OEM vs Off Brand Accessories

[mikecarlotto]

Hi,

I'm sure these things come up regularly amongst most users I know I've been debating with myself for some time about which route is better to go down.

But generally speaking what do you guys tend to go with? Do you go with OEM products or try to save some cash and take a small risk with the off brand accessories?

It's obviously rather hard because a lot of the time you can't always test the off brand items because most stores only carry OEM products.

My debate has been over a Phottix grip vs a Canon grip for my 450D. I keep going back and forth daily about which is "better"

Cheers,
Mike.

[aim54x]

I personally use a mix of both original brand accessories of off brand stuff. As for the battery grip...personally I use a Nikon MB-D10 for my D300 but having seen the quality for the Phottix gear at PMA I would have no problems grabbing a Phottix MB-D10 if I had to buy again. However the decision is up to you as you will be ulitmately using the camera and accessories.

[Mr Darcy]

I use the "you get what you pay for" principle.
If it's cheap, it's probably cheap for a reason & that may not be obvious when it's shiny & new.
However, some things you pay for you may not want to pay for:
The brand name. Well known brands build in a premium for the brand. This applies to handbags and computers as well as camera gear. When I worked for IBM, their markup on Personal computers was 7% over the otherwise identically specced Compaq model. They used Compaq for their price point in those days. Hell, they sold personal computers in those days.
Features you won't use. The classic, for me, is the camera in a phone.
Durability. If its a use once scenario, it doesn't need to be built like a tank. If it is going to travel the desert & be used daily, it probably does.

[Murray Foote]

I've had poor experience with third party remotes, including Photix, but my Nikon one works fine. I don't know whether that applies to the electronic ones (which don't have a cable).

I've used third party batteries in a Panasonic FZ50 but I wouldn't buy a third-party battery for a D3 or D700 or D300. They might cook the camera and the cameras cost too much for the risk to be worthwhile IMO.

Regards,
Murray

[Mr Darcy]

I've had poor experience with third party remotes, including Photix, but my Nikon one works fine. I don't know whether that applies to the electronic ones (which don't have a cable).

I've used third party batteries in a Panasonic FZ50 but I wouldn't buy a third-party battery for a D3 or D700 or D300. They might cook the camera and the cameras cost too much for the risk to be worthwhile IMO.

Regards,
Murray

I'd be very surprised if a battery designed for a specific camera would damage it (leakage excepted). Cooking a camera would only happen if the voltage were excessive, and as the voltage depends on chemistry, the can't really play with that. I would be more worried about poor performance (# Shots) or an early death of the battery. Both of these could result if they skimp on the chemicals. If the battery shorted out, it would damage the charger, but not the camera.

[mikecarlotto]

Just to follow up on my topic, I decided last night to purchase the canon grip. I had to be realistic and know that I'm going to have that body for 4-5 years atleast so I didn't want to spend half the price of the canon on getting something that could die after a year or two or have it break or malfunction during that time. I want reliability, or atleast the sense of it.

Got to say, the canon one feels great, picked it up for a good price ($160 from DD Photographics) and seems rock solid.

I definately wouldn't buy canon for things like lens hoods or similar parts that don't have moving bits or electronics. I'm sure someone in China can make a peice of plastic the same for 1/3 of the price.

[Murray Foote]

I've had poor experience with third party remotes, including Photix, but my Nikon one works fine. I don't know whether that applies to the electronic ones (which don't have a cable).

I've used third party batteries in a Panasonic FZ50 but I wouldn't buy a third-party battery for a D3 or D700 or D300. They might cook the camera and the cameras cost too much for the risk to be worthwhile IMO.

Regards,
Murray

I'd be very surprised if a battery designed for a specific camera would damage it (leakage excepted). Cooking a camera would only happen if the voltage were excessive, and as the voltage depends on chemistry, the can't really play with that. I would be more worried about poor performance (# Shots) or an early death of the battery. Both of these could result if they skimp on the chemicals. If the battery shorted out, it would damage the charger, but not the camera.

I say that having read an analysis of Nikon battery operations on the web somewhere that indicated there was more involved than merely the supply of power. I'll see if I can find it but I don't have it bookmarked and I'm running out of time for tonight....

Regards,
Murray

[DaveB]

I definately wouldn't buy canon for things like lens hoods or similar parts that don't have moving bits or electronics. I'm sure someone in China can make a peice of plastic the same for 1/3 of the price.

As long as the lens hood is actually the same (and has a similar surface inside to retard reflections, etc). The Canon hoods are designed for each lens (i.e. with an appropriate petal shape for maximum protection), generally have a nice bayonet mount, etc. Mind you, the hoods for EF lenses are designed for use on full-frame bodies (while those for EF-S lenses are for 1.6x crops) so you might want to check out options for wide lenses on crop bodies.


On the other hand, OEM isn't always best. I used to have an old Fotar 90-degree viewfinder for some of my macro work, and dreamed of upgrading to the Canon Angle Finder C. Eventually I got a cheap Seagull finder on eBay, which had the same choice of magnification, etc. However you have to tweak the diopter each time you switch magnification, and I told myself that's what I got for buying cheap. It's eminently usable though, and I've since found out that the Angle Finder C suffers from the same problem!
And lately with Live View my need for the angle finder has reduced anyway...

[Murray Foote]

I've been unable to find the battery review. it was on an obscure private (non-commercial) site, showed inside a battery and talked about how that fitted with the workings of the camera. I was researching whether to get a 3rd party backup battery for the D3 at the time and it definitely dissuaded me.