Photo news: The fight against counterfeiting and the Christmas slump

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Our "Fotonews" column will soon be entering its third year, many people have Christmas money in their bank accounts at – and now, of all times, there is nothing going on. Well, almost really, nothing at all. The big camera launches of the year are now well and truly over, there's no big bang to be expected right before the gift-giving season, and our hard-working colleagues in the editorial team have already put together some gift tips for photographers and their loved ones. So let's simply turn this format around: The small and large gifts, which can often be amazingly affordable and yet extremely useful, are our recommendation for a long read for the weekend.

In the last few weeks, however, a piece of news has attracted attention that has brought a problem that has existed for decades, especially in the field of photo accessories, back onto the radar: counterfeit products, especially batteries. Canon teamed up with Amazon to sue in the USA and won. The aim was apparently not only to remove the counterfeit products from Amazon's range, but also to send a clear signal to the counterfeiters. Mind you, this was not about batteries from so-called third-party manufacturers sold under their brand, but about devices labeled "Canon", i.e. actual counterfeits.

A battery is not only defined by its capacity

Of course, there are third-party batteries and counterfeits, mainly because the original batteries from the major camera manufacturers are costly. If you look purely at a technical specification, it is difficult to understand why a battery with a capacity of around 4000 mAh from Canon, Nikon, Sony etc. should cost between 40 and 100 euros, while even reputable German retailers offer USB power banks with 10,000 mAh for less than 20 euros.

But this is a very one-sided view. A camera battery not only includes the cells themselves, but also charging electronics and a precisely fitting housing, which must not jam in the camera even under heavy use and high temperatures. It must not leak under any circumstances, otherwise an expensive repair or even a total loss of the camera is due. And, perhaps most importantly, a lithium-ion battery must certainly not burn. These are not imaginary horror scenarios; this has already happened with many electronic devices.

The fact that such incidents have become very rare today, unlike about 15 years ago, is mainly due to better controlled supply chains – the camera manufacturers do not produce the cells themselves, only the rest – and rigorous tests at the original manufacturers. This also has the pleasant side effect that the batteries can be used for many years if treated well. In the columnist's arsenal there are original batteries that are over 10 years old and deliver several hundred pictures even with thick DSLRs. These are, of course, anecdotal experiences, which is why there are no recommendations or warnings for specific brands from third-party manufacturers at this point, as the author also uses such batteries and chargers.

Good treatment extends the service life

And all this without any major problems, except for the early death of some third-party batteries. Likely, this is due to good treatment: the batteries were never fully discharged, were only stored at around 50 percent capacity, were not left in the car in summer and were only kept in a jacket or trouser pocket when out and about in winter. Lithium-ion batteries don't like too much cold or heat. And they are not damaged in any way – if they are cracked because they have been dropped, they are sorted out and sent for professional recycling. The same applies to oxidized contacts or even slightly bloated housings – Such batteries are not to be trusted, they must be disposed of. This applies to all power storage devices.

How to test new batteries with little risk

This is how I test new batteries: As supplied, they are placed in an external charger that has proven its worth and are fully charged in a ceramic bowl on the balcony at mild temperatures. None of them have blown up yet, but you never know. Once the battery has survived this, it is placed in the cheapest camera it can fit into and is tortured a little with continuous shots, including flash. If it doesn't get too hot or isn't empty straight away, it can go into the arsenal. Of course, without immediately filling it up again because the last 20 percent of a charging process puts about as much strain on the cells as a full charge.

This procedure also has the advantage that rotten cells can be recognized immediately and returned within the return period with good reason. For more precise tests, even without special measuring devices, a charger that displays the battery voltages has also proved its worth. This can only be estimated correctly based on experience if the voltage of several original batteries is used as a guide. Rule of thumb: A voltage difference of more than 15 percent between a new third-party battery and the new original is an indication of weak cells, as is excessive heating during charging. An infrared thermometer also helps to monitor this.

Don't switch off your mind

What sounds like a lot of work is actually something you only have to do once for each battery. Afterward, you have the good feeling that the device will continue to do what it is supposed to do for several years and will not pose a risk to the camera or, in the worst case, to life and limb. It's also exciting to see what third-party manufacturers sometimes do even better than the original suppliers. And it's not just with devices like these: if an offer looks too good to be true, there's almost always something wrong.

With this in mind: Have fun with your Christmas shopping, there will be at least one more issue of photo news news this year, in which we will take a short break, which will end in the course of the CES trade fair in the first week of January at the latest.

(nie)