On May 14, 4:03 pm, mstroz <mark.stroz
...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
> Has anyone had any experience with using after-market batteries? I'm
> about to buy a few back-up batteries for a Canon XH A1 camcorder and
> plunking down $160 to $200 per battery is a bit more than I want to
> spend.
> Are there potential problems using non-OEM batteries?
> Also, if it's ok (advisable) to use an off-brand battery is there a
> one you could recommend?
> Thanks in advance.
> Mark
My experience (over 8 years): eBay'd the cheapest battery promised to
fit my equipment (Sony, IBM, Dell, Panasonic, Samsung, Hitachi); total
around 15 batteries in 10 purchases. One dead-on-arrival
battery...phone call to vendor...they FedEx-overnight
replacement...which worked fine. Note I don't provide names. Reason:
Vendors are almost 100% garage or store-front, drop-ship operations
that change names about once per week. Buy the cheapest that has an
accurate match with your equipment. Amp-hour capacities (mAh-hr, etc)
on most "generic" replacements are "optimistic" sometimes. Sometimes
not. If you have Sony equipment, there is a reasonable chance that a
generic replacement won't pass the equipment's "Genuine Sony" test,
and will shut down. Had that happen...the vendor refunded my purchase
and shipping both ways. They then recommended another vendor, who sold
me (same price, more or less) a pair of batteries that DID pass the
Sony test (Sony DCR-TRV33). Bottom line: Persistance and good luck!
