If a memory card or camera battery is 'shipped from and sold by Amazon' is it safe to assume they are legit? I have ready many places about discount affiliated sellers on Amazon and some other places selling branded cards and batteries that are actually just cheap knock offs with convincing packaging. I want a real sandisk card, and a real Canon LP-E6.

Can I safely buy direct from Amazon?

-Brian

I buy just about everything from Amazon including photo gear. It is absolutely safe to buy from them, if there's a problem you can always return the item and they will refund your money including shipping.

You can trust "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com".

Andrew J wrote:
You can trust "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com".

Agreed. Make sure it's from Amazon proper.

jaybird555 wrote:
I buy just about everything from Amazon including photo gear. It is absolutely safe to buy from them, if there's a problem you can always return the item and they will refund your money including shipping.

+1

Amazon is a safe place to buy. Moreover the product reviews on Amazon are real and don't seem to be handpicked like they are on B&H. In fact I often read the reviews on Amazon first, regardless of where I am buying the product. If the merchandise is a cheap knock-off the reviews will reflect that. Simple.

A lot of the photo product on Amazon actually comes from Adorama.

Be careful though. As a seller on Amazon, I can send in a product so that it is eligible for Amazon "fullfillment." Free shipping from them for Amazon Prime.

So the exact wording for what is "fullfilled" by Amazon, vs. what is sold by Amazon is not clear.

Most people getting fake cards never know it. So reviews rarely help in this one case.

mmurph wrote:
A lot of the photo product on Amazon actually comes from Adorama.

Be careful though. As a seller on Amazon, I can send in a product so that it is eligible for Amazon "fullfillment." Free shipping from them for Amazon Prime.

So the exact wording for what is "fullfilled" by Amazon, vs. what is sold by Amazon is not clear.

I don't really understand what you are trying to say here? At least on the Amazon websites in Europe it will say Fullfilled by Amazon. And also who the seller is. And when it's sold by Amazon it's very clear.
If something is wrong with the card. Or you never get the card. Amazon will give you a new one without questions.

Not sure why you would want a Canon battery - overpriced and lower performance than 3rd party batts. I would want name brand CF cards in my camera - but have not had a Canon battery for some time now...

There is a big difference between counterfeit gear (fakes in other words) and third party products or branded products........in my experience of batteries, Canon originals are the first to flag whereas my branded ones from China go on and on....!!

bauerman wrote:
Not sure why you would want a Canon battery - overpriced and lower performance than 3rd party batts. I would want name brand CF cards in my camera - but have not had a Canon battery for some time now...

Have you tested the water resistance? The battery pack forms the lower, end part of the body, and the cheapo ones I've seen did not fit as well as the Canon battery. The Canon prices are fine for me compared to $6-8K for the body.

EBH

I'm really surprised to hear some folks talk about the 3rd party batteries as BETTER than Canon's. I did a lot of searching and it seems the majority report shorter life, both in shots per battery (despite sometimes higher mAh ratings), and fewer recharges to set. So I'd assumed Canon was the way to go based on that.

Can those of you who prefer your 3rd party batteries chime in with what brands you are using?

-Brian

^^ Maxell's work great, very near Canon performance if not there already. AIR I paid around $30 for 2 LP-E6 generics. I'd buy them again..

gene

I have never had a Canon battery fail. The only batteries that I have had fail are 3rd party batteries.

I have never had a 3rd party battery that lasts as long as a Canon battery in any camera. The Canon batteries that I have owned have been great without exception. That is for the D30, 10D, 20D, 1DsII, 30D, 40D, T3i, T4i, 1DX.

The Flashpoint batteries that I have now for my T4i last just over 1/2 the time as my Canon batteries. I regret buying them.

I can shoot all day on a Canon battery and never have to worry about it, 700+ images. The Flashpoint I only use around the house for eBay pics or tests. I don't want them in the camera on a shoot, except as emergency backup.

Now, of course, there are multiple 3rd party. Some may be good, and teh majority are not as good. The problem is figuring out which are which. I expected the name brand non-OEM like Flashpoint and Pearstone to be good. It's just not worth the risk for me any more.

Best,
Michael

galenapass wrote:
Amazon is a safe place to buy. Moreover the product reviews on Amazon are real and don't seem to be handpicked like they are on B&H. In fact I often read the reviews on Amazon first, regardless of where I am buying the product. If the merchandise is a cheap knock-off the reviews will reflect that. Simple.

Sadly, Amazon reviews can no longer be trusted or taken on faith. A recent scandal where some paid "professional reviewers" were exposed for writing fake 5-star reviews (search for "fake amazon reviews" or something similar). Even worse, some of those "reviewers" hired more reviewers on a contract/per review basis to write positive reviews. Both manufacturers and authors have been able to buy single 5-star reviews, or they can buy in lots of 10-20 if necessary. Some authors have admitted to buying reviews and talking about how much it helped their sales.

I can actually point to one book, a beginning android development book, where I believe the most popular review to be false (I'm actually 99.999999999% sure it's crap). The review received lots of praise, but there's virtually no way it can be true. I've read the book, I know developers, and no one is going to start writing their own Android apps after the first two chapters as claimed. The truth is there are so many errors that beginners can't follow the book's directions - it's impossible because they don't work.

It's the equivalent of saying, I bought my S90 yesterday, shot it in the store, and now I'm selling photos to Getty and earning $15k a month on residuals.

The other, not as well known, side to the story is that real, unflattering, but accurate reviews are being voted down by authors/mfgs. Negative reviews are receiving lots of "not helpful" clicks in an attempt to bury them. I've seen this too, with many "not helpful" votes appearing in hours/few days after the review was published. Again, the only one that could judge these as not helpful are authors/mfgs, because the truth is not helpful to their sales...

Unfortunately the world is full of those that will cheat, or game the system, to their own advantage. Time to welcome Amazon reviews to the real world.. Caveat emptor....;(

Canon used to recommend only Canon-branded CF cards as well - I chuckled at that then and still chuckle now at people that refuse to use anything that does not have C A N O N on the label.

Let's say this - Canon surely loves true purists like yourselves.....that is for SURE.

I don't think anone here is a "purist."

We have specific experience with specific products. I can name the ones that have worked well for me, and the ones that have not. That is all.

For CF and SD cards, I have never had a failure or any issue with SanDisk Ultra and Extreme. No reason to switch there either.

The question is, what is the relative cost or risk of trying another product, versus the relative savings. In this case, for a 5DIII or T4i, the potential savings are $20 to $40, less the residual value at time of sale, perhaps 50% of the new value. So we are talking an incremental cost of $10 to $20 on a $3,000 purchase.

For CF and SD cards, I have never had a failure or any issue with SanDisk Ultra and Extreme. No reason to switch there either.
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Sandisk invented the CF card. Canon didn't invent batteries.

Wow, you are right!

I guess Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Gerolamo Umberto Volta invented the battery. I will get one of his batteries. Thanks!