[kwb]

In the past I bought four third party batteries (a pair of Wasabi Power first, and a pair of DOT-01 after Wasabi failed) and they degraded much faster than Pentax D-LI 68 which is still going OK after about 33 months.

After all, I don't expect that a product that costs me 1/6 to 1/7 of the OEM per piece works as well as the OEM, that's OK, but I'm curious to know your anecdote. Here's mine.

I've gone through a pair of Wasabi batteries in just 17 months.
They were OK at first, started losing the capacity after some months (maybe 6 months?), and finally started to swell/bulge to the point where it was hard to remove from the camera, so I stopped using them.

I've bought a pair of DOT-01 batteries after Wasabis failed.
Just like Wasabi, they started losing capacity after some months. Now after 14 months, they still work but my 33 months old Pentax gives me 1.3-1.5 times more shots per charge.

I strictly rotate between my batteries, e.g. Pentax, Wasabi 1, Wasabi 2, Pentax, Wasabi 1, Wasabi 2....

[bschriver11]

I tried Wasabi with the same results. I'll pony up for the Pentax from now on, i'd rather have a reliable battery that works when i need it and save a couple coins elsewhere.

[Bad Boy]

Bought K5 in November of 2012 with an extra "Flashpoint" brand battery. I retired the extra battery after 3 years and replaced it with a second Pentax. The original Pentax battery still going strong after almost 5 years. I charge both batteries about once or twice a month. I decided it is worth it to me to get the better Pentax battery.

[Sluggo]

I like the Fujifilm NP-50 battery. As far as I can tell it's of similar quality to the $40+ genuine Pentax, but typically priced between $20-30. Caveat is that not everyone has reported the same success with it.

Edit: there are lots of NP50s on ebay listed from between $5-12 from various far East sellers. I would assume these to be counterfeit and no better than any of the generics. :-/

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Last edited by Sluggo; 09-15-2017 at 09:03 PM.

[SpecialK]

I have a couple generic and I notice no real difference. Pentax (and everyone else) is made by third-party manufacturers - perhaps they get some of the cream.

[barondla]

Bought 4 Wasabi about 3 years ago. 2 have died. Didn't lose capacity but did swell. Stopped using them. Other 2 still work fine. Also have a Kodak Play Sport water proof PnS that uses same battery. That Kodak battery works as well as the Pentax.

Got 3 Wasabi for the Sigma DP(same as Ricoh GR). Sigma eats the battery faster than Q. I get 50 -100 shots. Can't tell any capacity difference from original Sigma. None of the batteries have swelled.

As much as I have used the Wasabi, I would buy them again. Even the 2 that went bad gave me hundreds of charges.
Batteries are interesting!
Thanks
barondla

[Scorpio71GR]

In the past I bought four third party batteries (a pair of Wasabi Power first, and a pair of DOT-01 after Wasabi failed) and they degraded much faster than Pentax D-LI 68 which is still going OK after about 33 months.

After all, I don't expect that a product that costs me 1/6 to 1/7 of the OEM per piece works as well as the OEM, that's OK, but I'm curious to know your anecdote. Here's mine.

I've gone through a pair of Wasabi batteries in just 17 months.
They were OK at first, started losing the capacity after some months (maybe 6 months?), and finally started to swell/bulge to the point where it was hard to remove from the camera, so I stopped using them.

I've bought a pair of DOT-01 batteries after Wasabis failed.
Just like Wasabi, they started losing capacity after some months. Now after 14 months, they still work but my 33 months old Pentax gives me 1.3-1.5 times more shots per charge.

I strictly rotate between my batteries, e.g. Pentax, Wasabi 1, Wasabi 2, Pentax, Wasabi 1, Wasabi 2....

This has been my experience as well. I still keep some Wasabi batteries in my bag as backups. Primarily I just use genuine Pentax batteries. The Pentax batteries do cost more up front but in the long run I believe you come out ahead. I essentially bought the Wasabi batteries for the extra charger.

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Last edited by Scorpio71GR; 09-16-2017 at 06:30 AM.

[Larrymc]

I've had my two Wasabi BTR DL190 JWP along with my Pentax D-L190 since December 2014. The Wasabi are getting a bit weaker now but they have always been weaker than the Pentax battery. I use and like the Wasabi charger a lot more than the Pentax charger due to the Wasabi being compact and not having a cord, much easier to pack in a bag. I have noticed no swelling in the Wasabi or the Pentax. I don't let the batteries get past 3/4 discharge before I change to a fully charged battery as a precaution against the dreaded "mirror flap" issue that seemed to infect K-3s a while ago.


I'm hoping not to have to replace any batteries before a K-3 replacement hits the market. The way it looks that might be quite some time away.

[clickclick]

I have a couple Wasabi and Xit generics plus a handful of OEM Pentax batteries. Seat of the pants, first year, they all seemed close, but now the generics are not lasting as long in use as the Pentax ones. No swelling to report, but I'll keep an eye out for that.

[kwb]

Thank you for your responses!

I was wondering if all batteries of the same type are expected to die at around the same age and/or charging cycles, and if I got lucky on Pentax, but based on your anecdotes it doesn't seem to be the case.

I like the Fujifilm NP-50 battery. As far as I can tell it's of similar quality to the $40+ genuine Pentax, but typically priced between $20-30. Caveat is that not everyone has reported the same success with it.

Also have a Kodak Play Sport water proof PnS that uses same battery. That Kodak battery works as well as the Pentax.

Same type of battery but different OEM, that's an interesting possibility. They're both available on amazon: Fujifilm NP-50, Kodak KLIC 7004.

When my DOT-01s become unusable I will probably buy one each of Pentax and Fuji just to see how Fuji goes. If it's more similar to Wasabi than Pentax it's no big deal, it will still give me more shots than I care to count anyway

[Sluggo]

When my DOT-01s become unusable I will probably buy one each of Pentax and Fuji just to see how Fuji goes.

If you want to be sure on that experiment, you might want to get the Fuji battery from Adorama or B&H (which means paying ~$29). The only reason I know my NP50s are genuine is that they both came with new Fuji cameras.

[zapp]

If there is one lesson, I learned in many years of photography - buy original parts. Batteries, lenses, flashes to avoid stupid things happening to you.
Bought a Pentax flash, only use Pentax batteries and yes I am sticking to Pentax glass (the last one is the hardest for me right now).

[reh321]

If there is one lesson, I learned in many years of photography - buy original parts. Batteries, lenses, flashes to avoid stupid things happening to you.
Bought a Pentax flash, only use Pentax batteries and yes I am sticking to Pentax glass (the last one is the hardest for me right now).

I have a Vivitar flash that I've used for many years on several different Pentax cameras. My Q-7 runs off Pentax, Watson, and Wasabi batteries. I've never had anything "stupid" happen to me - but if you want to make donations to keep Pentax healthy, be my guest.

[wombat2go]

Travelled 12 days with the KS-1(d li 109) .Did not take charger.
Took about 207 photos and the battery indicator is at 1/4 now.

[stevebrot]

I bought my K-3 in Spring of 2014 and a few months later, bought a 2-pack of Wasabi's D-Li90 equivalent batteries. Three and a half years later and I am still using all three in rotation and still getting reasonable performance assuming that I avoid high drain actions. It is rare that I have to change out a battery in the middle of a shoot.

These are my practices:

• I don't often need the full rear LCD display, so I leave it turned off
• I avoid using the quick charger that came with the Wasabi batteries
• I seldom run the batteries to exhaustion
• I seldom use the built-in flash
• The camera and batteries are almost never exposed to high temperatures, though I will admit to winter use in sub-freezing conditions
• For the most part, my live view use is limited, as is video recording. If I were a frequent user of either, I would seriously investigate an external power supply and no, the grip does not cut it. The clue is the amount of heat generated by that rear display and sensor after even limited time active. They are drawing a massive amount of power when active.

In case it is not obvious, I don't make life hard for my batteries. I believe that makes a difference. Are the Wasabis feeling their age after 3.5 years? Yes, they are, but so is the original Pentax battery, if only to a somewhat lesser degree. I am seriously considering replacing all three, but the need is not urgent. Will I buy Wasabi again? I used them on my Canon G2 and Pentax K10D with zero problems and see no reason to not buy them again.


Steve