Where To Get 100% True Original Canon Battery Around Bangkok?

[Portlandstone]

Have been to some of the camera shops in Pantip plaza and their package says "original" but their sales tactic seems fishy, not to mention that they would allow me to view what they called "copy" battery and hold it in my hand, but what they called "original" they said they can't let me inspect it until after I buy. I did find one shop that had an original minus all packaging, what they did was sell the canon 400d to a customer but keep the accessories (i.e. the original battery that came with it) and then put that battery in their store display "as is" but ask for the full price, which turned me off. Seems like they are telling the truth (?) but I would prefer 100% made by canon and properly imported. (The reason is because in the past with another camera line, I found original batteries far outlast copies or "compatables", even though I bought the compatable long after the original.) Any place in BKK?

By the way am I wrong, are those "original" packing batteries really so?

[phetaroi]

How about the Canon store up in Mah Boon Krong?

[Portlandstone]

You would think that would be the place but for some reason they never carry original batteries. I have checked there once in a while for two years but no go.

Has anyone tried the imitation brands (commy or oska) for a substantial amount of time (say two years) and found those batteries have good endurance?

[Nordlys]

True Fotofile never seems to carry original Canon battery, at least for my EOS 5D. But then they're usually the only shop Canon Marketing Thailand refers to when I inquire about genuine accessory. I think I'll just get the batteries in Japan.

[Sunny Valentine]

I have 2 Fotofile copies running in my 40D (Battery grip) now for about one Year. No problems so far, and they seem to last significantly longer than the Originals, in terms of shot pictures. For 305 of the price of the Originals, they have amortized themselves already.

[motoyen]

Any updates on this? I'm looking for a spare battery for my Canon camcorder. I visited the Canon store in MBK but they don't have the battery I want.

[astral]

I bought a spare battery when I purchased my Canon 10D some years ago.

As far as I remember it was a Canon.

[motoyen]

I bought a spare battery when I purchased my Canon 10D some years ago.

As far as I remember it was a Canon.

And? It would help if you told us where you bought it.

[Portlandstone]

Anyhow it seems the verdict is in, there are no original Canon batteries in Bangkok (likely in all of Thailand). I went to shop after shop only to leave in frustration. I even went to the biggest Canon HQ, in Silom on Sathorn Road (it's at that big 4-way walk bridge in, the building I believe is Bangkok City Tower or some generic name). I went both to floor #10 their service area, and floor #9 their marketing office. All I got was the run around, nobody knew nothing typical answers "not shua, come back maybe next month" yah sure. They finally put me on an office phone and had me talk to someone who would give me advice of where to get an original. Their wonderful answer I waited for, my heart a-flutter thinking this would finally be it? Try MBK!

Does anyone want to buy a Canon 400D used setup with three lenses? (10mm - 20mm, 17mm - 70mm, and 55mm - 250mm, plus a nice 430EX flash, a remote, and one run-down original battery.) If I can get decent cash for my used setup, I would love to bail from Canon, namely on nothing more than their after service sucks. They have HQ offices and mini-HQs like at MBK but they couldn't give a dam_n about what you need. Nikon looks so much more professional.

[astral]

I bought a spare battery when I purchased my Canon 10D some years ago.

As far as I remember it was a Canon.

And? It would help if you told us where you bought it.

FotoFile, but it was in 2004.................

[Sunny Valentine]

I say it again: Get a decent copy at Fotofile, no problems, more power, and less than half the price of the Original.

Canon does not build LiIon Batteries, they buy the cells from the same spot market like everyone else. Only difference is the price.

Sunny

[Khutan]

The Canon Service Centre is in the building on the corner of Sathorn and Naratiwas Rd. If you get off at BTS Chong Nonsi it is the building on the far left corner of the intersection, maybe 100 meters from the BTS. You can order all the stuff from them.

[Portlandstone]

The Canon Service Centre is in the building on the corner of Sathorn and Naratiwas Rd. If you get off at BTS Chong Nonsi it is the building on the far left corner of the intersection, maybe 100 meters from the BTS. You can order all the stuff from them.

Hi Khutan, while I thank you much for your info, I've already been there, if you are talking about the main Canon HQ at that Bangkok City Tower or what it's called, pretty sure it's same one. If you read up a few posts from this one you should see my experience. Anyhow, Canon sucks concerning quality after service. They don't listen to customers, and they allow so called Regional Headquarters to operate their own way (i.e. "Thailand style"). Not a week goes by I don't think of the Nikon D90 and dumping my 400D setup.

As to the guy who keeps recommending I get "compatible" copies: NO THANK YOU.

[Sunny Valentine]

The Canon Service Centre is in the building on the corner of Sathorn and Naratiwas Rd. If you get off at BTS Chong Nonsi it is the building on the far left corner of the intersection, maybe 100 meters from the BTS. You can order all the stuff from them.

Hi Khutan, while I thank you much for your info, I've already been there, if you are talking about the main Canon HQ at that Bangkok City Tower or what it's called, pretty sure it's same one. If you read up a few posts from this one you should see my experience. Anyhow, Canon sucks concerning quality after service. They don't listen to customers, and they allow so called Regional Headquarters to operate their own way (i.e. "Thailand style"). Not a week goes by I don't think of the Nikon D90 and dumping my 400D setup.

As to the guy who keeps recommending I get "compatible" copies: NO THANK YOU.

I have seen original Canon BP 511 at Fotofile ground floor last week.

And I still wonder why you insist on overpriced so-called "Originals"?

I have had a total of 4 Canon DSLRs in the last 6 or so Years, and went through probably more than a dozen Batteries, Originals as well as copies. My personal experience: The copies are stronger, last longer. And never mind if Original or not, after about 3 Years they need to be replaced.

[Nordlys]

BP-511A compatible with BP-511 has more capacity at 7.4V1390mAh than older BP-511 at 7.4V1100mAh.

I've read some copies last only a year while others have problem with indicator lamp when used with genuine charger.

I'm thinking of buying Kenko's batteries compatible with BP-511/A with even more capacity than genuine BP-511A, at 1500mAh. Not sure if they're available in Thailand but will buy them from amazon in Japan anyway at 4,580 yen compared to 6,235 yen for BP-511A. How much was BP-511 (not A?) at Fotofile anyway? BP-511 is discontinued and supposed to be very old.

Hi Khutan, while I thank you much for your info, I've already been there, if you are talking about the main Canon HQ at that Bangkok City Tower or what it's called, pretty sure it's same one. If you read up a few posts from this one you should see my experience. Anyhow, Canon sucks concerning quality after service. They don't listen to customers, and they allow so called Regional Headquarters to operate their own way (i.e. "Thailand style"). Not a week goes by I don't think of the Nikon D90 and dumping my 400D setup.

My experience with Canon service in Thailand hasn't been so negative aside from their lack of inventory for accessories (including spare battery, lens and body cap). In my experience the service quality is usually better when manufacturer have regional presence to distribute and service products than when they entrust local distributor to look after customers which in the case of Nikon happens to be so as far as cameras are concerned.

Edited January 13, 2010 by Nordlys

[Portlandstone]

.....In my experience the service quality is usually better when manufacturer have regional presence to distribute and service products than when they entrust local distributor to look after customers which in the case of Nikon happens to be so as far as cameras are concerned.

So you are saying Nikon does the same thing? They allow countries' headquarters to do things their own way, the way they "see fit"? (i.e. couldn't give a dam_n about having a full stock of original equipment, only do what makes them profit and tell you to go to expensive retailers to get stuff they don't have, easy copout.) If Nikon does this too then there would be no need for me to switch from Canon, it would be same thing different company.

Oh and I don't know about this BP-511 battery you guys are talking about. I am talking about NB2LH, for the Canon 400D. When I was at that fotofile in MBK about a month ago (as well as a few times previously), the guys there adamantly said they won't be getting the NB2LH original, ever. Their excuse sounded phony, they said it's because when they order they cannot order just one or two, they have to order "thousands". This was in part a reaction when I told them I would pay the full price plus ship and heck even customs if they could just get me the dam_n thing.

In final, I disagree with the guy who said compatibles are just as good or better. In my experience time and again, "local made" or "comaptibles" have always shown signs or lower quality, lower power. Example with my Panasonic DMZ-20 camera a few years from 2005. Bought it '05 with orig batt, bought compat batt summer '06. By early '08 compat holds about 5 minutes of juice -- oh yah, it also gets stuck in the batt compartment because apparently the compat battery expanded, again a sign of low quality. Up until just 3 months ago when I got rid of camera, orig batt still gave me about 200 photos or 1 hour of operation, in other words 4+ year old orig batter still kicks ass. Case 2: These Infini/Toriyama, Thailand made rechargeable AA batteries. Bought them on Dec 28, 2008. By December of '09, they give me about 5 mins of camera operation. Total crap. That's in addition to the fact that they are advertised to "hold 80% of their power without a recharge for 6 months" tagline. How can they use that add when the batteries don't even work well within a year? These are similar experiences to what I had with cellphone batteries as well. Originals work great 4 years later, compatibles have problems, don't fit perfectly in compartment, suddenly shift off, etc. Seriously I've had so many bad experiences with compatible batteries I thought it was common knowledge.

[Nordlys]

I can't really comment on Nikon in particular as I never owned one but I was commenting on the difference in quality of service and their attitude in general when the manufacturer has local presence (e.g. Canon marketing Thailand) as compared to when they distribute products through local distributor. Availability of accessories is another matter altogether. Either way Canon service center is not a retailer, they don't do any retail sales including the accessories and I don't really consider Fotofile to be an "expensive retailer" but like you I would certainly expect the service center to at least treat batteries as spare parts and carry them in their inventory.

Sorry, I mentioned BP-511 as somebody else mentioned it in the earliest post and assumed that's what you're looking for.

Edited January 13, 2010 by Nordlys

[Sunny Valentine]

BP-511A compatible with BP-511 has more capacity at 7.4V1390mAh than older BP-511 at 7.4V1100mAh.

I've read some copies last only a year while others have problem with indicator lamp when used with genuine charger.

Happens once in a while, but at least for me that also happened with Originals. Solution: Take it off the charger, and plug it in again.

I have some cheap copies from Fotofile (1800 mAh) running for more than two Years without problems. My last Original that I received 1 1/2 Years ago with the purchase of the 40D is now ready to be disposed. I also had a stud copy that did not last more than 6 month. But: On average, you get 3 copies for the price of one Original. If one out of 5 or 6 is bad, no big deal.

I am almost certain the Batteries were 511A at Fotofile, I did not check, as I did not intend to buy Originals.

The copies thye sell (for 800 Baht) are usually good. It all depends not on the brand, but the charge of sells they buy on the spot market. Same with Canon. They have similar sources, and please don't tell a Canon user that this company excels in QC! So, in case of batteries, it is a lottery, but the rates are in your advantage with no names.

I'm thinking of buying Kenko's batteries compatible with BP-511/A with even more capacity than genuine BP-511A, at 1500mAh. Not sure if they're available in Thailand but will buy them from amazon in Japan anyway at 4,580 yen compared to 6,235 yen for BP-511A. How much was BP-511 (not A?) at Fotofile anyway? BP-511 is discontinued and supposed to be very old.

Hi Khutan, while I thank you much for your info, I've already been there, if you are talking about the main Canon HQ at that Bangkok City Tower or what it's called, pretty sure it's same one. If you read up a few posts from this one you should see my experience. Anyhow, Canon sucks concerning quality after service. They don't listen to customers, and they allow so called Regional Headquarters to operate their own way (i.e. "Thailand style"). Not a week goes by I don't think of the Nikon D90 and dumping my 400D setup.

My experience with Canon service in Thailand hasn't been so negative aside from their lack of inventory for accessories (including spare battery, lens and body cap). In my experience the service quality is usually better when manufacturer have regional presence to distribute and service products than when they entrust local distributor to look after customers which in the case of Nikon happens to be so as far as cameras are concerned.

Edited January 13, 2010 by Sunny Valentine