Canon BP511A 1390mAh Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Select Digital Cameras and Camcorders

I've taken a few thousand pictures with it so far, and I'm very pleased. When using the LCD display for a mix of movies and pictures (on my G5), I get around 600 pictures out of one fully charged battery. I've never completely "emptied" the battery with the LCD screen off (preview only), but based on my experience so far, I would think that you'll get somewhere between 600-1000 pictures out of one fully charged battery - maybe more - when the LCD is not on all the time. If you take a lot of pictures (I can easily take 500 on a weekend trip), I would still recommend buying an extra battery though. I'm panicked about ever running out of battery (or memory) while I'm shooting.

Should you buy a cheaper non-Canon brand equivalent battery? I've not tried an equivalent for the BP-511, but I've got a DigiPower equivalent for my Canon Powershot S200 (Elph II), and it's crap. I would never buy and equivalent for my G5 camera, because in my experience, it's quite apparent that you get what you pay for.

Pros:
* Extremely good capacity - 500-1000 pictures on one charge with normal use.
* Charges relatively quick in my G5 - about 90 minutes

Cons:
* Very heavy. It'll weigh down your camera, but for the capacity it provides, I personally think it's worth it.

Conclusion: It's a very good battery - capacity is fabulous. I've had no problems with it - it doesn't overheat, it doesn't stop working, and so far after about 6 months of operation, I've noticed no drop in capacity. I give it an unconditional 5 stars!!!


Simply Put,   November 23, 2004
Mario S. Jimenez Jr. (San Antonio, Texas United States)
29 out of 31 found this review helpful

This battery will give you about 500-1000 shots before going dead. Even if you use the flash often, it won't die easily!! You can always count on this battery, no matter how you use it. Highly Recommended for any level photographer!!

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I don't know why, but it's the best   September 29, 2006
Ray Stoecklin (New York, NY United States)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful

For some reason, Canon- branded batteries are better than those sold by actual battery manufacturers. Don't just look at the $$/mAh ratio, consider safety, reliability and longevity. In these categories, the Canons rock. I bought a G1 camera about five years ago, and the camera is toast, but the battery still works like a charm in my 20D. Others start out with 1400 or even 1700 mAh, but fail after six months - read the reviews here on Amazon.com.


Don't settle for off-brand batteries   September 30, 2005
Richard J. Martin
14 out of 15 found this review helpful

When my fisrt Canon battery expired...after a long use, I purchased a knock-off. What a mistake. It lasted about 1/3 as long as the Canon, and, of course, it died at just the wrong time, during a wedding. I went back to a Canon product and "it just keeps on ticking". It cost a little more but the security and longevity are well worth it


Buy only Canon batteries not cheap Chinese knock-offs   November 12, 2006
Steven A. Turner (Saint Louis)
17 out of 19 found this review helpful

I bought a generic Chinese "equivalent" bp-511 battery that boasted a higher milliamperage rating and a cheaper price than the original Canon battery that came with my camera. The battery worked fine for about 3 months and now only holds a charge for about 20 minutes. I have had it fail at critical times. Never ever buy some knock-off Chinese battery--read the reviews. The Chinese push out their crappy knock-offs to unsuspecting consumers (like I was) just to make a quick buck. Also, don't trust the glowing reviews from the generic sellers. They are self-generated. In my case, the seller is no longer selling under his original company name. He has a new name with the requisite (sham) glowing reviews. CHINESE PRODUCTS SUCK.