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Ever faced a camera crisis right in the middle of a job? In this episode of Photo Breakdown, I explore the unexpected camera mishaps that almost derailed photographers and offer insights on how to avoid them.
"Counterfeit batteries can be a disaster waiting to happen. Stick with trusted brands and always test your gear before heading out for a job."
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Photo Breakdown is a podcast in which we explore the world of photography with a trusted guide, host Scott Wyden Kivowitz. His expertise and passion bring the industry to life as we explore the stories, trends, and ideas shaping it today. Join us as we dissect everything from incredible photographs and creative techniques to the latest gear releases and hot topics in the photography community.
In each episode, we break down what’s happening behind the scenes - whether it’s making a powerful image, a candid discussion on industry trends, or a reflection on the tools and technology changing how we make photographs. You’ll get insights, expert opinions, and a fresh perspective on what’s top of mind for photographers right now.
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Lessons from Counterfeit Batteries and Trusted Alternatives
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[00:00:00] So it was just out for a walk. And while I was out for the walk, I was checking on a new poll that I put inside of the Imagen Community. And that poll was asking. If you people have ever had a camera mishap. Shutter braking. battery's not working. lens, failing, whatever it might be. While on the job, right. 97% of the people who voted so far said yes, 3% said, no. A bunch of comments. And one of the comments really caught my interest and I had to, stop. Open up a video recording app with that transcribed because I transcribe every video reply that I do in the magic community. And, I replied sharing a story about something really.
[00:00:44] Okay. Well, first of all, I got to talk about her. Her comment. Before I talk about my reply, her comment was talking about how the batteries failed. While doing a wedding. And it turned out she was using. Counterfeit batteries. Let's hypothetically say [00:01:00] she was shooting show a Sony camera. and she bought a Sony battery, but it actually, wasn't a Sony battery with a counterfeit. This also happens with cannon.
[00:01:08] there's been tons of articles over the years about counterfeit Canon batteries. Actually with the Canon logo on it, but it's actually a different logo. If you look really closely with that said, And the interesting thing is that I've tested a lot of batteries over the years. Now I've been shooting Nikon. For as long as I can remember. But. I actually. A while back years ago, this is when I was photographing.
[00:01:30] I was using the Nikon D850. Body. as my main work horse and I had, I was starting the transition to migrate to mirrorless. And I had a Nikon Z6. I still use the Z6, but it actually acts as. A webcam when I record podcast episodes or video tutorials or like things that need to be polished.
[00:01:50] if you're watching a clip right now on social media, I'm just using a webcam. I'm not using my Nikon to V6. But, with that said, I bought. I [00:02:00] had a bunch of Nikon batteries. I wanted to get more. Now the beautiful thing about Nikon is that whether you have a . 750 a D850 a D 800. et cetera, et cetera, or any of the Nikon Z. You know, full frame. . Seven. the ZF, the , the Z whatever, whatever.
[00:02:17] Right. Does he ate? They all use the same battery. They all use the same battery. And so I was using my Nikon batteries. Throughout my different bodies. Right. Are you typically have two or three camera bodies right now? I have three. One is basically fixed as video. but I take it off. That. Set up when I need to.
[00:02:39] and. During this transition. I picked up a couple Duracell. Duracell brand batteries for Nikon. And I was like, great. Duracell is now making aftermarket batteries for Nikon bodies. It Duracell. I mean, everybody knows that brand. [00:03:00] It's going to work.it worked on the Nikon D850, it worked on the Nikon Z6. And then I started transitioning. To full mirrorless soul, the D850 got the . when that came out.
[00:03:15] Now you can imagine this timeline, right? This. wasn't out when I got the . The seven was out, but I got disease six. And then. When there's these seven. And two came out that was a replacement for the D850. With a mirrorless Mount. and whatnot, Mirella sensor. mirrorless body, et cetera. And. It was basically a D850. in mirrorless.
[00:03:36] I'm like great. Full transition, sell the F lenses. Convert to Z. Convert to zoom out lenses, et cetera. the Duracell batteries do not work on the Z7II the Z6II the Nikon Zf et cetera. It does not work on those bodies.
[00:03:55] Why Now. The answer is that. [00:04:00] A lot of these camera manufacturers have chips inside their battery. So you can tell if they're counterfeit or the camera can tell if they're counterfeit, the camera can tell if they've been licensed properly. To work well with the camera bodies. And that is one of the reasons, Sony has been doing these chips. For as long as I can remember. Nikon, Canon.
[00:04:19] They started doing it more recently, especially as counterfeits started coming up. Now. The really interesting thing is those Duracell batteries. I still have them. I mean, they work, they just. Only work on my Nikon Z6, which I basically have permanently plugged in. Because I use it as a webcam.
[00:04:38] But I have other aftermarket batteries specifically from a brand I love called SmallRig. SmallRig actually makes a really good dual charger. USB-C dual charger for a lot of different camera brands. I have it for my Nikon, my Nikon battery. So that way when I travel, I don't have to bring a one individual Nikon charger and then use it for everything or bring multiple Nikon [00:05:00] chargers and use it for everything. I can just bring the SmallRig charger and discharged two batteries at once.
[00:05:05] And I can even plug in, if I have my Nikon Z7II Or my Nikon ZF, I can plug the camera in and it'll charge the battery. depending if it's the newer of the Nikon batteries, et cetera. Now. This more rig batteries. That they make to go with their chargers. Have USB C ports in the battery. So that means you can charge them. With. Nikon charger.
[00:05:29] You can charge them with the dual SmallRig charger, or you can plug them directly in using the same cable as your brand new iPhone or your iPad or your headphones or your computer or anything. You can literally charge your Nikon or Canon or Sony, whatever batteries. They buy from SmallRig using the same cable that you charge everything else. And it works in all than I come bodies.
[00:05:52] So. The comment about.Don't use third party bake batteries, et cetera. I say yes and [00:06:00] no. Counterfeit. Is don't use those. That's my answer. But if it is a third party, There's a 50 50 shot. You would think the brand Duracell would work? But they apparently went to go the cheap route and didn't get it to work with the new Z bodies. For whatever reason, my guess is the chip could be that just electronics were wrong.But SmallRig, they did it right.
[00:06:26] And their third-party batteries work perfect in all of the Nikon bodies. No problem. And have the, the bonus perk of that USB-C port for charging. So. Batteries are important. They've been important for a very long time. As I said, Sony's been a stickler for what batteries go in their cameras. Since they started making digital cameras. That's going on almost 20 years, maybe. Give or take.
[00:06:52] But. I've had no problem with Moring batteries so far. And there are some others that are very similar that should not give you a [00:07:00] problem. Sometimes it's trial and error. The beautiful thing is you can buy a battery from a reputable camera store. Try it. If it doesn't work, they're going to take it back. They're going to take it back.
[00:07:11] So.
[00:07:13] You don't always have to spend a fortune on the camera brand battery. Because you can buy two SmallRigs for the price of one Nikon battery. Or one Canon battery or one Sony battery and so on. So, Consider that. Consider that. And, yeah, that's all I got to say. About batteries.