Page 1 of help needed re buying camcorder batteries

Hi,
i`ve just got a new jvc camcorder which has a JVC bn-v408u rechargeable battery with it.
I`m looking to buy another battery, but can someone tell me the difference between an ordinary battery and one called a `replacement` battery?
what`s the difference? apart from the price.should i stay away from replacement batteries?
maybe the above is a daft question, but i`m new to this camcorder lark!

cheers.

Really depends on what you mean by "replacement" battery.

There are a few possibles here:
The battery has the same model number as the supplied one, therefore it`s a "spares" replacement and exactly the same

It has a different model number, higher Ma or Amp hours listed on it, has Li-Ion or Ni-Mh listed on it, it`s a differing spare battery with probably longer use, and usually more expensive.

Third option is it`s a casing to put AA duracell type batteries in, and only acts as an emergency unit as it can`t be recharged, you dump and change the batteries for next time.

Post more detail and one of us will try to narrow it down a bit.

Jimbo : oÞ

I got a JVC GRD73 a few months ago myself. I got this battery as a spare, it`s a higher capicity (the milliamp/hour rating) than the original so you get longer running time per charge (1100mah instead of the 850mah original).

If you want to spend a little more, they also do a 1600mah battery which will give you even more run time. The downside I saw was it`s a fair bit heavier, which defeats the object of these small, lightweight cameras a bit, so I went for the 1100mah one. It lasted me fine, I only used one a half batteries for a full weeks holiday, so probably one charge each while away would do a fortnight (depending how much you use it obviously)

That firm had fast delivery, and the best price I came across while searching. Uniross is also a good make that I`ve used for years with various rechargable batteries.

I also got this camcorder battery charger from 7dayshop.com. If yours is like mine and uses the camera to charge the battery, then the camera is tied up while the battery charges. Having a seperate charger like this frees the camera so you can still use it while the other battery charges. Bargain price there too, less than half the UK mainland price (they`re in Guernsey).

edit:
oh, and no, no reason to stay away from replacement batteries, the ones you get with them are never the highest capacity, just something to get you going, and ok for the average user. It`s always handy to have a spare so you can just swap batteries and keep on shooting.

This item was edited on Monday, 6th December 2004, 00:00

thanks for the info.
Well for instance what i`ve done is gone on ebay and searched under the exact same model no as my own camcorder battery and many batteries have come up mostly showing as a replacement battery that can be recharged, but look exactly the same as my own.
yet a couple of sellers will have a battery that looks the same but is stated as `not a replacement`.but these batteries are a lot more expensive.
Which battery is worth getting?

I don`t know what they`re selling on Ebay (can`t stand the place - full of conmen), but I would think you`d be pushed to do better than the two shops I`ve linked to above (just edited with a link to a seperate charger too).

Is it one of the GR-D models? :)

yeah, it`s the grd-32. what tapes would you recommend, benn using jvc ones but they seem a tad grainy.

Yeah, I`ve been using the JVC ones too. They seemed ok to me though, should be ideal for the cameras with them being JVC too. I got mine at Morrisons when they had a buy on get one free deal on (2 pack for £9.99, get another 2 pack free). I got the ones in the gold and blue wrapper like this (JVC do other types too):

I think "not a replacement" means the battery is an official JVC spare, rather than a lookalike battery. Both are made by a battery manufacturer to JVC`s standards, but the official one has the dubious honour of being overprinted with the JVC logo.

BTW, there should be no difference (other than reliability over time) between types of DV tape - it`s digital after all. If you`re experiencing "grainy" pictures, the likelihood is your camera is struggling with low light conditions. Try filming outdoors on a bright day - you won`t get any "grain" and the picture will be as sharp as a tack, but try filming indoors in artificial room lighting and it`s a different story.

J Mark Oates

This item was edited on Monday, 6th December 2004, 00:47

Ahhh...right, now I see what you mean by "replacement"

It`s just terminology. It`s a similar or identical battery but usually not made by the manufacturer.
For example, my Panasonic takes CGR-220 batteries, and real Panasonic ones are about £40 to £80 dependant on where you purchase them.
Ebay "replacements" are made by some other company I`ve never heard of, and are about £15 to £20, with the same specification.

Abit like going into Currys/Dixons/Comet and buying a Varta/Uniross replacement for your JVC, they work ok usually, and typically have better specs than the original supplied one.

Mark makes a good point that it`s a trade off between weight and length of time. I hate trying to get customers to understand I aint trying to sell them the slightly cheaper and not as good a deal battery because I get paid any different, but because I`ve had people complain it was just too damned heavy to use the higher rated one!
(and virtually no one ever drains the batteries in one fell swoop...unless it`s a wedding or summat and you had it on a tripod, then you have the spares to cover that)

Dunno how safe the Ebay sellers are, heard of those going both ways (great and not so great to nothing arrived).

HTH at least a bit!

Jimbo : oÞ

Thanks a lot for your help guys.i`m a lot more clued up now.