ALL: Panasonic batteries

[cowbananas]

I use the AC160 and a Sony Z1 and both use similar looking batteries. I can pick up the genuine Sony batteries for around £40 (US$62) but the genuine Panasonic equivalent costs £185.($290).
How do Panasonic justify this outrageous cost while Sony can still make a profit charging what they do?

I've found Sony batteries are much, much better, last for years with no sign of deterioration, very affordable and you can depend that when the Sony battery reads 'five minutes remaining', that's EXACTLY what you have left in the tank. Not so with these, it's more like a gamble.

I've used third party batteries for the AC160 as well and though they have their faults, it makes economic sense to buy them as a back-up, especially when you nedd several.

This factor alone would make me seriously consider dropping Panasonic in future, even though I rate the AC160 as a very good camera. Does anyone have any ideas about rigging up something like the battery belts we used to use in the past that can run all day?

 

[ChrisHarding]

On all AVCCAMS the batteries have a decoding chip inside them that communicates with the camera and verifies that it's a Panny battery! Now, the after-market guys have also copied the chip circuitry and included it in their batteries so they work. However, as you have already discovered, the no genuine cells are not as good and I dump mine after 12 months...at their price you can afford to!

Yes, you can use a battery belt as long as you hook up the belt thru the AC cable that comes with the camera and the battery is still a 7.2 or 7.4 volt Li-Ion pack...the belt will simply act as the AC unit ...HOWEVER you will NOT get any battery remaining indication at all as the camera thinks it's running on AC power. I have run my Panny's from 9600mah 12V Li-Ion packs meant for CCTV systems BUT you will need an adjustable voltage regulator between the pack and the camera (electronic shops have little boards to do this but you also need a multimeter to check that the voltage is around 7.4 so you don't fry the camera's boards)

It's still ecomonical to buy a batch of non-genuine batteries and toss them out at the end of the year!! I would still have a couple of genuine packs for important stuff (just in case)

Chris

 

[scapsinger]

I've generally acquired the Panasonic batteries for only slightly more than the generic brand ones (talking $20-$30 difference) and it's totally worth it to me. The Panasonic batteries have a linear discharge (so yes, 5 minutes remaining means 5 minutes) whereas the off-brand discharge in an expontential pattern. Also, the 3rd party batteries generally have less capacity overall (check the mA ratings and you'll see). The Panny batteries are better built and better quality.

Now as to why they cost more than the Sony brand stuff, you'd have to ask Panasonic. Part of it has to do with segmentation of the product lines...there are 3 maybe 4 different battery styles for the Panny cameras and Sony really only has 1 or 2 different ones across their "prosumer" lines, so it might be pure economics, supply-and-demand stuff.