All Models 3rd party battery: stuck in camera

FowlersFreeTime

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Well this is not a comfortable feeling: I just changed a battery in my a6400, and I thought I felt a bit more resistance than usual. So I went to pop the battery back out and... nothing. It didn't budge at all. I had the battery in my pocket for about an hour prior. I had no idea that body heat could make a battery swell. Now in all fairness, this is one of two 3rd party batteries I have for the a6400, and although they still hold a charge, they are both slightly swollen compared to the original Sony battery, but only barely perceptible to the casual observer.

Would all batteries behave the same, or should I just replace these batteries?
Aside from original Sony batteries, does anyone have good experiences with 3rd party replacement batteries?

EDIT I'm probably going to discard them, my question is more along the lines of, do you have a 3rd party battery brand you trust?
 
20230123_144320.jpg
  • SM-G975U
  • 4.3 mm
  • ƒ/2.4
  • 1/40 sec
  • ISO 500
 
Update: I managed to get it out of the camera. Neither 3rd party battery are going back in.
 
20230123_153221.jpg
  • SM-G975U
  • 4.3 mm
  • ƒ/2.4
  • 1/40 sec
  • ISO 320

You can tell from the scratches where the batteries have expanded.
 
Yup. I use Wasabi. I have also used PowerExtra and Kastar. FWIW, B&H includes Wasabi in their kits. While it's rare for one to swell, there are still precautions you need to take.

1) Never charge in-camera. If it swells, you're screwed.
2) If there is any resistance at all when inserting the battery, stop. The battery should drop in easily. I think you figured that one out.

I posted this quite a while ago. I have used aftermarket batteries in Panasonic G9, Gx9, G7, and FZ-70, Nikon 5600 (daughter's), and Sony A6000, A7RIII, and A7 IV. Had one swell when it was charged in-camera (GX9), got it out easily enough but learned that lesson and now only charge in a charger. The cost comparison is at the bottom of this post.

https://www.alphashooters.com/commu...-on-my-own-experience-a7r-iii-and-a7-iv.4681/
 
I just can't bring myself to buy an OEM battery for $54 when I can get A PAIR of Wasabi batteries for $23. Amazon order placed. Hope it gets here before Thursday's event.
 
I just can't bring myself to buy an OEM battery for $54 when I can get A PAIR of Wasabi batteries for $23. Amazon order placed. Hope it gets here before Thursday's event.
If you have an OEM battery go bad in the camera, it will be covered under warranty, if it is an after market one it will not be. For me the extra cost is like insurance pay now or pay later.
 
If you have an OEM battery go bad in the camera, it will be covered under warranty, if it is an after market one it will not be. For me the extra cost is like insurance pay now or pay later.
Which is definitely a consideration until the camera is out of warranty. After that it's irrelevant.

Here's the thing, and this is directed to no one in particular and everyone equally:

Tens of thousands of people use aftermarket batteries every day. I've used them for thousands and thousands of shots. I probably shoot more in an afternoon at the track than most people do in a month. I have charged them over, and over, and over again. I am indiscriminate as to which battery gets put in. Whichever one I grab out of the bag is fine. No problems. Yes, there are horror stories out there, but they are the exception by a huge margin. Think about it, if these batteries were as bad as all that these companies would be out of business in short order.

I am not telling you that you should go out and buy aftermarket batteries, you do you. What I am telling you is that refusing to buy them because of reports by an extremely small margin of users is an overaction. It's like anything else, you only hear about complaints. They get repeated over and over and become legend. If everyone who used and liked them (and there are many of us, by evidence of how many companies make them) posted how they never have a problem, we'd outweigh the other by a thousand to one.
 
To each his own, I do not trust aftermarket camera batteries never have. Any chance that a battery will ruin my camera is not worth the risk for me. I also never use off brand tires on my cars or trucks, yes they are cheaper but again it is all about trust in a brand and their quality control. Come to think of it I also do not use aftermarket batteries on my cordless tools either. If some after market battery company was making a better battery rather than a cheaper one, maybe, but you only find that in other applications. For me the extra cost of the battery from the camera manufacturer is small compared to the cost of the camera body. Buy what you feel is right.
 
To each his own, I do not trust aftermarket camera batteries never have. Any chance that a battery will ruin my camera is not worth the risk for me. I also never use off brand tires on my cars or trucks, yes they are cheaper but again it is all about trust in a brand and their quality control. Come to think of it I also do not use aftermarket batteries on my cordless tools either. If some after market battery company was making a better battery rather than a cheaper one, maybe, but you only find that in other applications. For me the extra cost of the battery from the camera manufacturer is small compared to the cost of the camera body. Buy what you feel is right.
It may interest you to know that there are only a handful of tire manufactures. Even Michelins come from overseas now. Same with appliances, car batteries, etc. etc. ad-nauseum. The days of independent manufacturing are gone. But I agree completely with your last sentence. Like I said, you do you.
 
It may interest you to know that there are only a handful of tire manufactures. Even Michelins come from overseas now. Same with appliances, car batteries, etc. etc. ad-nauseum. The days of independent manufacturing are gone. But I agree completely with your last sentence. Like I said, you do you.
I think your assumption that many tire companies have merged makes for a just few manufactures but that is not true, there are over 50 tire companies or groups, with over 400 plants worldwide. But that was not my complete point, what I meant was even if one is buying say a Michelin, there are different styes and qualities depending on your needs and wants. I know from experience that BFG(owned by Michhelin) or Nitto(Owned by Toyo) care and put more in their tires than say some offbrand off road truck tire, they have a vested interest in performance, than being the lowest cost per mile. To continue with this example if one's choice is max miles per dollar, then I would not pick either, but if you want your best chance of getting home from the rock or mud covered trail either along with a few others would be the right choice. I prefer to trust the brand that has a proven record. As I said earlier one has to make the choice that makes the most sense for you.
 
I think your assumption that many tire companies have merged makes for a just few manufactures but that is not true, there are over 50 tire companies or groups, with over 400 plants worldwide. But that was not my complete point, what I meant was even if one is buying say a Michelin, there are different styes and qualities depending on your needs and wants. I know from experience that BFG(owned by Michhelin) or Nitto(Owned by Toyo) care and put more in their tires than say some offbrand off road truck tire, they have a vested interest in performance, than being the lowest cost per mile. To continue with this example if one's choice is max miles per dollar, then I would not pick either, but if you want your best chance of getting home from the rock or mud covered trail either along with a few others would be the right choice. I prefer to trust the brand that has a proven record. As I said earlier one has to make the choice that makes the most sense for you.
Do you have a list to cite?
 
Do you have a list to cite?
there are these two web sites one with a list of the top 30 as of 2021
and then there is an older one supposedly with all of them and what brands they make, which needs updating
 
Well that's not something I've seen before. Unusual, but glad you got it out. I have some Powerextra batteries that are great, and last as long as the Sony OG. They came with a great twin charger too.

BTW, it's TYRE!
 
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