Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
p.1 #1Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
Back in my DSLR days there was some thought that OEM batteries had better protection circuits so I used only OEM in the camera body.
Have things changed? Are today's EN EL 15C clone batteries truly the same as Nikon's version or are there differences?
Have things changed? Are today's EN EL 15C clone batteries truly the same as Nikon's version or are there differences?
Feb 19, 2026 at 10:37 AM
RoamingScott
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p.1 #2Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
You should definitely cheap out on one of the most critical components to your camera's operation 
Feb 19, 2026 at 10:40 AM
p.1 #3Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
Eh, the convenience of a decent USB-C rechargeable is worth it to me, but I’d get a reputable brand, not the cheapest Amazon option.
Feb 19, 2026 at 10:47 AM
p.1 #4Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
IIRC the good offbrand was called Wasabi ?
For DSLR batteries, too.
RoamingScott wrote:
You should definitely cheap out on one of the most critical components to your camera's operation
There is absolutely nothing that Nikon knows about batteries that other companies wouldnt know.
For DSLR batteries, too.
RoamingScott wrote:
You should definitely cheap out on one of the most critical components to your camera's operation
There is absolutely nothing that Nikon knows about batteries that other companies wouldnt know.
Feb 19, 2026 at 02:31 PM
RoamingScott
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p.1 #5Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
Ah yes, the Wasabi batteries famous for swelling and getting stuck in the body.
Waste your money how you like, but don’t pretend that it’s the smart way to do things.
Waste your money how you like, but don’t pretend that it’s the smart way to do things.
Feb 19, 2026 at 02:51 PM
p.1 #6Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
Sure, go for it, save a few dollar and get the occasional "why did my shutter button not work?" moments. This discussion is as old as the first DSLR was out and sure enough _for me_ not worth the trouble for knockoff batteries but hey, you do you (but totally agree with @RoamingScott
Feb 19, 2026 at 03:00 PM
p.1 #7Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
Generally I'd say stick with Nikon batteries, but I've had decent luck with Wasabi brand ENEL18Ds in my Z9 and Enegon ENEL15s in the Z8. Enegon makes a nice small USB-C powered double charger that comes with their batteries too. I've never had a battery swell, explode etc but they primarily are used in the studio/indoors, and I'm not a butter fingers so they don't get dropped or abused routinely.
Some of my older clone ENEL15 (for the mk1-2 mirrorless or DSLR bodies) batteries don't work in the Z8 and Z6iii, so I find that in the long run it's smarter to just go Nikon.
Some of my older clone ENEL15 (for the mk1-2 mirrorless or DSLR bodies) batteries don't work in the Z8 and Z6iii, so I find that in the long run it's smarter to just go Nikon.
Feb 19, 2026 at 03:43 PM
p.1 #8Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
I prefer those newer ones with built-in USB-C plug over Nikon oem. Battery charger is yesteryear stuff.
Feb 19, 2026 at 10:14 PM
p.1 #9Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
Sauseschritt wrote:
IIRC the good offbrand was called Wasabi ?
For DSLR batteries, too.
There is absolutely nothing that Nikon knows about batteries that other companies wouldnt know.
I use the Wasabi and they work OK so far but, I don't make my living with my cameras. I always take extra batteries with me on longer shoots but, if I was shooting for pay etc. I'd stick with Nikon batteries.
IIRC the good offbrand was called Wasabi ?
For DSLR batteries, too.
RoamingScott wrote
You should definitely cheap out on one of the most critical components to your camera's operationI use the Wasabi and they work OK so far but, I don't make my living with my cameras. I always take extra batteries with me on longer shoots but, if I was shooting for pay etc. I'd stick with Nikon batteries.
Feb 20, 2026 at 11:58 AM
p.1 #10Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
Posts like this always make me think "If you can't afford to buy a battery, why are you spending money on a camera?"
Feb 20, 2026 at 12:18 PM
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p.1 #11Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
I would never use knock-off batteries. Seems ridiculous to trust a third-party battery when it's a box full of reactive and energetic chemicals and probably made with questionable practices. I think there is one company that seems to make slightly better ones, but I've always and will always just stick with Nikon. In any case I'd especially avoid those very cheap ones like Watson and Wasabi. They're unlikely to last as long as well, negating any short-term savings. And yes, I've had one 3rd-party battery (only bought to be used with a very old camera that I keep around for fun) swell.
I've rarely seen third party stuff work as well as first party stuff.
I've rarely seen third party stuff work as well as first party stuff.
Feb 20, 2026 at 01:07 PM
p.1 #12Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
A lot of judgmental garbage floating around here.
1-OEM batteries are expensive but a much better choice for the most part...unless you get a counterfeit.
2-There's a big-a** difference between "can't afford OEM" versus "don't want to spend more if it's not truly necessary."
3-I've been shooting for decades with a combination of dozens of OEM and third-party such as Wasabi and Kastar. I have had exactly two issues...one Kastar that would not work in a D500 and and a Z9 EN-EL18d that works fine but shows it needs calibration, but won't calibrate.
If you don't care for them...absolutely fine, they're not my first choice either, but sometime they're included when buying used...so I've had a bunch. Commentary that basically says, "You're an idiot to even consider third-party" is just...well...you know exactly what it is.
Do your own research and make the decision that you're comfortable with.
1-OEM batteries are expensive but a much better choice for the most part...unless you get a counterfeit.
2-There's a big-a** difference between "can't afford OEM" versus "don't want to spend more if it's not truly necessary."
3-I've been shooting for decades with a combination of dozens of OEM and third-party such as Wasabi and Kastar. I have had exactly two issues...one Kastar that would not work in a D500 and and a Z9 EN-EL18d that works fine but shows it needs calibration, but won't calibrate.
If you don't care for them...absolutely fine, they're not my first choice either, but sometime they're included when buying used...so I've had a bunch. Commentary that basically says, "You're an idiot to even consider third-party" is just...well...you know exactly what it is.
Do your own research and make the decision that you're comfortable with.
Feb 20, 2026 at 02:28 PM
p.1 #13Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
I put a Watson battery in my D4 once and it was either not recognized by the camera or not recognized by the battery charger in general and I have never bought a third party battery for Nikon ever again.
Feb 20, 2026 at 04:01 PM
RoamingScott
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p.1 #14Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
jbear wrote:
A lot of judgmental garbage floating around here.
1-OEM batteries are expensive but a much better choice for the most part...unless you get a counterfeit.
2-There's a big-a** difference between "can't afford OEM" versus "don't want to spend more if it's not truly necessary."
3-I've been shooting for decades with a combination of dozens of OEM and third-party such as Wasabi and Kastar. I have had exactly two issues...one Kastar that would not work in a D500 and and a Z9 EN-EL18d that works fine but shows it needs calibration, but won't calibrate.
If you don't care for them...absolutely fine, they're not my first...Show more →
This is what the big dogs in the industry call COPE
A lot of judgmental garbage floating around here.
1-OEM batteries are expensive but a much better choice for the most part...unless you get a counterfeit.
2-There's a big-a** difference between "can't afford OEM" versus "don't want to spend more if it's not truly necessary."
3-I've been shooting for decades with a combination of dozens of OEM and third-party such as Wasabi and Kastar. I have had exactly two issues...one Kastar that would not work in a D500 and and a Z9 EN-EL18d that works fine but shows it needs calibration, but won't calibrate.
If you don't care for them...absolutely fine, they're not my first...Show more →
This is what the big dogs in the industry call COPE
Feb 20, 2026 at 04:08 PM
p.1 #15Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
There's some comment on the thread that is unnecessarily undiplomatic.
Third party can be a bit of a gamble. OEM is what you choose for safety and peace of mind. Third party opens you up to manufacturers who cut corners on safety and quality to achieve a lower price point. There's also the threat of counterfeits.
If you find a reputable third party manufacturer, I'd say it's worth trying. Read the paperwork in the box before installing.
One red flag I look for in a third party battery: charge speed. High charge speeds are known to degrade the lithium chemistry. If the third party manufacturer rates the battery for a charge speed significantly higher than the OEM version, I would not use it.
To answer the original question, I have no idea what the differences are, if any, between Nikon EL-EL15c and the clones. Between the Nikon and the clone that I have, I could not tell the difference out in the field.
Third party can be a bit of a gamble. OEM is what you choose for safety and peace of mind. Third party opens you up to manufacturers who cut corners on safety and quality to achieve a lower price point. There's also the threat of counterfeits.
If you find a reputable third party manufacturer, I'd say it's worth trying. Read the paperwork in the box before installing.
One red flag I look for in a third party battery: charge speed. High charge speeds are known to degrade the lithium chemistry. If the third party manufacturer rates the battery for a charge speed significantly higher than the OEM version, I would not use it.
To answer the original question, I have no idea what the differences are, if any, between Nikon EL-EL15c and the clones. Between the Nikon and the clone that I have, I could not tell the difference out in the field.
Feb 20, 2026 at 04:22 PM
p.1 #16Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
I have used smallrig en-el15c with my Nikon Z7ii for a very long time. Never had a problem. Have traveled multiple times and the USB-C charging has been very useful. I have also used wasabi batteries with my Ricoh GRIII (and earlier GRII). In general, I did not like them as they kept losing charge and having issues with the cameras (sometimes detected othertimes not). I quickly got rid of them and stuck to the OEM ones. So I guess the answer is it depends. For now I have been happy with the smallrig ones on my Nikons
Feb 20, 2026 at 04:25 PM
p.1 #17Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
mak543 wrote:
I prefer those newer ones with built-in USB-C plug over Nikon oem. Battery charger is yesteryear stuff.
Charging one battery at a time per USB charger is archaic also. When I get to a lodging at night and have 5-6 batteries to charge I don't want to have a bunch of chargers and cables or have to get up in the middle of the night to switch them. A 4-port USB-C PD charger with at least 1A per bank is what I prefer. I wish Nikon had a 2-battery full power PD charger at least.
EBH
I prefer those newer ones with built-in USB-C plug over Nikon oem. Battery charger is yesteryear stuff.
Charging one battery at a time per USB charger is archaic also. When I get to a lodging at night and have 5-6 batteries to charge I don't want to have a bunch of chargers and cables or have to get up in the middle of the night to switch them. A 4-port USB-C PD charger with at least 1A per bank is what I prefer. I wish Nikon had a 2-battery full power PD charger at least.
EBH
Feb 20, 2026 at 07:47 PM
p.1 #18Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
darwinphoto wrote:
Back in my DSLR days there was some thought that OEM batteries had better protection circuits so I used only OEM in the camera body.
Have things changed? Are today's EN EL 15C clone batteries truly the same as Nikon's version or are there differences?
The BMS are sometimes worse. The combination of BMS and slightly different cells may result in higher losses under high loads. I have tested a number of batteries and the OEMs usually have better characterstics. A good test is to progressively increase the current in 0.05 or 0.1A increments at timed intervals and measure the voltage until the BMS shuts off. That will give you the max current. Then you can use the slope of the battery voltage drop with current to determine the battery/BMS resistance.
The other problem I have seen with most brands are that a gereniac battery will be fine at time of sale but later the newer cameras will not like it or older cameras with newer FW will not like it. The 3rd parties don't know what Nikon is planning to do in the future. The EN-EL15 series are inexpensive enough not to waste time on anything but OEM.
EBH
Back in my DSLR days there was some thought that OEM batteries had better protection circuits so I used only OEM in the camera body.
Have things changed? Are today's EN EL 15C clone batteries truly the same as Nikon's version or are there differences?
The BMS are sometimes worse. The combination of BMS and slightly different cells may result in higher losses under high loads. I have tested a number of batteries and the OEMs usually have better characterstics. A good test is to progressively increase the current in 0.05 or 0.1A increments at timed intervals and measure the voltage until the BMS shuts off. That will give you the max current. Then you can use the slope of the battery voltage drop with current to determine the battery/BMS resistance.
The other problem I have seen with most brands are that a gereniac battery will be fine at time of sale but later the newer cameras will not like it or older cameras with newer FW will not like it. The 3rd parties don't know what Nikon is planning to do in the future. The EN-EL15 series are inexpensive enough not to waste time on anything but OEM.
EBH
Feb 20, 2026 at 07:58 PM
p.1 #19Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
Nikon does know the voltage and current demands of their cameras in various stressy situations better than third party battery manufacturers. And they can, if they want to, block the use or particular batteries in FW.
Sauseschritt wrote:
IIRC the good offbrand was called Wasabi ?
For DSLR batteries, too.
There is absolutely nothing that Nikon knows about batteries that other companies wouldnt know.
Sauseschritt wrote:
IIRC the good offbrand was called Wasabi ?
For DSLR batteries, too.
RoamingScott wrote
You should definitely cheap out on one of the most critical components to your camera's operationFeb 21, 2026 at 07:43 AM
p.1 #20Stick with Nikon batteries or use clones?
I've used 3rd party batteries a lot over the years, actually have one in one camera right now. Some have the same capacity most don't. Just depends on the li ion cells they put in the battery.
I'd generally rather use OEM they are expensive though. The one 33d party I'm using now seems great, did fine even in the cold, but concerned it's expanding. I suppose safety might be more of a concern on 3rd party, thats my major concern, but li ion aren't the safest to begin with
I'd generally rather use OEM they are expensive though. The one 33d party I'm using now seems great, did fine even in the cold, but concerned it's expanding. I suppose safety might be more of a concern on 3rd party, thats my major concern, but li ion aren't the safest to begin with
Feb 21, 2026 at 11:49 AM