Battery question

divamum

Can you use an OEM battery and an aftermarket battery of slightly different aH rating in the battery grip together without causing any problems? Just researching purchasing a grip and trying to figure out if I need to get two matched batteries or can double up one new one with my xsi's original oem cell.

TIA!

Corehead

It's best to match those charge capacities, or else the one with the lower capacity (OEM or aftermarket, Mox Nix) will always drop out first, leaving you holding the bag. That "weakest link" think, you know.

Regardless, make certain that the batteries are:

• the SAME TYPE (no mixing Li-ion with NiMH, for instance--especially when CHARGING ), and

• the same VOLTAGE

Hope that helps!

Steve-o

divamum

Thanks. Sounds like I'll do better to get a matched pair - as far as I can tell, there isn't an exactly-matched-ah aftermarkett one (I assume the other parameters are the same, otherwise they'd fry the camera wouldn't they?!)

Art Scott

divamum wrote:

Thanks. Sounds like I'll do better to get a matched pair - as far as I can tell, there isn't an exactly-matched-ah aftermarkett one (I assume the other parameters are the same, otherwise they'd fry the camera would'nt the?!)

For mt cams....I have found aftermarket batts at below what came with cam and also 300Mah above......I try to always buy the higher Mah (2000Mah) for my cameras.

divamum

One further question on this: can somebody confirm that the BGE5 (xsi) grip can run with only ONE rechargeable battery in it? (This would be AWESOME news if true, because it would mean I could wait on buying extra batteries.....)

pyry

divamum wrote:

One further question on this: can somebody confirm that the BGE5 (xsi) grip can run with only ONE rechargeable battery in it? (This would be AWESOME news if true, because it would mean I could wait on buying extra batteries.....)

I would be very, very surprised if it didn't work - it's supposed to be a portrait grip as well as a battery one. I've got two grips and both do that (though I'll have to admit that those are for the 300D and the 20D and both use bp-511 packs).

You should also be able to run two different batteries at different charge levels without problems, but matched pairs will of course give you more consistent and reliable results.

Edit: review of the grip here says it will run with one battery.

divamum

Thanks Pyr. Yes, I saw that review too which is in fact what prompted me to ask the question of our family of dgrin expert witnesses

Still waiting to find out if I got one used, but if that doesn't play out at least I can wait on extra batteries and shave some money off the purchase to go towards the Lens Fund.

Gah... this camera thing is eating me alive! I love love LOVE the xsi and am soooo glad I started the upgrade path with that first (was definitely the right choice for me, despite my somewhat limited glass), but now I'm having to drag everything else up as well.......

Scott_Quier

divamum wrote:

Gah... this camera thing is eating me alive! I love love LOVE the xsi and am soooo glad I started the upgrade path with that first (was definitely the right choice for me, despite my somewhat limited glass), but now I'm having to drag everything else up as well.......

It's a never ending and visious cycle. You get a decent body, then you need decent glass, then better lighting, then a light meter, then you start working for money and need a more responsive body, then you need faster glass and one or more flashes to work the darker venues, then .... it just never stops. Ain't it great!

As for the batteries, have you checked out SterlingTek. Unless I've made a mistake, you can get batteries for your XSi here for $24.49 (+ s/h, of course) as compared to $55 from B&H. I've used the SterlingTek batteries, the BP-511 replacements for my cameras for a number of years with no issues.

divamum

Scott_Quier wrote:

It's a never ending and visious cycle. You get a decent body, then you need decent glass, then better lighting, then a light meter, then you start working for money and need a more responsive body, then you need faster glass and one or more flashes to work the darker venues, then .... it just never stops. Ain't it great!

As for the batteries, have you checked out SterlingTek. Unless I've made a mistake, you can get batteries for your XSi here for $24.49 (+ s/h, of course) as compared to $55 from B&H. I've used the SterlingTek batteries, the BP-511 replacements for my cameras for a number of years with no issues.

Yes, I can see the cycle already emerging... gaaahhh!

Yeah, Sterlingtek are in my bookmarks - my thanks to you (and others) for that reccomendation. I'm just trying to figure out how to get all these things I need within my (limited) budget - since one battery provides ample shooting time for me at the moment, if I can run the grip with just the one I already have until a later date that's $25 of current funds I can divert towards other goodies (read: about 40% the price of an onsale huey pantone calibrator, which is also on my shopping list!!)

Thanks!