Z8 Aftermarket Battery

[RichF]

I just got the Ulanzi batteries. They do not work with the Z8 despite they were also confirming when I asked them directly. Their website is still showing the compatibility with the Z8. I am pretty disappointed. I sent them a message, let’s see if they will refund me.

Not surprised. Nikon controls which batteries work w/ their camera. Ulanzi may wish that they work and specs might be compatible, but the Z 8 can test to see if the battery is genuine Nikon. A bit of profit grabbing from Nikon (to sell you more batteries) but also could be make sure batteries fully meet Nikon specs.

Slightly off-topic but very relevant. I had Dell desktop and connected several SCSI disk to it. At least once a day, often more frequently the desktop and disks would stop talking to each other. All within SCSI specs but ... I think wants to avoid situations like this

 

[Anjin San]

I can’t really understand why after spending either 4K or 5.5K on one of these bodies and another whatever for Z lenses that one would cheap out on batteries. I bought 1 extra for my Z9 and have never actually needed it in the field. Already had 2 15c’s for my Z7II so now have 3 for my Z8…and even after a day of shooting in the UK still had plenty of charge left…and a Nikon 15c is like 60 bucks…a strap or L bracket costs more than that.

 

[SCoombs]

I can’t really understand why after spending either 4K or 5.5K on one of these bodies and another whatever for Z lenses that one would cheap out on batteries. I bought 1 extra for my Z9 and have never actually needed it in the field. Already had 2 15c’s for my Z7II so now have 3 for my Z8…and even after a day of shooting in the UK still had plenty of charge left…and a Nikon 15c is like 60 bucks…a strap or L bracket costs more than that.

I see this sort of comment a lot and while I have three Nikon batteries for my Z8, I don't really understand the mindset. Money is not unlimited for everybody, and the cost difference between OEM batteries and third party is significant. The fact is that for lots of people the 4k or 5.5k on the body is pushing their spending to the limit and an extra $150 for more batteries is not a real option. What people often say in response is that if you can't afford the extra $150 on some batteries that you shouldn't have gotten the 4k camera, but that's the mindset I don't understand. Why should people not be able to purchase the product that they really want, that really suits their needs or wants, even if it takes some saving up for a while or it uses up all their spending power for a while?

I think in the case of something like Nikon cameras this is an especially pertinent point. First, cameras are system based, meaning that for someone with limited financial options who is already a Nikon shooter they will be financially best off sticking with Nikon and being able to continue to use all of the lenses they already have. Second, there's been for several years now a pretty sharp "cutoff" in terms of Nikon body options. The Z9 and now Z8 are strong, whereas the Z7ii and below just won't cut it in terms of AF for some people's use cases, so if we're talking about someone who bought a Z8 it's not even like it may be with some other manufacturers where there is more of a range and someone could have spent a few hundred dollars less on the next model down in order to afford all the accessories like batteries. For Nikon, that "next model down" doesn't really yet exist, which is one reason so many are clamoring for the "Z500" or at least some other kind of mid-range DX model.

 

[Len Shepherd]

I see this sort of comment a lot and while I have three Nikon batteries for my Z8, I don't really understand the mindset. Money is not unlimited for everybody, and the cost difference between OEM batteries and third party is significant.

Perhaps is depends on how you define "significant".
Obviously all manufacturers batteries have been changed internally to allow charging via a USB 3.

Ignoring the above I do not know anybody who has found other brand batteries hold their charge for long, have the same capacity as an OEM etc.
The one time I experimented with a pair of other brand batteries - the failure rate was 50%
Without hesitation my advice is "cheaper" batteries are a definite example of NOT getting what you hoped for but did not pay for - and they usually end up being a waste of money over a 3-year time scale.

 

[SCoombs]

Perhaps is depends on how you define "significant".
Obviously all manufacturers batteries have been changed internally to allow charging via a USB 3.

Ignoring the above I do not know anybody who has found other brand batteries hold their charge for long, have the same capacity as an OEM etc.
The one time I experimented with a pair of other brand batteries - the failure rate was 50%
Without hesitation my advice is "cheaper" batteries are a definite example of NOT getting what you hoped for but did not pay for - and they usually end up being a waste of money over a 3-year time scale.

I had to sell them due to incompatibility with the Z8, but for around two years I used a pair of aftermarket batteries on my Z7ii and DSLR which performed at least as well if not better than the Nikon battery. It makes sense that they would perform better because they were rated for a greater charge than the Nikon is, and they really did last longer in actual use.

In general I do agree with you that aftermarket batteries can perform worse or fail altogether, and I don't doubt that many often do, but what I'd say is that even among aftermarket batteries there are still clear distinctions or tiers, just like with anything. Even for something like chicken nuggets there will be the major name brands, the generics, and the super cheap/questionable ones. I think most people find that if you pay for the more "legitimate" generics you are going to get a pretty decent stand-in for the name brand whereas if you go for the absolute cheapest you'll be disappointed. I'd say it's not different for something like a camera battery. When buying mine I went through dozens of listings on Amazon and found one that had not only a 4.5+ star rating, but also for which that rating was based on thousands of reviews. There were lots of 5 star ratings with only a few dozen or hundred reviews, and I wrote these off as unreliable. I think the ones I got were rated at 4.8 stars over something like 5000+ reviews. I also found people talking about owning and being satisfied with them on forum posts. The result was, like I said, batteries that worked better for me than the Nikon ones for 2 years or more and at a savings of about $150.

 

[Nimi]

A

I had to sell them due to incompatibility with the Z8, but for around two years I used a pair of aftermarket batteries on my Z7ii and DSLR which performed at least as well if not better than the Nikon battery. It makes sense that they would perform better because they were rated for a greater charge than the Nikon is, and they really did last longer in actual use.

In general I do agree with you that aftermarket batteries can perform worse or fail altogether, and I don't doubt that many often do, but what I'd say is that even among aftermarket batteries there are still clear distinctions or tiers, just like with anything. Even for something like chicken nuggets there will be the major name brands, the generics, and the super cheap/questionable ones. I think most people find that if you pay for the more "legitimate" generics you are going to get a pretty decent stand-in for the name brand whereas if you go for the absolute cheapest you'll be disappointed. I'd say it's not different for something like a camera battery. When buying mine I went through dozens of listings on Amazon and found one that had not only a 4.5+ star rating, but also for which that rating was based on thousands of reviews. There were lots of 5 star ratings with only a few dozen or hundred reviews, and I wrote these off as unreliable. I think the ones I got were rated at 4.8 stars over something like 5000+ reviews. I also found people talking about owning and being satisfied with them on forum posts. The result was, like I said, batteries that worked better for me than the Nikon ones for 2 years or more and at a savings of about $150.

Amazon ratings are mostly bogus.

 

[Woodyg3]

It is maddening how expensive OEM batteries can be. It's WAY more maddening when you get short battery life or the camera straight up won't work when using older or aftermarket batteries.

 

[EricBowles]

I had to sell them due to incompatibility with the Z8, but for around two years I used a pair of aftermarket batteries on my Z7ii and DSLR which performed at least as well if not better than the Nikon battery. It makes sense that they would perform better because they were rated for a greater charge than the Nikon is, and they really did last longer in actual use.

In general I do agree with you that aftermarket batteries can perform worse or fail altogether, and I don't doubt that many often do, but what I'd say is that even among aftermarket batteries there are still clear distinctions or tiers, just like with anything. Even for something like chicken nuggets there will be the major name brands, the generics, and the super cheap/questionable ones. I think most people find that if you pay for the more "legitimate" generics you are going to get a pretty decent stand-in for the name brand whereas if you go for the absolute cheapest you'll be disappointed. I'd say it's not different for something like a camera battery. When buying mine I went through dozens of listings on Amazon and found one that had not only a 4.5+ star rating, but also for which that rating was based on thousands of reviews. There were lots of 5 star ratings with only a few dozen or hundred reviews, and I wrote these off as unreliable. I think the ones I got were rated at 4.8 stars over something like 5000+ reviews. I also found people talking about owning and being satisfied with them on forum posts. The result was, like I said, batteries that worked better for me than the Nikon ones for 2 years or more and at a savings of about $150.

It sounds like you've thought it through pretty well for your Z7ii. The big difference for the Z8 is in-camera charging. If a battery is not compatible and catches fire or explodes in the camera, Nikon faces potential liability. The way they deal with this is the chip in the battery must appropriately communicate with the camera. Now you may not need in-camera charging, but that's the big concern in the Z8. There may also be some peak power demands for the Expeed 7 processor at high frame rates.

If you consider a battery a supply item and need a lot of them, it may make sense to buy third party batteries. I would expect to see third party batteries that will work in the Z8. I thought I had heard of some people using one or two brands successfully - and buying 10-20 batteries at a time.

The other approach is to charge the battery in the camera with a suitable power source and PD cable. You may find you can buy a power source cheaper than a replacement battery. I priced one yesterday under $60 and the expectation is it would charge a battery in the camera twice.

 

[ferrocinque]

Not surprised. Nikon controls which batteries work w/ their camera. Ulanzi may wish that they work and specs might be compatible, but the Z 8 can test to see if the battery is genuine Nikon. A bit of profit grabbing from Nikon (to sell you more batteries) but also could be make sure batteries fully meet Nikon specs.

Slightly off-topic but very relevant. I had Dell desktop and connected several SCSI disk to it. At least once a day, often more frequently the desktop and disks would stop talking to each other. All within SCSI specs but ... I think wants to avoid situations like this

I just got an email from Ulanzi after my complain about the incompatibility of their batteries with the Z8. They said that I have got two pcs of the old model, and they sent me two new units. It will take some days for the slow shipment.
I will let you know if these new ones are working.
As other said, I had several “good” aftermarket batteries that always worked fine and lasted longer then the OEM. As are supposed to be these Ulanzi batteries (among the possibility to charge them directly without a charger).

 

[Anjin San]

I don't really understand the mindset. Money is not unlimited for everybody, and the cost difference between OEM batteries and third party is significant.

While 3rd party ones are cheaper…anyone with $4K to spend on a Z8 isn’t broke and the difference between a Nikon battery and one from Joe’s Backyard Battery Company is decimal dust. Granted…there’s more of a difference for a Z9 one…but that’s a $5.5K body and I would bet that 98% of Z9 buyers get Z lenses to go along with it…which puts a kit up in the $10K or more range…probably more once fast large cards, L brackets, etc are included…and the difference in total cost isn’t worth trying to figure out if this particular off brand battery works and is treated by the software exactly the same as an OEM one. It’s like spending $100 for cocktails and dinner for 2 at Outback and declining to pay the extra $2 for a non well bourbon and the extra $3 for better wine…the difference is $30 for a Z8 and $50 for a Z9. Cheap ing out…especially as most users get Z lenses as well…makes no sense. Yes, the budget for the body might be a stretch…but seriously…if you can afford $4K for the body then 30 bucks for the battery isn’t going to hurt at all…and really…2 batteries is more than sufficient for a days shooting for almost all of us.

 

[Patrick M]

<SNIP>

The other approach is to charge the battery in the camera with a suitable power source and PD cable. You may find you can buy a power source cheaper than a replacement battery. I priced one yesterday under $60 and the expectation is it would charge a battery in the camera twice.

that’s a very sensible approx. Hudson Henry also suggests an external power pack…especially when out on a trip…this comes under Necessities on his gear site.

 

[Anjin San]

that’s a very sensible approx. Hudson Henry also suggests an external power pack…especially when out on a trip…this comes under Necessities on his gear site.

Yep…have one of those and easy to plug the Z8in while in the car, although it’s never actually been necessary. I’ve got 3 15c’s and 2 b’s and a couple of a’s as I’ve changed bodies a couple of times and while I’ve only had the Z8 for our recent trip to the UK and charged nightly…it was always still above 50% by the end of the day. I’ve been turning bodies off between shots for years anyway…so that muscle memory helps with battery life too.

 

[SCoombs]

While 3rd party ones are cheaper…anyone with $4K to spend on a Z8 isn’t broke and the difference between a Nikon battery and one from Joe’s Backyard Battery Company is decimal dust. Granted…there’s more of a difference for a Z9 one…but that’s a $5.5K body and I would bet that 98% of Z9 buyers get Z lenses to go along with it…which puts a kit up in the $10K or more range…probably more once fast large cards, L brackets, etc are included…and the difference in total cost isn’t worth trying to figure out if this particular off brand battery works and is treated by the software exactly the same as an OEM one. It’s like spending $100 for cocktails and dinner for 2 at Outback and declining to pay the extra $2 for a non well bourbon and the extra $3 for better wine…the difference is $30 for a Z8 and $50 for a Z9. Cheap ing out…especially as most users get Z lenses as well…makes no sense. Yes, the budget for the body might be a stretch…but seriously…if you can afford $4K for the body then 30 bucks for the battery isn’t going to hurt at all…and really…2 batteries is more than sufficient for a days shooting for almost all of us.

Where are you finding Nikon branded batteries for $30? I managed to get mine for $70 and that was on a discount.

Or do you mean the difference in cost is $30. If so, I again think that's off. $75 or so for a single battery vs. the aftermarket ones are normally $20 or $25 for two is at least a $50 difference before even accounting for the fact that you're getting two vs one, and yes after a $4000 purchase empties a bank account $50 may be literally more than a person has.

 

[Butlerkid]

To All:

Each person makes financial decisions based on his own situation, needs and biases. No need to argue about which approach is best. Just state what you do.....and let it go.

Thanks!

 

[RichF]

Has anyone ever heard of a documented or very reliable case where the 3rd party damaged a camera (perhaps due to voltage irregularities or perhaps a battery leaking)?

 

[Patrick M]

This is a great read - the Battery Brawl.

The Great Battery Brawl

Fuji versus 3rd Party NP-W126/S in a 12 Round Contest “I need a new battery for my Fujifilm X-series camera. Should I buy the genuine Fujifilm OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) battery, …

domvarney.com

 

[Woodyg3]

Has anyone ever heard of a documented or very reliable case where the 3rd party damaged a camera (perhaps due to voltage irregularities or perhaps a battery leaking)?

Ages ago, but nothing in the last 10 years or so.

 

[frdjohns]

This is a great read - the Battery Brawl.

The Great Battery Brawl

Fuji versus 3rd Party NP-W126/S in a 12 Round Contest “I need a new battery for my Fujifilm X-series camera. Should I buy the genuine Fujifilm OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) battery, …

domvarney.com

That was a great article, that explains batteries in more detail than I cared to learn. Thanks.

This argument seems to come up with every new camera release. I've never understood why some folks seem to have such strong feelings about it one way or the other. Buy whatever battery you think works for you, and let others do the same without shaming (financial or otherwise) them.

I have gone through periods where I used 3rd party batteries and other times where I've only used OEM batteries. I've never had a battery swell or get overheated or blow up or in anyway negatively affect the camera. I have had a couple of En- el 15 third party batteries not be recognized by one Nikon body and work fine in another.

I see nothing wrong with using a 3rd party battery if that is your choice. Then again I see nothing wrong with sticking to OEM batteries either.

 

[Anjin San]

Where are you finding Nikon branded batteries for $30? I managed to get mine for $70 and that was on a discount.

Or do you mean the difference in cost is $30. If so, I again think that's off. $75 or so for a single battery vs. the aftermarket ones are normally $20 or $25 for two is at least a $50 difference before even accounting for the fact that you're getting two vs one, and yes after a $4000 purchase empties a bank account $50 may be literally more than a person has.

I looked at B&H as I was writing that…Nikon battery was 69 and 3rd party 39…I was referencing the difference with the 30 and the 50 for Z9 battery was the same difference between Nikon and others. I maintain that if you can afford a 4K body…the difference between a second Nikon battery and an off brand one of 30 or even 40 bucks is not relevant…absolutely zero people are going to tell themselves that 4,030 for a Z8 and non Nikon battery is affordable but that 4,060 for the body and a 2nd Nikon battery is out of the budget…let’s get real here. That’s like buying a $100 steak meal and getting the 8 bucks a glass wine over the 11 bucks a glass one because you’ve busted the budget.

However…I just looked at a single place…and even if the difference between a Nikon Z8 battery and some other brand is 50 bucks…that is peanuts when you’re talking about a 4K body.

 

[RichF]

I see nothing wrong with using a 3rd party battery if that is your choice. Then again I see nothing wrong with sticking to OEM batteries either.

years ago when I purchased some fake OEM batteries. Lasted a few months and then would not hold a charge. Not the same as quality 3rd party batteries, probably the worst possible battery since they do not have a reputation to defend. Never-the-less shows the downside of 3rd party batteries.

 

[SCoombs]

I looked at B&H as I was writing that…Nikon battery was 69 and 3rd party 39…I was referencing the difference with the 30 and the 50 for Z9 battery was the same difference between Nikon and others. I maintain that if you can afford a 4K body…the difference between a second Nikon battery and an off brand one of 30 or even 40 bucks is not relevant…absolutely zero people are going to tell themselves that 4,030 for a Z8 and non Nikon battery is affordable but that 4,060 for the body and a 2nd Nikon battery is out of the budget…let’s get real here. That’s like buying a $100 steak meal and getting the 8 bucks a glass wine over the 11 bucks a glass one because you’ve busted the budget.

However…I just looked at a single place…and even if the difference between a Nikon Z8 battery and some other brand is 50 bucks…that is peanuts when you’re talking about a 4K body.

Some people really can't afford the extra $3 for the nicer drink, or even the $8 for the drink at all, if they get the steak - but they still get the steak because they would like one and think it's worth it. I think it's not my place to judge the way they choose to spend the money they do have - especially - if money is tighter for them than for me.

 

[RichF]

Some people really can't afford the extra $3 for the nicer drink, or even the $8 for the drink at all, if they get the steak - but they still get the steak because they would like one and think it's worth it. I think it's not my place to judge the way they choose to spend the money they do have - especially - if money is tighter for them than for me.

Most of us, perhaps everyone, is spends irrationally at one time or another.

I know I can be very frugal in some areas but when it comes to photography ... the sky is the limit (okay perhaps not the sky I will not spend $50 or $100K on Phase One body ...).

 

[ferrocinque]

I just got an email from Ulanzi after my complain about the incompatibility of their batteries with the Z8. They said that I have got two pcs of the old model, and they sent me two new units. It will take some days for the slow shipment.
I will let you know if these new ones are working.
As other said, I had several “good” aftermarket batteries that always worked fine and lasted longer then the OEM. As are supposed to be these Ulanzi batteries (among the possibility to charge them directly without a charger).

OK, I finally got the 2 new Ulanzi EN-EL15 compatible batteries. And… yes, these are working with my Z8. On the paper they are more powerful (2.400mAh), and they have a USB C port so you can directly charge them without using an external charger. Ulanzi is a big and well known brand, so I trust that these are not the cheap fake copies. That’s why I bought them, not just to save some Euros , even if 2 units costed me 65,- $, so almost the same price of a single Nikon.
I will test them in the next days. If I will find any issue I will report. But I doubt I will have any problem.

 

[rayno]

I just got an email from Ulanzi after my complain about the incompatibility of their batteries with the Z8. They said that I have got two pcs of the old model, and they sent me two new units. It will take some days for the slow shipment.
I will let you know if these new ones are working.
As other said, I had several “good” aftermarket batteries that always worked fine and lasted longer then the OEM. As are supposed to be these Ulanzi batteries (among the possibility to charge them directly without a charger).

That was exactly what they said to me (3 times) at this point I have 6 Ulanzi batteries sitting in a corner and unable to work on my Z8. I don't want to know how they can afford to send me 3 more pairs of batteries just wishing the next ones would work but I bet they didn't even tried the batteries on a real Nikon Z8

 

[Calson]

I have had poor results with more than a few brands of third party batteries. I try to get the brands sold by B&H in the belief that if they get a lot of returns they will discontinue a particular brand.

When I spend $6000 on a camera I am not inclined to save a few dollars with a non OEM battery that is not going to provide an equivalent number of shots per battery and may have critical defects. I take the same approach to buying memory cards for cameras where the cost is trivial in the overall scheme of things.

I would certainly avoid buying batteries from sellers on ebay in particular. Many counterfeit Canon video batteries were sold in this manner and they had a tendency to explode in the cameras. The manufacturers can save some money by not incorporating fail safe circuitry in the battery and if there are many problems they can simply put a new name on the next batch of batteries.