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(More customer reviews)To go with my new Canon Digital Rebel T2i, I looked around for a third-party LP-E8 battery. Yes I know the argument--"why would you put $4/$8/$10 battery in a $800 camera, it's worth it for the peace of mind to go with the genuine Canon battery," etc. Well having been using digital cameras and DSLRs for well near 10 years now, and having used plenty of third-party batteries (including "name brands" like SterlingTek and other no-name ones), I don't have any qualms about using third-party batteries. They work just as well for a fraction of the cost. Really, when was the last time you've heard of a digital camera exploding or catching on fire because of the third-party batteries?
I have a Power2000 brand LP-E5 equivalent battery that I've been using in my Digital Rebel XSi for the past two years with great results, so I wanted to get the same brand for the T2i (LP-E8). I bought it through Amazon.com's Marketplace, from a vendor called TheMemStore. They shipped it promptly, and I had it a few days later.
The battery charges fine in the T2i-supplied battery charger, and works fine in the camera. It is rated for 1,500mah capacity as opposed to the genuine Canon's 1,120mah, so in theory it should give you approx. 35% more shots per charge. As I tend to recharge the batteries whenever I return home, and not necessarily let the batteries go until they are fully discharged, I haven't really noticed a difference yet--but it certainly seems to last just as long as the Canon battery that came with the camera. The T2i seems to eat up battery power rather quickly while shooting video, so I may end up getting another one for a full day's shooting/recording. One difference between the Power2000 battery and the Canon OEM battery is the rated voltage: 7.4V for the Power2000 and 7.2V for the Canon battery. A cursory web search indicates that this is within acceptable fluctation range for the battery.
I've uploaded a couple of pictures of the battery package and the battery itself. Notice the package states 7.2V, but the battery itself states 7.4V (same as the item description).
Overall I'm pretty happy with this battery--a great value for 1/5 of the Canon battery's cost.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Power2000 LP-E8 Replacement Lithium-Ion Battery, 7.2 volt 1500mAh, for Canon EOS Rebel T2i Digital Camera
Hi-Capacity Lithium Ion Battery For Canon SLR - LP-E8
