Battery question

[flashcard]

Hello there. This is my first post on this site. Thanks in advance for you help.

Here is my question/problem:

I have a Canon S30 Digital 3.2 Megapixels camera. The camera is about 3 or 4 years old. I love it and it has done me right. But i need to buy a spare battery now, for the first time, and i wonder what kind i should buy. I have shopped around a bit and here is what i have found.

Canon batteries are more expensive than other brand batteries

1. Is it ok to use generic (or made in China) batteries in my Canon Digital camera? Is it safe?
2. I have been told that the company AP makes good batteries. Is it true?

Next, the battery that came with the camera has this info listed on the back.
Battery Pack NB-2L
7.4V
570mAh

One salesman showed me a battery with this info on it:
7.4V
720 mAh
He said that this is a longer lasting battery pack. It will give me a longer charge. Is this true? Is that what 720 mAh means? Is this battery ok to use in my camera? It is generic and made in China.

Another salesman showed me a battery with this info on it:
AP Company
7.2V
800mAh
Is this battery ok to use in my camera? The salesman said AP is a good reliable reputable company. Is this true? I am worried about the 7.2V, since my current camera battery is 7.4V. The salesman said it was fine. Is it? What do you think?

My main concern is that these batteries wont blow out my camera. I want a good battery and longer life would be nice too. again is it ok to use a 7.2V battery in my camera, even though the current battery is 7.4V?

Generally speaking, what advise can you offer on buying a battery?

Thank you so very much for reading all that. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

[Peter_AUS]

They won't blow out your camera, but you need to get the 7.4V battery with the highest mAh, that way they will last longer before needed recharge. Generic Batteries these days are much better than they used to be in the past, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Many people buy After Market Batteries for their cameras, other than Named Brands Like CANON which yes are very expensive.

[flashcard]

thanks.

so i should stay away from the 7.2V battery?

[Peter_AUS]

Yes Stay Away from the 7.2V battery. Incidentally after seeing your post I went hunting for a couple of BP-511 batteries for myself and found some on Ebay (checked the feedback on the one I was looking at), purchased two of them, they are 7.4V 1600mAh batteries posted from Hong Kong at a very reasonable price as well.

Look here, might save you some money.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NB-2L-NB-2LH-...QQcmdZViewItem

[flashcard]

hum... some say 7.2V "No Way!" and some say 7.2V "It's Ok" i wonder which ones to follow. of course i can just be safe and go with 7.4, like my current battery is...

thanks for you reply.

[Peter_AUS]

Think of normal every day batteries which are 1.5v batteries, they last a relatively long time. Then think of rechargeable batteries they are only 1.2v batteries and last not quite as long as the normal 1.5v chuck away after use batteries, but are able to power the device in which you put them like an off camera flash. Hence why people by rechargeable batteries which are usually NiMH or Nicad rechargeable batteries. But their performance won't usually match normal alkaline 1.5v batteries, but rechargeables have the benefits of not throwing them away but recharging.

So if you use a 7.2V battery in your camera, one of two things will happen. Either the camera won't work because it is looking for a 7.4V battery or the battery won't last as long as a 7.4V battery, given that their mAh are the same.

My advice to everyone would be get the 7.4V and that way you should not have a problem with keep to the specs of the camera. What people do with this advice as always is entirely up to them. Just remember, if damage is done, it is done, but atleast you know basically where you stand with matching up Voltages don't you, as appossed to using lower Voltage batteries.

Power plugs work the same with equipment, the convert the power to a level that matches the transformer built in to the plug to match the output needed for the equipment you are connecting them to. So a 6V output might or might not power up the computer speakers you attached them to, because they really need an output of 5.5V.

I hope that makes sense to you.

[flashcard]

Yea Peter, that makes sense. that is what i have been thinking, in regards to the battery voltage question.

thanks.

[patsy999]

just to add my 2 cents to your query Flashcard ive been using generic batteries for ages and had no problems but you do need to confirm the voltage before buying as to loow or high voltage can seriously damage a camera. belive me i know!!

so just to leave you with a like to a company ive used for my batteries for some time now digiprintuk. great ppl to talk to if royal mail decides not to post a item. very helpful
www.digiprintuk.com

[another view]

Stick with the correct voltage, that way you know there won't be any problems. 7.2v on a 7.4v camera might be OK, but then maybe not - and it could be an expensive lesson. I have four batteries for my Coolpix - the one Nikon battery that came with it, another bought from B&H with a slightly higher mAh capacity, and two really cheap ones from ebay with a higher capacity yet. It's not like Canon and Nikon actually make the batteries; they buy them from someone made to their spec and slap a label on them. Think of the mAh as the size of the gas tank on your car - the higher the number, the farther it will take you before filling up again (or recharging...).

However, in my SLR gear I've been using NiMh rechargeable AA's for a couple of years now and they are 1.2v instead of 1.5v. I haven't had any problem and have found that the 2100mAh cells last at least twice as long as AA alkalines. The other benefits are that they will pay for themselves quickly, and you won't have to throw them away (batteries can have some hazardous chemicals in them).

[Peter_AUS]

Just an update on the batteries I purchased. They arrived safely in the mail, within about 5 days, fully charged up, although I did put them again on the charger to make sure. Placed in camera and everything works perfectly well. When I have used them a few times I will report back on how long they last compared to the battery that came in the cameras. My daughter and wife like using the lcd to take pictures on the Canon G3, so that will be a good test for the batteries.