Using Generic LP-E6 battery packs in a Canon 60

[presch]

I'm considering purchasing a Canon 60D and I notice in the manual for the camera that you can "register" your battery packs (pp269).
(The manual can be found at:
http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/9/0300004019/01/eos60d-im-en.pdf)
You can register up to six battery packs to the camera.

Being of a somewhat suspicious nature it occurred to me that this may be Canon's way of making sure you only use their batteries instead of cheaper generics. (remember inkjet cartridges with chips.)

Has anyone had any experience with this, i.e. successfully used generic batteries in a Canon 60D camera?

[Roosta]

I've brought and still use 3rd party batteries 511 style in my 50d and grip, no problems, I find the 3rd party 511's last longer than that of the Canon badged battery that came with my camera. If you have the original recipt for the battery, you should get the standard 12 month warranty I woul dhave thought. Big brother over batteries seems a little odd to me, but you never know.

If you look under our site sponsors, there is a link to cheap batteries, help the site sponsors aswell. Have heard good feedback, was in a earlier thread (under canon batery grips AA's against 511's)

[canonboy]

hi Presch
I also have a 50d with our sponsors after market battery [ phottix:) !!] the amp hours of the battery are higher than the canon battery -canon make cameras not batteries . I saved about $100 buying phottix rather than genuine.
Canonboy

[Roosta]

Sorry, should have mentioned that I understand our 50d's run a different battery, but I still feel the 3rd party will do you justice over the canon. Thats not to say there is anything wrong with the canon battery to start with.

[presch]

I was a bit surprised to hear that the 50D battery (BP511) and the 60D (LP-E6) battery were interchangeable. Not like Canon to do that.

Currently I use generic BP511's in my Canon 40D and generally I'm happy with them. The quality of generics seems variable. I bought two from an Australian distributor @ about $12 each which were hopeless. They would flatten after about 60 shots.
I now have three from Hong Kong off eBay @ $6.50 each which are fine and so far seem to be as good as original Canons batteries at less than a tenth of the price.

Getting back to my original question, I need to know is do generic LP-E6 batteries work in the Canon 60D camera. As I said in my post I suspect that if I do buy the 60D I may need to use only original Canon batteries and not generics. If that's the case I probably won't buy the camera as I have an aversion to being ripped off when I need accessories. I don't buy Canon lenses for that reason because I object to paying $60-$70 for a plastic lens hood. A lens hood is included when you buy Tamron and Sigma lenses (and probably others).

So, has anyone successfully used generic LP-E6 batteries in a Canon 60D camera?

[blissful]

The 5D Mk2 and the 7D also use the LP-E6 battery.

I have the 7D and have just purchased a generic decoded battery from Hong Kong for around one quarter the price of a Canon. It charged OK in the Canon charger and works well in the 7D, showing its charge status. The only thing I can't do is register it in the camera, no great loss in my view.

While I can't answer your question directly I would be extremely surprised if the 60D didn't do the same as the 7D in this case.

[presch]

...The only thing I can't do is register it in the camera, no great loss in my view...
I agree, there doesn't seem the be much point in having this feature though I might be missing something here. That's why I suspicious of Canon's motives including it.

Hopefully someone will be able to enlighten us eventually.

[twister]

The LP-E6 even for a genuine canon is way cheaper than a BP-511...LP-E6 units can go for $70ish, while the 511s are closer to 100...

[Speedway]

The LP-E6 is the same battery as used in the 7d and as said you can't register them, (this registration is only for keeping track of each individual battery and spotting drop-off in performance, more useful when using a battery grip). I have 2 generic and 1 canon LP-E6's and after over 17000 actuations I can't pick any difference except the generics last a little longer (about 150 actuations).
I'm not 100% sure but I don't think the BP-511 is interchangeable.
Mike; with my generic batteries they came with a warning not to try to use the canon charger as this would destroy the battery. They came with a charger that had the bonus of a 12V car lead as well as 240V. Has this changed.
Keith.

[Stingray]

We have just received a 60D thanks to insurance, last week, and I have been having these thoughts myself ..
with our 300D and 10D (same battery) we purchased a couple extra off ebay from HK and had no issues, and I was thinkin of the same for the 60D,
but had noticed this as well as in the ebay listings they say not to use the canon charger.
(thanks Keith, i will ensure when getting some of ebay to get a charger included - altho this could take a week or 3 with post . LOL .. so might not help you, presch if you want to buy a new camera asap)

[presch]

Daz,
No, I'm not in a rush to buy the 60D. The 40D has served me well even surviving a fall to a bitumen road after I left it on the roof of the car and drove off. :-( It still works fine but I'd like the 60D mainly for the articulated LCD screen. I'm getting on a bit now and when shooting low or at ground level it's become something of a challenge to get up after taking a picture.

As other's have said I'm probably worried over nothing but I'll still wait to see if the 60D accepts generic batteries.

Regards Peter

[blissful]

Mike; with my generic batteries they came with a warning not to try to use the canon charger as this would destroy the battery. They came with a charger that had the bonus of a 12V car lead as well as 240V. Has this changed.
Keith.

Yes, I was concerned about this because I've seen the warnings from many sellers but this was in red on the eBay page from the seller who provided my battery:


It can show the battery life on the camera and can be charged with the original charger

Charging the battery, at least the first time, with the Canon charger was no drama and the battery functions perfectly in the camera.

I do like the idea of an in-car charger, especially in a couple of months when we are touring Tasmania, so I'll probably buy one anyway.

[Stingray]

oh no! @ dropping the 40D off car ... :(
i dropped our trusted 10D .. well..not me .. lol.. i hadnt noticed the clip on the camera bag didnt do up properly, so when i picked bag up .. camera (with soligor 100-400mm lens attached) slipped out and broke :( ... but :) as insurance replaced both with new .. 60D and sigma 120-400mm.. was just a very long month and a half without a 400mm lens :(
lol
and I do agree with the articulated screen ... as we need 2 cameras (kaety and I) and my trusty 300D is just no match for the 60D (arguments will abound here .. LOL)
I was going to go for a 50D twin lens kit (about $1600 or so) but on reflection i decided with my bad back the 60D's screen would be its winner :)

[batterygeek]

Got a ** brand through *removed -commercial promotion * for a good friends 7D camera when they asked my advice knowing I'm a geek in this field. Looking at the suppliers *removed - commercial promotion * they seem to know their batteries better than most in Australia since they also manufacture battery packs (they're not direct retailers unfortunately) so was reasonably confident the product would be a 'safe' lithium battery. My friend reckons it runs nearly as long as the Canon original battery whilst it cost him around half the Canon branded product. Be careful of the Ebay product. It costs less because it often uses rubbish cells inside & may not have the required safety circuit inside that's found in all good lithium rechargeable batteries. They also sell a * removed - commercial promotion * using there own generic batteries. Can't comment on the quality as we haven't bought one yet.

[infl3xion]

Hmm.. bought a genuine LP-E6 for my 7D, because I thought that you needed a separate charger due to the coding or whatever. Guess that ain't true..