Screen-shot-2010-08-28-at-2How's that for an exciting thumbnail, right? This is only of interest for 5D Mark II, 7D, and forthcoming 60D shooters, but DSLRs gobble batteries at an alarming rate in movie mode. To date we've been faced with paying $70-$100 for each genuine Canon LP-E6 battery, or taking our chances with eBay models for $10. Until now...

While those $10 eBay batteries are cheap, they lack the internal computer chip that tells the camera how much power they have remaining. This makes them kind of a joke for professional use, but... you get what you pay for. However, these new Pearstone batteries work exactly the same as the Canon originals, but they're $40 instead of $70. Upon closer examination, I see that the Pearstones are 1550mAh at 7.4V whereas the Canons are 1800mAh at 7.2V. However, this still makes the Pearstones a good option, as the Series 7 SL-E6 (another non-Canon alternative) is more expensive than the Pearstone -- and it lacks the all-important memory chip. Anyway, enough on batteries -- if you're a 5D or 7D shooter and need a handful of batteries, these new Pearstones offer a $30 savings on each.


Link: Pearstone LP-E6 Lithium-Ion Battery Pack