View single post by GeoffR
 Posted: Sat May 16th, 2020 05:28
GeoffR

 

Joined: Wed Apr 11th, 2012
Location: Denham, United Kingdom
Posts: 293
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 The battery life indicator, in the Battery Info menu, is nothing to do with calibration it uses a chip on the battery's internal circuit board to count charge cycles. I don't know the details of how it works but charging from "fully discharged" causes the indicator to move faster than does restoring from part charged. I have never used an EN-EL4 much after the indication reached 4 so I don't know what happens if you do.

Third party batteries have improved markedly since the first one I bought in 2005 (from B&H) and the latest ones seem every bit as reliable as genuine Nikon ones. Even if they don't they can be had for a fraction of the price of a new Nikon branded battery and if they give 2/3 of the life I consider that acceptable. Haven't got there yet. Until relatively recently I would have agreed with you that genuine was the best course but having used third party batteries I am now not so sure.

My D3 is a standby too but I use third party EN-EL18 batteries in the D4 bodies without any apparent problems. Paying nearly £190 for a genuine battery for a camera that I paid under £1,000 for doesn't make any sense. Yes I now have a second D4 and no fewer than six batteries but at Nikon prices that would mean I have batteries worth nearly half what I paid for the cameras.