Fake Battery?

longshanks

longshanks

Well-known member
I just got off the phone with Panasonic and they have one of the worst technical support systems I have ever encountered. I was referred about 8 or 9 times to different numbers and different departments. Anyways, I purchased a battery off Ebay for the DVX and the model number is CGA-D54s but I believe the battery is a fake because it feels WAY to light compared to my original battery that came with the camera. It is also a shade of gray different than the original. The seller assured me it was genuine(it even came in a Panasonic box!) Does anyone here know if using a knock-off battery will damage the camera? Also, is there a way to spot a fake by looking at the plastic stamp model number on the battery and not just the sticker? It probably wasn't the smartest thing to buy a battery off Ebay(its full of fakes) but I was convinced this one was real.

Help!:huh:
 
Electrically, you can not damage your camera with a fake battery. Most probably you will be cheated on the run time, and overall ruggedness. They are usually made with thinner plastic, and tend to fall apart after you drop them on the floor.
Real Panasonic batteries are usually sold by dealers, not EBay merchants.
 
adolgin said:
Electrically, you can not damage your camera with a fake battery. Most probably you will be cheated on the run time, and overall ruggedness. They are usually made with thinner plastic, and tend to fall apart after you drop them on the floor.
Real Panasonic batteries are usually sold by dealers, not EBay merchants.
Click to expand...

That's not necessarily true. If the battery supplies the incorrect voltage it can fry your camera instantly or over time.

Noah
 
Noah, a DVX/HVX style battery is made of 2 cells connected together. A Li-Ion cell can not develop more than 4.2V, for a total of 8.4V. It is just the nature of the beast. If somebody manages to connect a 12V battery to the camera, using a DC input jack, then yes, the camera will smoke :-(
 
adolgin said:
Noah, a DVX/HVX style battery is made of 2 cells connected together. A Li-Ion cell can not develop more than 4.2V, for a total of 8.4V. It is just the nature of the beast. If somebody manages to connect a 12V battery to the camera, using a DC input jack, then yes, the camera will smoke :-(
Click to expand...

that sounds right dolgin, i talked to a panasonic battery engineer on the phone today and he told me it was two-cell each 3.6v totaling 7.2v but why 8.4v? is that the maximum voltage spike it will ever or could attain?
 
i read that dolgin thank you, but is it still okay to use a battery like this? the guy at panasonic warned me that if the battery is a fake, it could charge too quickly on my stock charger possibly causing a (explosion)? so despite this, is the camera also at risk, or am i safe using it?
 
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