Nikon is shipping old and also dead batteries

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jpawlan

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One of the authorized Nikon dealers let me know that a few new spare batteries for the Z9 arrived from Nikon last week. These are model EN-EL18d batteries.
I ordered 2 of them and received them yesterday. I was very surprised to find that the date code printed on the battery's label shows one to be 1.5 years old and the other one is 2.5 years old.
I first checked them by putting them in my Z9 and used the menu choice Battery Info to check the battery status and charge. The one that is 1.5 years old only had 12% charge in it. The other one which is 2.5 years old did not power the camera at all. I then tried to charge them in my MH-33 charger. The one that is 2.5 years old is shorted and the charger blinked error and cannot charge it. The one that is 1.5 years old began to charge but took 8 hours. I checked it today in the camera and it is reading 99% so it seems to be fine even though it is old.

I strongly recommend that when you buy this model battery you look at the label for the date code and then check the charge in your camera so you will know whether it is working or not. I am very disappointed that Nikon is not testing the batteries before sending them to distribution and they are sending old batteries made years ago and some are dead.
 
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jpawlan said:
One of the authorized Nikon dealers let me know that a few new spare batteries for the Z9 arrived from Nikon last week. These are model EN-EL18d batteries.
I ordered 2 of them and received them yesterday. I was very surprised to find that the date code printed on the battery's label shows one to be 1.5 years old and the other one is 2.5 years old.
I first checked them by putting them in my Z9 and used the menu choice Battery Info to check the battery status and charge. The one that is 1.5 years old only had 12% charge in it. The other one which is 2.5 years old did not power the camera at all. I then tried to charge them in my MH-33 charger. The one that is 2.5 years old is shorted and the charger blinked error and cannot charge it. The one that is 1.5 years old began to charge but took 8 hours. I checked it today in the camera and it is reading 99% so it seems to be fine even though it is old.

I strongly recommend that when you buy this model battery you look at the label for the date code and then check the charge in your camera so you will know whether it is working or not. I am very disappointed that Nikon is not testing the batteries before sending them to distribution and they are sending old batteries made years ago and some are dead.
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The one in my bought new in Feb 22 Z9 is dated Nov 21 - this seems OK.

My back-up bought on 28th April 22 is dated Feb 22 - this also seems OK.

As Nikon has sold numerous thousand Z9 and spare batteries since then, I can see no reason why legitimate batteries currently being supplied new should be dated prior to about May/June 24.

Whether either of the ones supplied to you - especially the one you indicate is dated around June 2022 - are or are not new stock direct from Nikon is difficult to establish.

The important detail is the ones you received supposedly new are old stock - and should be returned.
 
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jpawlan said:
One of the authorized Nikon dealers let me know that a few new spare batteries for the Z9 arrived from Nikon last week. These are model EN-EL18d batteries.
I ordered 2 of them and received them yesterday. I was very surprised to find that the date code printed on the battery's label shows one to be 1.5 years old and the other one is 2.5 years old.
I first checked them by putting them in my Z9 and used the menu choice Battery Info to check the battery status and charge. The one that is 1.5 years old only had 12% charge in it. The other one which is 2.5 years old did not power the camera at all. I then tried to charge them in my MH-33 charger. The one that is 2.5 years old is shorted and the charger blinked error and cannot charge it. The one that is 1.5 years old began to charge but took 8 hours. I checked it today in the camera and it is reading 99% so it seems to be fine even though it is old.

I strongly recommend that when you buy this model battery you look at the label for the date code and then check the charge in your camera so you will know whether it is working or not. I am very disappointed that Nikon is not testing the batteries before sending them to distribution and they are sending old batteries made years ago and some are dead.
Click to expand...
As a "neighbor" (Bay Area of California), I would be interested to know which authorized Nikon dealer this was. It is also weird that they let you know of the arrival of these spares? There doesn't appear to be a shortage of them (ie. they are in stock in the big NY retailers)? Did you get a special price on these batteries? Your tale reinforces that one needs to check the dates on batteries that one gets but one would have hoped that a reputable dealer would not be selling such an old battery.
 
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ajrmd said:
After you contact this “authorized dealer” and obtain an explanation, please update us. Shipping old 2.5 year old batteries as “new” is unacceptable in my opinion. And perhaps you might change the title of the thread as it was a dealer and not Nikon who shipped these duds out.
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However the dealer said that these batteries were just shipped from Nikon? So assuming that was true, it is in fact Nikon that is shipping out these old batteries?
 
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I ordered one from B&H once they were recently in stock again. It’s dated March 2023 and arrived with 60% charge. I’ve used it and recharged it twice since then. No problems at all.
 
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ricardo00 said:
As a "neighbor" (Bay Area of California), I would be interested to know which authorized Nikon dealer this was. It is also weird that they let you know of the arrival of these spares? There doesn't appear to be a shortage of them (ie. they are in stock in the big NY retailers)? Did you get a special price on these batteries? Your tale reinforces that one needs to check the dates on batteries that one gets but one would have hoped that a reputable dealer would not be selling such an old battery.
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There were a few months earlier this year when they were unavailable. I think most, if not all, retailer stock was recalled. There were reports here and elsewhere of batteries which wouldn’t charge or would fail in calibration. Now that they seem to be available again (at B&H and Adorama) I assumed that these problems had been resolved.

Any recently purchased battery which won’t charge should be returned for refund or replacement.
 
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JAJohnson said:
I ordered one from B&H once they were recently in stock again. It’s dated March 2023 and arrived with 60% charge. I’ve used it and recharged it twice since then. No problems at all.
Click to expand...

JAJohnson said:
There were a few months earlier this year when they were unavailable. I think most, if not all, retailer stock was recalled. There were reports here and elsewhere of batteries which wouldn’t charge or would fail in calibration. Now that they seem to be available again (at B&H and Adorama) I assumed that these problems had been resolved.

Any recently purchased battery which won’t charge should be returned for refund or replacement.
Click to expand...

You are both correct. The dealers only recently received new stock of this needed battery. They were out of stock at least 6 months and there was a recall. But apparently Nikon did not catch all the bad ones and also they are in fact shipping old dates. The dealers are not opening the Nikon sealed boxes and reading the date codes on the batteries before sending to customers. There is no date code on the box. The dealer Is sending me a replacement and a return label. I bought them from one of the famed east coast dealers.
 
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jpawlan said:
One of the authorized Nikon dealers let me know that a few new spare batteries for the Z9 arrived from Nikon last week. These are model EN-EL18d batteries.
I ordered 2 of them and received them yesterday. I was very surprised to find that the date code printed on the battery's label shows one to be 1.5 years old and the other one is 2.5 years old.
I first checked them by putting them in my Z9 and used the menu choice Battery Info to check the battery status and charge. The one that is 1.5 years old only had 12% charge in it. The other one which is 2.5 years old did not power the camera at all. I then tried to charge them in my MH-33 charger. The one that is 2.5 years old is shorted and the charger blinked error and cannot charge it. The one that is 1.5 years old began to charge but took 8 hours. I checked it today in the camera and it is reading 99% so it seems to be fine even though it is old.

I strongly recommend that when you buy this model battery you look at the label for the date code and then check the charge in your camera so you will know whether it is working or not. I am very disappointed that Nikon is not testing the batteries before sending them to distribution and they are sending old batteries made years ago and some are dead.
Click to expand...

Someone raised this a few months ago. Not sure if bought from Nikon or a store though.
 
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Fyi

Nikon EN-EL18D battery "issue"

I have a spare EN-EL18D battery which was sitting on the shelf for the better part of a year. Mostly because I am able to charge the battery in the camera and don't rotate batteries. When I put this spare battery in the charge, it need calibration. Has anyone seen that behavior?
bcgforums.com bcgforums.com

Z9 Battery - 3 blinking lights

I recently purchased a 2nd Z9 body and an extra battery. The battery that came with the Z9 charged fine, but the new OEM Nikon battery sent separately wouldn't charge correctly (kept getting the fast 3 blinking lights, even after calibration) so I sent it back as an exchange for another Nikon...
bcgforums.com bcgforums.com

Nikon EN-EL18D is discontinued.

I searched B-H for the Z9 battery: 'Sorry, but the Nikon EN-EL18D is discontinued'. B-H lists several off brands of the EN-EL18d
bcgforums.com bcgforums.com
 
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fcotterill said:
Fyi

Nikon EN-EL18D battery "issue"

I have a spare EN-EL18D battery which was sitting on the shelf for the better part of a year. Mostly because I am able to charge the battery in the camera and don't rotate batteries. When I put this spare battery in the charge, it need calibration. Has anyone seen that behavior?
bcgforums.com bcgforums.com
Click to expand...
When I first got a Z9 I did not appreciate the charger checks for calibration every time - the red lights blink for about 12 seconds - and then go out.
fcotterill said:

Z9 Battery - 3 blinking lights

I recently purchased a 2nd Z9 body and an extra battery. The battery that came with the Z9 charged fine, but the new OEM Nikon battery sent separately wouldn't charge correctly (kept getting the fast 3 blinking lights, even after calibration) so I sent it back as an exchange for another Nikon...
bcgforums.com bcgforums.com
Click to expand...
If you waited more than about 12 seconds for the red lights to go out the battery was faulty
fcotterill said:

Nikon EN-EL18D is discontinued.

I searched B-H for the Z9 battery: 'Sorry, but the Nikon EN-EL18D is discontinued'. B-H lists several off brands of the EN-EL18d
bcgforums.com bcgforums.com
Click to expand...
B&H obviously made a mistake.
 
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