video.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Thanks for that interesting comment. I would suspect that there must have been severe discharge of prolonged overcharge for the cells not to hold the charge for more than a couple of days. I have one that self discharges in a matter of hours but the clue is that it only takes a short time to recharge it

[@JohnClulow]

Excellent video!

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Thank you, really appreciated.

[@tammyowens7776]

my battery fully charged lasted only about an hour. its the one recommended to buy with the camera. Im very disappointed.

[@christinecoughlan4699]

How to store the batteries for a long period?

[@merlinthegray1]

The accepted method is to charge them to about 80% and then keep them out of the battery. Leaving a fully charged battery for an extended period of time reduces capacity because of the reaction between the lithium electrode and the electrolyte

[@autobotsNdecepticons]

I have to say my experience with third-party rechargeable batteries is basically the same--not only for cameras, but laptops and smartphones as well. They all die faster, not just over time but from the beginning. They are cheap, but it takes two or three of them to match the runtime of the OEM batteries.

[@oneeyedphotographer]

Sounds like your third party batteries have a different chemistry, and so the different output voltage. I don't think the weight of the batteries is relevant, the chemical power isn't in the electrolyte, it's in the cathode and/or anode. I have been using Wasabi batteries for some years, I haven't noticed them performing differently from my Canon batteries. I also have Olympus and Panasonic cameras and Wasabi batteries, but not for much more than 18 months. My big beef is that batteres for my Panasonic cameras are so very similar to the batteries for my Canon cameras, but they are too different to be interchangeable.

[@rdavis666]

Great advice and loved the science lesson. . I'm glad I did invest in and buy a genuine Panasonic battery as a spare for my Panasonic FZ 330. In the past I have videoed a lot of band/music sessions at up to 45 minutes per take before having to change battery from the original Panasonic to the genuine spare knowing that I would get a second session in without running out of power. P.S. I should add that this was using fully charged batteries and not using power for the zoom lens.

[@GrahamHoughton12]

45 minutes seems a good run time based on about 600mA camera current during video recording

[@christinecoughlan4699]

????? ??

[@patterdalezipsuzilil]

They swell and burst I wouldn't put third batteries ever again

[@wtfkurtis]

what do you expect from a battery which cost 2 for $20? LOL

[@GrahamHoughton12]

Everyone loves a bargain but buyer beware should be the words here!

[@petrosianus]

all the 3rd party batteries sucked compared to Panasonic.