Short answer: in a 5D Mark III, 6D or 7D Mark II an LP-E6+ enhanced pack generally shoots normally, because average draw on these three bodies is not high. The real issue is not whether the camera powers on but the moments that demand high current — fast bursts, long-exposure noise reduction, live-view video — where a pack with higher internal resistance sags first and shows up as a jumping gauge, a burst that stalls, or a shutdown with two bars still showing. Put another way, older bodies are not sensitive to capacity; they are sensitive to discharge stability.
The three bodies draw power differently, so the same pack behaves differently in each. Taking them in turn.
Older bodies do not actually ask for much
A DSLR is built around an optical finder; with live view off, the sensor and screen are essentially idle and standby draw is low. The current a 5D Mark III, 6D or 7D Mark II needs in everyday shooting is far below that of a mirrorless body like the EOS R5. That means:
- A healthy mid-capacity pack is enough for several hundred to a thousand-plus stills.
- The benefit of extra capacity is less visible on a DSLR than on a mirrorless body.
- Internal resistance, oxidized contacts and cold temperatures matter more to stability than capacity does.
So the point of fitting an LP-E6+ to an older body is not “200mAh more”, it is “can this pack hold voltage through a high-load moment”.
How the three bodies differ under load
| Body | Power characteristics | Main risk with an LP-E6+ |
|---|---|---|
| 5D Mark III | 22.3MP full frame, 6fps bursts, dual card slots | Writing to both cards plus bursting raises momentary current, making sag more noticeable |
| 6D | Entry full frame, about 4.5fps, single slot | Lowest load and highest tolerance; issues tend to be about recognition and display |
| 7D Mark II | APS-C speed body, 10fps bursts, dual card slots | Fast bursts plus continuous AF concentrate the draw; the most demanding of the three |
The 7D Mark II is the one that deserves the most care when choosing a pack: 10fps plus dual-card writing raises momentary current well above the other two. If you mainly shoot sport or wildlife in long high-speed sequences, the effect of internal resistance is magnified.
How voltage sag presents itself
A burst that stalls or slows
The mirror and shutter are mechanical loads that draw current in a concentrated way during a burst. With higher internal resistance, voltage dips momentarily and the body’s protection logic slows or pauses. The symptom is a burst that suddenly drags “even though there is clearly charge left”.
Shutdown during a long exposure
The exposure itself does not draw much, but the noise reduction that follows needs a steady supply. If the pack is already near the end of its charge, this is the stage most likely to trigger a shutdown and lose the frame. That is why long exposures are a case for swapping packs at the halfway mark.
Dropped frames in live view or video
With live view on, a DSLR’s power profile approaches a mirrorless body’s: the sensor stays on, the screen stays lit, and a stabilized lens may be working too. Sustained discharge capability starts to matter, and a poor pack shows it by stopping the recording partway through.
A jumping gauge
This is the most common and least harmful symptom. Older bodies estimate charge from voltage, and a third-party pack’s discharge curve does not match, so three bars can drop straight to one. It does not affect shooting, but it does affect your judgment about when to swap.
When to put Canon back in the primary slot
An LP-E6+ is not unusable, it simply has limits. In the following situations, keep a Canon pack as the primary:
- Commercial work or anything that cannot be reshot. Weddings, competitions and news assignments carry a cost of failure far above the price difference.
- Cold conditions. Cold already raises internal resistance, and adding third-party consistency variation makes the drop faster and more sudden.
- Intensive high-speed bursts. Especially on a 7D Mark II, Canon is steadier in the primary slot.
- Packs more than two years old. Canon or not, resistance rises with cycle count, and at that point replacement is the better move than improvising.
As a backup, the value of an LP-E6+ holds up. Brands such as YO offer a usable alternative in the budget bracket, well suited to being the third or fourth redundant pack rather than the only one you depend on. Keep the naming straight as well: LP-E6+ is not a Canon designation — it is how some third parties (YO included) label an enhanced version of the LP-E6 form factor, so two packs with that label are not necessarily comparable.
A few practical details that improve stability
- Clean the contacts: wipe the body’s battery chamber and the pack’s contacts with a pencil eraser or a cotton swab of anhydrous alcohol. Oxidation is a hidden cause of sag.
- Do not leave packs in a bag in the sun: heat accelerates the rise in internal resistance, and a car in summer is the worst case.
- Store long-term at half charge: full or empty storage both accelerate fade.
- Group packs by capacity: older bodies do not care about capacity but they do notice mixing old and new, so try to use one batch for a given shoot.
If you are still on an earlier 5D Mark II or 60D, compatibility is a little more conservative; see the notes in the LP-E6 baseline models category. For the full comparison of Canon’s three general-purpose generations, see the LP-E6NH category.
FAQ
Will an LP-E6+ in a 5D Mark III report a communication error?
It can, depending on the product’s identification chip and the body firmware. When the message appears the camera usually still shoots, only without a gauge. If it happens often, switch to a brand with more stable recognition, or to a Canon pack.
How much runtime does an LP-E6+ add on a 6D?
The 6D draws little to begin with, so the marginal gain from capacity is limited. Compared with changing packs, reviewing less, turning off wireless and avoiding long live-view sessions help runtime more directly.
The 7D Mark II drains fast during bursts — is it the pack or the body?
First swap in a Canon pack known to be healthy and compare. If the symptom disappears, the original pack’s internal resistance is the cause; if it persists, suspect oxidized body contacts or poor contact in the battery chamber.
Do older bodies benefit from the 2130mAh version?
Better to have it than not, but it is not decisive. Older bodies care more about discharge stability and recognition reliability; as long as capacity is at or above the 1800mAh level, everyday use is much the same.