Only 30mins life for EN-EL3e battery

[BullcreekBob]

I have a non Nikon EN-EL3e battery bought about 18months ago. It has had quite light usage, I probably average less than 500 images per month and have three batteries which I interchange although my Nikon battery would get most of the use and my two generics are used very infrequently.

I charged and inserted one of the generics into my D300, the "Battery info" display showed it to be 100% charged and the charging life was rated at 0 (equivalent to a new battery). I went out this arvo to take a few late afternoon low sun shots, after about 25 shots the low battery life display started flashing, the mirror would lock up but with no image recorded. In total I managed about 30 shots in a 30 minute period.

The battery is now on a charger and has been charging for over an hour.

Sadly this battery behaviour is not new, is there anything I can do to resurrect it? Apart from the bin, are there any options?

[Raskill]

If you don't wish to use the bin, you could throw it at your neighbors.

Either way, I'd be getting rid of it!

[DaveB]

Not unusual behaviour for an off-brand battery. I'd be getting rid of it and moving on. Spend the extra $$ on a real Nikon battery if you need another battery. In the end it's generally worth it.

Note that you should NOT put the battery in the bin!
This is classified as toxic waste: call your local council about safe disposal of dead batteries.

[gstark]

This is classified as toxic waste: call your local council about safe disposal of dead batteries.

Very important point.

And with the current feral erection underway, there's no shortage of targets.

Seriously, the third party battery market is very much a mixed bag, with some bargains, and some lemons. The problem really is that you don't know what you've got till several months down the track. Ditch it, but as Dave suggests, dispose of with care.

[BullcreekBob]

And with the current feral erection underway, there's no shortage of targets.

Oh well, unfortunately our local representative The Right Honourable Wilson Tuckey rarely deigns to make a visit to us mere mortals, but if he does, I'll be ready.

If I get in a good shot, I'll let you know. But I guess it'll be a bit like shooting with film, got to get it right, first time. After all I've only got one defective battery

[aim54x]

Sounds like my fake EN-EL9 that I got off eBay. I am still yet to get rid of it.

[Murray Foote]

I did once find a site that dissembled a battery (EN-EL3 from memory) and analysed the difference between Nikon and 3rd party batteries. I can't find the site again and don't remember the details but I do remember them saying that the battery provided functions other than merely supplying power to the camera and if you use a 3rd party battery, you may jeapardise your camera.

[Mr Darcy]

Oh well, unfortunately our local representative The Right Honourable Wilson Tuckey rarely deigns to make a visit to us mere mortals, but if he does, I'll be ready.

I've got a few old car batteries that I would be happy to see go to a good cause.

[Pa]

I bought a generic battery for my D50....It's still going strong....I think it is about 5 years old...

[photograham]

I also have a generic EN-EL3e battery for my Nikon D700, and it does quickly empty. I alway have my 2nd genuine battery handy (I have the grip fitted, so I use 2 batteries always). Am trying to see if the battery life extends with regular usage and recharging, but is not happening yet.

[whiz]

This is a bit of an older post, but might supply some info useful to someone.
Almost without exception these days, new devices have Lithium Ion batteries.
Lithium Ion are great, but they have a few properties that kinda suck.
Mainly, they are dying from the time they're assembled. Their chemistry is a bit like the National party.

They never "pick up capacity" after a few cycles. That's Ni-cad and Nickle - Metal hydride behaviour which is intrinsic to those batteries.
If you decide to start digging around on such interesting sites as Dealextreme.com and Candlepower forums, you'll get to learn about the various Lithium Ion cells which are almost a standard like AA's and CR-123a cells.
14500 Lithium Ion cells are about 5mm longer than AA's but other than that, the same except for being 3.7 volt instead of 1.5 (or 1.2) 18650 cells are like AA's x 1.5 in all dimensions. They're a versatile cell which actually powers many things if you pull them apart.
Many Li-ion batteries made in China are incredibly over labled in terms of capacity, but they are cheap and charge quickly.
I wouldn't believe the capacities on any fake batteries. It's just too much of a lottery. None of the cells I have are near their rated capacity although the more expensive ones come close.

If you are prepared to pull apart battery packs of a reasonable size, you'll often find that they're just no name generic cells of an identifiable size. Small cells like for phones and point and shoot cameras are custom constructed. When you get up in size, it's much cheaper to source ready made cells and make up a pack. Thus you can often cheaply repair or replace cells in a pack. However, get spot welded tag cells if you do this. Soldering Li-Ions can be ... interesting without safety glasses...

In terms of alternative battery technology, I'm a fan of enerkeep or eneloop AA's as the real ones are almost dead on their rated capacity and they keep their charge exceptionally well.

I use them as the backups because the standard lithiums charge in about the same time it takes to drain the AA Eneloops and if I need to, I can swap the AA tray out with more freshies while the others are on the charge. I've never needed to yet, but it's comforting to have a plan of action.