Short answer: the 950mAh holds about 9% less than an original LP-E17 (950 against 1040mAh), costs considerably less, and the real difference is not the number but the flatness of the discharge curve and the accuracy of the low-battery warning. In everyday shooting, the occasional burst and daytime room temperatures, the two feel very close. The original pulls ahead only in long recording, cold conditions, and situations where you need an accurate read on the remaining charge.
One common confusion is worth clearing up: Canon officially makes a single model, the LP-E17. The practice of labeling a higher-capacity version LP-E17H comes from some third parties and is not a Canon model, so do not read it as another factory spec.
Item by item
| Spec | Canon original LP-E17 | 950mAh battery |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal capacity | About 1040mAh | 950mAh |
| Nominal energy / voltage | About 7.5Wh / 7.2V | About 6.8Wh / 7.2V |
| Discharge curve | Flat plateau, slow decline at the end | Closest of the three tiers, slightly earlier at the end |
| Low-battery warning | Closely matches the true reserve | Matches in most cases, slightly conservative under extreme load |
| Charging | LC-E17 dock charger | LC-E17 or a third-party LP-E17 dock charger |
| USB-C charging port | No | No |
| Price band | Factory pricing, high cost per battery | Usually at the budget end of the market |
| Cycle life | Depends on use and storage | Depends on use and storage; same rules apply |
The table contains no verdict, because the two trade on different axes. The original buys certainty; a third-party battery buys a lower cost per unit.
The 9% gap and the discharge curve: the two things that matter
What the 9% means in practice
9% is roughly twenty to forty photographs, or a few minutes of video. That is invisible in most shooting, because nobody runs a battery precisely to the last bar. It matters at the margin: on a day when an original battery exactly covers the final ceremony, the 950mAh will raise the warning during the wrap-up.
So the question is not how big the gap is but whether your shooting has any margin. If you use eight or nine tenths of the charge every time you go out, 9% is decisive; if you come home with three tenths left, it is irrelevant.
Why the discharge curve matters more than the number
A camera does not measure capacity; it measures voltage. A lithium-ion battery declines gently at first and then steeply, and the body infers a percentage from that curve. The flatter the curve, the more trustworthy the percentage; the faster it falls at the end, the more likely you are to see two bars and then a shutdown.
That is the original’s core advantage: not more capacity, but more predictable behavior at the end. The 950mAh comes close within this line, but not identically close. If you habitually keep shooting at low charge, swap at two or three bars rather than gambling.
The curve also depends on load. Bursts, video and lens stabilization all raise instantaneous current and pull the voltage down for a moment. This is why the same battery can be adequate for stills and stop early during video.
Price band and total cost of ownership
An original battery is priced well above third-party compatible batteries, and the 950mAh usually sits at the budget end of the market. Measured as capacity per unit of cost, the third-party option is clearly ahead. Total cost of ownership adds two more items: the charger, since the LC-E17 dock charger will charge third-party batteries and needs no extra purchase; and the replacement interval, since cycle life depends more on habits, and deep discharge or hot storage both accelerate the fade.
For most people a sensible set is one original as the foundation and two 950mAh batteries in rotation. That keeps certainty for the critical moments while lowering the everyday cost. More tiers are covered in the LP-E17 battery overview.
When the original is still worth buying
- Commercial delivery and work that cannot be repeated. Weddings, launches, documentaries: a battery failure costs far more than the price difference.
- Extreme cold or heat. Original batteries generally have more consistent protection circuitry and cell behavior.
- Precise charge management. For example, planning positions and moves around the remaining percentage.
- Bodies whose firmware is sensitive to third-party batteries. A few models are stricter about recognizing third-party batteries under particular firmware versions; the body manual is the reference.
Conversely, for everyday records, travel and secondary angles, the 950mAh is entirely sufficient and better value. The trade-offs across the three tiers are set out in the capacity and compatibility guide.
FAQ
Can the 950mAh damage the camera body?
No. As long as voltage, contacts and the communication protocol match the LP-E17 spec, the body draws power through the standard routine. The real risks are a poor-quality charger and dirty contacts, neither of which relates to capacity.
Why does a third-party battery’s gauge drop so fast?
Usually because the tail of the discharge curve is steeper, so a percentage inferred from voltage falls quickly late on. That is not proof of a false rating; it is a question of how well the display logic matches the battery’s behavior. Two or three full cycles may let the body recalibrate.
Will an original dock charger charge the 950mAh?
Yes. The LC-E17 works to the LP-E17 charging spec and does not distinguish brands. Charging takes slightly less time than with an original because of the smaller capacity, so it is usually a little faster.
Two 950mAh batteries, or one original plus one 950mAh?
If the budget allows, the second is steadier: the original covers the critical block and the 950mAh absorbs daily wear. For recording everyday life, two 950mAh batteries are better value.