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This has been a subject for the ages. Buy new from the manufacturer or aftermarket from Amazon or eBay. Most OEM batteries from the manufacturer are pricey and the question is are they worth it in the long run? The short answer for me is Yes. I have tried both options and have a good reason to stick with the OEM option. The question may remain for you, so I decided to get this blog together so you can hear both sides and then decide for yourself which works for you.

Let’s start with the big bad OEM batteries. The first thing I hear in any conversation about batteries is the cost. I also found myself in this camp in the beginning. As new photographers, we are just realizing that photography is expensive. Expense a side we can all agree that batteries play a major role in your business or hobby and we should all be carrying at least one backup. What are the advantages of buying right from the manufacturer? The biggest one for me is reliability. Just knowing that it will work when you need it to, PERIOD. The battery's life is also a reason to go for this option. These batteries will last years if not a full decade if they are taken care of. I have a few that are ten years old and they still take and hold a charge. Lastly, they are still compatible with my newer cameras, which is a big deal because Canon does not like you using aftermarket options at all.

After-market batteries can be great, too, but they will have some quirks you need to know about before deciding to go this route. Like the OEM options price is a big reason many will automatically default to this as their only option. Batteries in this portion of the battery market can be iffy, if that is even a word. Like Forrest Gump famously said “Life is like a box of Chocolates, You never know what your going to get.” This is true with aftermarket batteries. I have gotten some that were DOA and others that worked great for a month or so and then stopped taking charge. While others just stopped working right in the middle of a shoot with clients standing right next to me. There are a few brands out there that I do like, which are a little better than others but you do still run that risk I mentioned just a minute ago. With that said, I have some that have worked just as well and held up for a few years. The bottom line is that you have a choice to make: live a little and just go for an aftermarket one, or be optimistic that it will work great right out of the box, and you can lean on the fact that you know it will be reliable, too. Kastar is a brand I own and have come to rely on for my older Canon C100 MK ll because there is no longer a new option available. You can buy Kastar online through eBay. If you should decide to try them out, please use our eBay link so I can earn a small commission on your purchase.

Are after-market batteries OK to use?

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