Customer Reviews

Canon LP-E6 Battery Pack for Select Canon Digital SLR Cameras (Retail Package)

5 star:		(103)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(32)

 

 

In addition to the one that came with the 5D Mark II, I also bought a separate one to fill the second bay in the BG-E6 Vertical Grip.

My initial experience with the battery was less than stellar -- if you are currently disappointed with the battery capacity (especially if it's new), hear me out.

After the first charge out of the box, the single battery lasted about a day with maybe 100 RAW shots and a couple of minutes worth of 1080p video. VERY disappointing to say the least. But here's the thing -- it really needs to go through a couple of full cycles (full discharge, full charge) before it reaches its peak capability.

At the time of my last charge, I had shot well over 2700 RAW frames on two batteries -- and both of those batteries each reported 60% charge remaining at that point.

Which brings me to the reporting features. If you are buying this as a second battery, then you are probably already aware of this, but the battery will report its charge level (with a 1% resolution), battery recharge performance, and number of shutter actuations since last charge. The 5D Mark II can then display this information on its Battery Info screen.

With two LP-E6's installed (via the BG-E6 Vertical Grip), the 5D Mark II will register both of the batteries and list their statistics simultaneously in the Battery Info screen. The Shutter Count numbers even operate independently. For example, after a long day of shooting (over 1500 frames), the Battery Info screen told me that Battery 1 was responsible for 806 frames, while Battery 2 was responsible for 746 frames. At this point, the batteries still showed a 78% charge on each one.

Also notable is the fact that the number of shutter actuations for each battery does NOT reset when the battery is removed. Its actuation count is saved, and if you later reinsert the battery (without charging it), the count will still be accurate for that battery. Once you charge the battery, the count is reset.

Finally, as a word of warning: At the time of this review (Jan 20, 2009), the battery prices are ridiculous. Because of high demand, apparently some sellers feel justified in gouging their customers. The current price listed as of this writing is nearly US$200. I bought my second battery before demand went through the roof, and I paid less than US$90 from a reputable Canon dealer. Keep that in mind when deciding where to purchase.

Please be aware that the Marketplace seller from whom I purchased this battery sold me a counterfeit battery. This battery is frequently counterfeited and Amazon.com does nothing to stop the practice. This reseller is crooked, and uses a large number of different aliases to rip-off unsuspecting consumers. It is sad to see that Amazon.com is complicit in this criminal behavior.

If you don't believe me, search the internet for the address that the seller is using: 3522 Flatlands Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. Interestingly enough, another camera business by the name of Fumfie also sold/sells camera equipment from the same Brooklyn storefront. Fumfie has a Better Business Bureau rating of 'F'.

Here is what other customers of Fumfie have had to say about this seller:

"This is NOT a reputable seller."

upon receiving my camera today i saw it to be a "Grey market camera" i called Nikon and they didn't even have a record of this camera. i then called and spoke with a gentleman from fumfi company that proceeded to blow a gust of wind up my ass the size of Dorthy's tornado... "

"'TOTAL CROOKS' AND WILL NOT ANSWER MY E-MAILS.my next step is to get the law involved.."

"In the end, it turns out that Fumfie is attempting to do what all the other scamming camera shops do: sell you overpriced accessories and force shipping insurance on you in order to make up for the advertised cheaper camera body."

Sunset Electronics also uses the same phone number as thefotosource.com, jerseyphotostore.com and Louscamera.com. Care to guess why a small store uses so many different aliases? Well, let's see what people have to say about jerseyphotostore.com:

"Seems like fraud company, people read the reviews before jumping into it."

"canon hf s200 is shown 689 in the site, but i was charged 762. Avoid these buggers like plague."

And on and on and on. These people are criminals. Do not buy from them.

The RATING is for the PRODUCT.
The RATING is for the PRODUCT.
The RATING is for the PRODUCT.

Why do you give the battery 1 star because third party sellers overcharge??? The battery happens to be EXCELLENT (hence, the 5 stars), but the ratings don't show it because we all have to whine and complain about other stores' prices. Incredible.

OK, revelation for the day: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY IT HERE. WOW! What a concept! I would think that was obvious.

If you are really, really frustrated by third-party stores overcharging (or Amazon for that fact), email Amazon and tell them. I have for other things and they respond very quickly. Let's channel the right info where it belongs.

I purchased directly from Amazon, not a third party seller, and I was stunned to receive a generic replacement instead of a genuine Canon LP-E6. This is NOT a Canon battery. It does not have a Canon logo as pictured, a stamped serial number, any indication of where it is made, or any brand name whatsoever. And the "retail packaging" is a plastic bag. If you actually want to buy a non-Canon replacement, there are much cheaper options that actually have brand names. Steer clear of this one.

Edit (5/19/2011): Amazon has apparently made kind of a mess of this. I can't find another listing that looks anything like a genuine Canon LP-E6 battery. If you look closely enough at the description for this one (which I obviously didn't do the first time), it reads like spam and clearly did not come from Canon. HOWEVER, two items to note are 1) Amazon seems to have pulled their own seller listing these last few bad reviews, so maybe they're trying to fix this, and 2) some reputable third party sellers are using this listing for the genuine Canon battery. I ordered from one that I knew well, and I received the real thing today--packaging, logo, serial number, and all. If you want the real deal, look for a third party seller on this listing that says it's a genuine Canon, and maybe that they're an authorized reseller for good measure. I changed my star rating from 1 to 3 to average out the 1 that remains for the generic battery I got from Amazon and the 5 for the genuine Canon from another reseller. Caveat emptor.

Great Battery.. keeps a good long charge when shooting pictures or video. I'm a wedding videographer and we recently switched from Shooting from Canon's A1's to shooting all 5D Video. Might sound crazy but its awesome! I can usually shoot video all day with only two of these battery's with no need to recharge. Every once in a while I'll need to use the recharged one, but usually I'm good with just two cycles.

Oh.. and there are a lot of bad reviews on these batteries because Amazon used to charge a way to much for these batteries, but the price has come down now and they are a great deal!

This Battery has lasted longer than my previous batteries for my other dslr which was the bp-511 and I had used it for about 3 hours shooting video before i had to switch

This is a great battery. It is a vast improvement from the battery of the old EOS 5D.

Buy it for $79.99 at CDW if you can't find it for normal price on amazon.com

This battery pack is a must have for heavy shooters. I shoot fashion photography with my EOS 5D Mark II and using the Battery Grip, 2 of these battery packs last over 9 hours of continous shooting inlcuding some video clips (3 mins or more). I would not recommend buying this battery if you aren't using a battery grip as you won't always need a second battery. If you shoot in your studio, one LP E6 will last around 4-5 hours sure it helps to have an additional pack but whenever you are not shooting or not shooting for over 4-5 hours you'll have $150 sitting there waiting to be used. It's just not a very cost-effective option.
If you shoot on location or weddings, events, sports, this is a must have in combination with the 5D Mark II Battery Grip . Also, the use of lenses such as the 70-200 f/2.8 L IS USM in combination with live view for video or burst shooting will drain your batteries faster.If you run out of batteries, you can always use the Battery Grip's magazine for rechargeable AA batteries.
I've seen a reduction on the battery performance while shooting at 20'F and lower. About 1 hour less of battery time. Also, shooting at over 90'F reduces it for about 45 mins on each battery.

WARNING!!! If you see the item under the " USED " section and conditions read " BRAND NEW " this mean its a HUGE FAKE!!! These are not genuine canon battery , they are fakes made to look like the real. Don't go cheap and buy a fake battery and damage your camera. NOT WORTH THE SAVING!! These battery won't read right once installed and if you risk having a shorted battery it WILL FRY your camera. These are half the weight of the real Canon and with cheap materials inside.
BE WARNED!!!

Bought it as a spare battery for my Canon 60D. Never had good luck with rechargeable batteries and cameras.. Was very impressed with this battery instead of the 1600shots the owners manual suggested I've easily gotten twice that