Nikon EN-EL4 batteries

[specialman]

Anyone know where I can get these batteries (for D2x) cheap - best price I've found is £87 on amazon for a Nikon one.

Have any of you used the 3rd-party ones and do they work with the capacity readout in the menu system to show charge remaining etc....?

 

[Arkady]

I've 'heard' of issues with 3rd-party batts not being as accurate with charge-remaining readout as Nikon ones.

I'm wary of non-OEM power-packs ever since a drama I had many, many moons ago with a leaking battery.
Manufacturer refused to repair as they said they didn't cover use of non-OEM batteries.
Nor will Nikon if anything goes wrong with yours...

Yes, £80 is a lot for an EN-EL4, especially when the EN-EL4a is a better battery, but peace of mind is worth the additional cost in my book.
Others will disagree and many have no issues with using 3rd-party.
It's just me, I guess...

Have you considered battering your boss over the head for a D3...?

 

[itsdavedotnet]

I use OEM (7dayshop) EN-EL4a batteries in my D300 grips. Works fine, gives the juice reliably to cameras that pay my bills... if one leaked, I could always chuck the grip away I guess, and it'd still cost less than an official one. Don't have that luxury with the D2x.

Afaik, the official charger won't juice them, so you need to get one off ebay, so it makes the price difference a lot smaller between the official and 'fake' if you only need the one.

but yeah, they work fine for me at least, no problems.

 

[Kaouthia]

It's just me, I guess...

It's not just you. I've heard several horror stories similar to yours with 3rd party batteries leaking, as well as one or two stories 3rd party batteries & grips frying electronics in the camera (which, as you mention, isn't covered by warranty).

 

[Kaouthia]

I use OEM (7dayshop) EN-EL4a batteries in my D300 grips. Works fine, gives the juice reliably to cameras that pay my bills... if one leaked, I could always chuck the grip away I guess, and it'd still cost less than an official one. Don't have that luxury with the D2x.

Afaik, the official charger won't juice them, so you need to get one off ebay, so it makes the price difference a lot smaller between the official and 'fake' if you only need the one.

but yeah, they work fine for me at least, no problems.

I'm confused. Are you using OEM batteries (that is, ones actually made by Nikon) or Non-OEM batteries (3rd party ones not made by Nikon)?

If it's an OEM battery, if it leaks, it'd be covered by warranty. An OEM battery is an "official" one.

 

[cowasaki]

7dayshop's are supposed to be pretty good. All the ELEN3e batteries I got from DigitlalRev were as good as Nikon's

Anyone know where you can get a cheap charger for them. I am using 8 x eneloops in my grip rather than a ELEN4 which was the original plan.

 

[itsdavedotnet]

I'm confused. Are you using OEM batteries (that is, ones actually made by Nikon) or Non-OEM batteries (3rd party ones not made by Nikon)?

If it's an OEM battery, if it leaks, it'd be covered by warranty. An OEM battery is an "official" one.

sorry, yes, non-OEM.

pub... :nono:

7dayshop's are supposed to be pretty good. All the ELEN3e batteries I got from DigitlalRev were as good as Nikon's

Anyone know where you can get a cheap charger for them. I am using 8 x eneloops in my grip rather than a ELEN4 which was the original plan.

I got mine off ebay for about £25 iirc.

 

[Kaouthia]

I am using 8 x eneloops in my grip rather than a ELEN4 which was the original plan.

Same, I was going to go for the EN-EL4a (apparently the EN-EL4 doesn't cut it) with the MB-D10 grip on the D300s, but I ended up just using 8x GP2700 batteries. I can live without the extra 0.3fps in continuous shooting mode.

 

[specialman]

TBH, £8 is good value for what you get - 1000+ shots under full use of the review screen and constant autofocussing (I'm a bit heavy on the trigger in anticipation)

I've just ordered an official one because I know that when I used 3rd party ones before in my gripped D200, although good, they weren't as reliable when showing remaining charge as the Nikon ones. I've got two already and I expect my new body will have at least one, but yep, work will have to pay for another new one just to be on the safe side...

....jeez, my house is going to have to be full of chargers at this rate!!

Have you considered battering your boss over the head for a D3...?

I've considered it in my head but not verbally.... hang on, my original budget plan when I took this job had an 'expensive' option of a D3, SB900, 14-24mm, 24-70mm and 70-200mm....


... think I'll still be using a D2x for a while yet

 

[specialman]

Got battery through - more first-rate service from MPB - £54 plus £4 postage.

Battery is actually a EN-EL4a so is 2500mAH rather than 1900mAH. Battery meter says 0 (new) and it's mint, aside from the previous owner tippexing '3' on it, which has come off with a sponge.