Month: October 2026

Posted on by — Leave a comment

950mAh vs the Canon Original: Capacity, Curve and Price

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.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Runtime Gets Worse Every Year: NP-FZ100 Ageing and When to Replace

“It does not last like it used to” is a real effect, not imagination. Lithium cells lose capacity with both cycle count and calendar time, and they typically hold around 80% of rated capacity after 300–500 cycles. A noticeable drop after a year sits well inside expectations, and by roughly two years replacement deserves a serious look. What matters is telling slow, natural decline apart from a sudden drop: the first is ageing, the second usually traces back to deep discharge, long storage at full charge in heat, or a faulty cell, and the two call for different responses.

How the Loss Happens

Charging and discharging drive irreversible side reactions in the electrode materials. Usable lithium ions are gradually consumed and internal resistance climbs. That shows up as two effects: less energy goes in (capacity falls) and voltage sags faster under load (resistance rises). The second is usually what you notice first. You read it as “the battery drains fast” when capacity may only be down by a small margin — the resistance is what makes the body decide it is empty early.

  • Normal use: the curve is fairly flat early on, then steepens.
  • Frequent deep discharge: running to zero each time speeds up the decline.
  • Long storage at full charge in heat: the most damaging combination there is — a full pack left in a car in summer, for example.
  • Left flat in a drawer: a pack that self-discharges to nothing and stays there can be ruined outright.

Rough Capacity by Stage of Life

Stage Approximate capacity What it feels like
Under six months, few cycles Close to rated Stable, in line with 60–80% of the official figure
Around a year, regular use Roughly 80–90% of rated Slight decline; a single day’s shooting still fine
Around two years, 300–500 cycles Around 80% of rated High-intensity days need an extra pack
Three years and beyond Possibly well below 80% Fast drain, jumping gauge, occasional shutdowns

These are rough bands. Usage frequency, charging habits and storage conditions move the curve up or down quite a bit, so do not read your own pack into a row too literally.

Four Signals That Say Replace It

  • Runtime clearly shorter than another pack of the same rating, confirmed by swapping packs in the same body.
  • Shutdown at power-on or mid-burst, with the body coming back after a rest — the classic voltage-sag signature; diagnostics are in sudden shutdown and ageing checks.
  • A gauge that jumps from two bars to shutdown, and still does after one recalibration cycle.
  • Noticeably hotter than packs from the same batch, or any swelling in the shell, which means stop using it immediately.

Replacement Timing by Shooting Style

  • Casual shooter: a pack lasts around two years. Replace it when it will not cover a day, and two in rotation is usually enough.
  • Weddings and commercial work: rotate proactively at roughly eighteen months, and never take a pack you are unsure about to a paid job.
  • Video creators: long takes are sensitive to internal resistance, so decline shows up earlier. Pair fresh packs with a dummy battery and AC adapter for any long fixed-position take.
  • Studios and rental houses: keep a log of numbering and purchase dates, replace by batch, and avoid mixing packs at very different states of health.

Slowing the Decline

  • Top up when convenient rather than running to zero each time.
  • Store long-term at roughly 40–60% charge, cool and dry at about 15–25°C, with a top-up every three months — details in storing batteries you are not using.
  • Avoid leaving packs at 100%, especially somewhere warm.
  • Number packs and rotate them so none sits idle long enough to over-discharge.
  • Charge somewhere ventilated so heat does not build up.

Replace One, or Replace Both?

If your packs were bought together, they have aged together, and when one stops covering a day the other is usually close behind. In that case replacing both at once is less hassle and it avoids the confusion of running mixed-health packs with different expectations. Sizing comes down to what one shooting day actually consumes, and the kit-versus-separate arithmetic is in why kits usually cost less.

FAQ

Is 80% capacity still usable?

Yes — it just means shorter runtime, so carry a spare or swap earlier. Jumping gauge readings, shutdowns or swelling are the point where you stop using it.

Only six months in and it already feels short. Normal?

Rule out settings, cold and gauge inaccuracy first. If those are cleared and it is still clearly short, you may simply be shooting hard, or the pack itself may be faulty — worth raising with the seller.

Can I mix old and new packs?

You can, but plan around the weaker one. Size your carry count on the worst pack in the bag, not the best.

What do I do with the old packs?

Keep serviceable ones as backups or for light duties. Anything swollen, deformed or leaking goes to hazardous waste collection — do not puncture or burn it.

Replacement costs less than people expect. YO’s NP-FZ100 compatible battery is rated around 2280mAh / 7.2V / 16.4Wh: about $17.89 for a single pack, about $22.93 with one charger, about $36.74 for two batteries and a charger. For more capacity, the TNP-FZ100 at 2400mAh / roughly 17.3Wh starts at about $19.66 for a single pack. Studios and rental houses replacing by batch should go through wholesale enquiry, where orders over 100 units are quoted per batch.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Storing a 950mAh LP-E17 Long Term: Charge Level and Top-Ups

Short answer: a 950mAh LP-E17 that will sit unused should be stored at four to six tenths of charge, at 15-25°C, and topped up every three to six months. Charging it fully before putting it away is the most common mistake: at a full charge the cathode sits at a high potential, side reactions are more active, and a few months of that can cost more capacity than a year of normal use. Storing it completely flat is just as bad, because a deep over-discharge can kill the battery outright.

The 950mAh sits in the middle of the three tiers, neither small nor large, which makes it the easiest to forget: it is not carried as a casual spare like the 750mAh, nor used daily as a primary like the 1050mAh, so it often sits for six months at a time. This tier needs a clear set of storage rules more than the others.

Why four to six tenths and not full

A lithium-ion battery is most stable at a moderate state of charge. At a high charge the cathode material is strongly oxidizing, side reactions with the electrolyte run faster and the SEI layer thickens sooner. At a low charge the anode potential rises, the copper current collector is at risk of dissolving, and an over-discharged battery may never charge again.

Four to six tenths is the balance point between those two risks. You do not need to be precise: two bars on the camera gauge, where full is three or four, lands roughly in that range, or you can pull the battery off the dock partway through a charge. Approximate is fine.

Temperature matters as much as charge level. Side reactions accelerate noticeably in the heat, so keep batteries away from balconies, radiators, cars and anything that runs warm. Dry, dark and 15-25°C is ideal.

How often to top up

Self-discharge in a lithium-ion battery typically runs at 2-5% a month, and the protection board’s quiescent draw adds a little more. At that rate, going from five tenths down to below two tenths takes roughly three to six months, which is where the top-up interval comes from.

Planned storage Starting charge Top-up interval
One to three months About five tenths Usually none; check once before use
Three to six months About five tenths One top-up midway
Six months to a year About five tenths Every three to four months
Over a year About five tenths Check every three months, restore to five tenths

A top-up does not mean a full charge. Take the battery off at around halfway and put it back into storage; charging it fully every time recreates the harmful full-charge state. If your dock has no way to stop partway, timing it with a watch gives a close enough estimate.

A storage routine you can follow as written

  1. Clean the contacts. Wipe the metal contacts on the battery and in the body with a dry soft cloth to remove fingerprints and oxidation. Do not use much alcohol and do not scrape.
  2. Set the charge level. Bring the battery to four to six tenths. If it is already full, fit it in the body and run it down for a while, or shoot a few dozen frames.
  3. Take it out of the body. Do not leave it in the camera long term. Even switched off, a body draws a little, which can drag a battery into over-discharge, and the battery compartment is also where moisture collects.
  4. Store it separately. Use the original box or a battery case with dividers, and keep it away from keys, coins and metal fittings to prevent a short across the contacts.
  5. Choose the place. Cool, dry and dark, away from heat. A small sachet of desiccant in the case helps, especially in a humid season.
  6. Set a reminder. Put a date three months out in the calendar to check the charge and restore it to five tenths. This step is the easiest to skip and the one that decides the outcome.

If you store several batteries, label each one with the date it went in and its charge at the time, so the next retrieval needs no guesswork. That habit pays off most for anyone mixing capacities.

Three common mistakes

Mistake one: the fridge will extend life. Not advisable. A domestic fridge is humid, condensation forms on the battery as you take it out, and moisture working into the case seams adds risk. Repeated temperature swings also increase internal stress. A cool spot at room temperature is enough.

Mistake two: charge it full so it is ready next time. Convenient, but it accelerates aging. If you really need a battery that is ready at any moment, keep one emergency battery full and store the rest at five tenths, accepting that the emergency battery will have a shorter life.

Mistake three: leaving the battery in the camera counts as storing it. A camera is not a storage box. Removing the battery when the camera is not in use is basic practice, as the LP-E17 overview also notes. Fit the battery compartment cover afterwards to keep dust out.

One more point: if a battery swells, smells odd or becomes unusually hot during storage, do not charge it and do not keep it. Dispose of it under your local electronic waste rules. This is uncommon, but there is no recovery once it happens.

When you bring a battery back into use after several months, check first that the case is flat, then charge it on the dock and watch whether the process behaves normally. On the first use after a full charge the runtime may come in slightly below what you remember; that is usually a normal dormant state, and two or three full cycles bring it back close to where it was.

If it is still clearly short after two or three cycles, that is genuine degradation. Use the method for judging capacity fade as a reference, or check the capacity and compatibility guide to decide whether a replacement is due. For this tier, allow some margin on the first two shoots after a long rest and avoid scheduling anything that cannot be interrupted.

FAQ

How often does a stored 950mAh need a top-up?

Usually every three to six months, depending on storage temperature. Warmer storage means faster self-discharge, so in summer shorten it to three months; in a stable cool place four months is fine. Top up to five tenths, not to full.

Can long storage ruin a battery?

It can, but it is usually avoidable. The real risks are the two extremes: sitting fully charged for months, or sitting fully discharged for months. Kept at four to six tenths and checked regularly, most batteries lose very little capacity over a year. Left completely flat and never recharged, a battery may never come back.

Can I store batteries in the camera bag?

Yes, with two conditions: the batteries come out of the body, and each one goes in its own case or pouch. A camera bag is not sealed, so add desiccant in the humid season and avoid leaving the bag on the floor or against an outside wall.

Should I drain a battery before storing it?

No, that is a habit from the nickel-cadmium era. Lithium-ion batteries have no memory effect, and draining one only adds over-discharge risk. The goal before storage is a middle charge, not zero.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Charging a 950mAh LP-E17: LC-E17, Third-Party Chargers

Short answer: a 950mAh battery usually reaches full in 1.5-2.5 hours on the Canon LC-E17 dock charger; a third-party LP-E17 dock charger takes a similar time, with the difference set by charge current and whether two bays share it. All of them work to a limit of 8.4V, constant current first and constant voltage after. The real risk is not whether the battery fills, but the accuracy of the voltage limit, the heat management and whether the charger is a poor-quality unit.

One clarification first: the 950mAh itself has no USB-C charging port, so it cannot be plugged into a power bank directly. Batteries with a charging port belong to a separate line, covered in the LP-E17 direct-charge series. This article deals with the standard dock-charging route.

Using the Canon LC-E17 dock charger properly

The LC-E17 is Canon’s single-bay dock charger for the LP-E17. With a battery fitted, an orange indicator means charging and green means full. It works with both original and third-party LP-E17 batteries, because the charging spec is shared.

  1. Confirm the battery is an LP-E17 and never seat it alongside an LP-E12, which the M50, M100 and M200 use. The bay shapes differ, and forcing one in damages the contacts.
  2. Push the battery down along its rails until you hear or feel it click. Poor contact makes the indicator blink or restarts charging repeatedly.
  3. Connect the battery first and the power supply second, avoiding the surge at the moment the plug arcs.
  4. After the indicator turns green you can leave the battery for another half hour to finish the constant-voltage stage, but there is no need for prolonged trickle charging.
  5. Press the latch to release the battery rather than pulling on the cable.

Third-party dock chargers: what they save and what to check

The main advantages of a third-party dock are two bays and size. Carrying one two-bay charger on a trip takes less space than two original single-bay units and fills both batteries overnight. The trade-off is uneven quality, so choose carefully.

Check three things. The rated output must limit at 8.4V, since a higher limit damages the battery. It should have temperature protection, and a battery that becomes noticeably hot while charging indicates poor control. Finally, look at the case and the contacts, because a loose fit raises contact resistance, which slows charging and adds heat.

Charging method Approximate time to full Advantages Watch for
Canon LC-E17 dock charger About 1.5-2.5 hours Stable voltage limit, accepts third-party batteries Single bay, mains cable not included
Third-party single-bay dock About 1.5-3 hours Cheap, compact Check the voltage limit and heat; avoid unbranded units
Third-party two-bay dock About 2-3.5 hours Two batteries at once, good for travel Shared current per bay, so times get longer
USB power to the camera body As stated in the body manual One fewer charger to battery Body-dependent; charging while shooting may not keep up

The last row needs particular care. Some bodies accept USB-C power or even charge the battery internally, but the supported range and power requirements differ. Whether a battery can reach full with the camera off, and whether the camera can run while charging, both depend on the body manual. Do not assume.

How long a full charge really takes

Two variables set the time: battery capacity and charge current. A 950mAh has 100mAh less than a 1050mAh, so on the same charger it usually finishes ten to twenty minutes sooner, and ten or so minutes later than a 750mAh. That difference is not significant in practice; what really separates chargers is output current and whether two bays share it.

One situation stretches the time noticeably: a battery that is too hot or too cold. Near 0°C or above 40°C, charge management deliberately reduces current to protect the cell, and a two-hour charge can drag past three. Charging a battery straight from a cold outdoor shoot is a common mistake; let it return to room temperature first.

Four habits that affect service life

  • Do not store batteries fully charged. Charge a spare to five or six tenths before putting it away and top it up every three or four months; it will last longer than a battery kept at 100%.
  • Do not leave a deeply discharged battery sitting. Run it to shutdown and leave it for six months, and it may never accept a charge again.
  • Keep chargers away from heat sources. Radiators, laptop exhausts and a car in summer are all unsuitable.
  • Do not top up constantly. Lithium-ion batteries are happy with partial charging, but plugging in a dozen times a day is unnecessary and wears the contacts.

For the full picture of capacity tiers and charging specs, see the LP-E17 capacity and compatibility guide. If your body is an RP, R8, R10 or R50, two 950mAh batteries in rotation is the least fretful setup; details are in the 950mAh section.

FAQ

Will the Canon LC-E17 leave a 950mAh undercharged?

No. The LC-E17 follows the LP-E17 charging curve, and its full-charge criterion is voltage and current rather than nominal capacity. A smaller battery simply enters the constant-voltage stage earlier.

Is it normal for a battery to get hot while charging?

Warm is normal; hot to the touch is not. A slight rise during the constant-current stage is physics. If the case is too hot to hold, stop at once and check whether the charger’s voltage limit is faulty or the battery is aged and swollen.

Can I use a phone fast charger with the dock?

That depends on the dock’s input spec. Most LP-E17 docks take 5V input and work with a standard 5V adapter. With a charger that supports several fast-charge protocols, the dock will normally draw only 5V rather than force a higher voltage, but an adapter with a clearly stated spec is still the safer choice.

Can two batteries go on a two-bay charger at once?

Yes, but watch the total power. With both bays running, current per bay drops and charging takes longer; if the charger is underpowered, both batteries may charge very slowly. For an overnight charge before a trip, allow three hours or more.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Charger Light Off or Flashing Red: Reading NP-FZ100 Indicator Lights

Start with what the light is doing. Completely dark usually points at the supply side: outlet, cable or the charger itself. Flashing red, or a light that never turns green, usually points at the battery side: poor contact, a deeply discharged pack, age, or temperature. Steady green means either full or an empty bay on standby. Colour conventions are not standardised across brands, so treat this as the common pattern and your own manual as the authority. The checking order stays the same: supply first, then contact, then the pack.

Common Indicator States

Light Usual meaning Check first
No light at all No power Outlet, cable, charger plug seated properly
Steady red Charging (constant current / constant voltage) Nothing — wait for it to turn green
Flashing red Poor contact, pack fault, or over temperature Reseat the pack, clean contacts, let it cool
Steady green Full, or standby with no pack fitted Confirm the pack is actually in the bay
Alternating red and green Abnormal voltage or pack not identified Fit a different pack to see which is at fault
Flashes once, then goes dark Protection trip or internal fault Test with another outlet and another pack

One trap worth knowing: some chargers show green before any pack is fitted, which is standby, not “full”. To confirm charging is really happening, check whether the pack warms slightly after a while, or watch for the colour to change.

No Light: Three Supply Checks

  • Outlet: try a socket you know is live, or plug a phone charger into the same one. Ruled out the socket and any switched strip in one go.
  • Cable: with a detachable mains lead or USB cable, swap in one you know works. Loose connectors and broken inner cores are common.
  • Charger: look for scorch marks, smell or bent prongs, then fit a different pack. On a multi-bay unit, try another bay — if one bay stays dark while the rest work, that bay is the fault.

Flashing Red or Never Going Green: Four Battery Checks

  • Reseat it: take the pack out, confirm orientation, push it fully home, and put it back. Not seated properly is the most common cause by a distance.
  • Clean the contacts: wipe the pack terminals and the charger springs with a dry soft cloth, or rub lightly with a pencil eraser, to remove oxide, sweat and dust.
  • Correct the temperature: a pack just in from the cold, or one already hot on charge, can trip protection. Let it sit at room temperature for ten minutes or so and try again; heat limits are in charging heat and safety limits.
  • Compare with another pack: fit one you know is good. If that charges normally, the original pack is the problem — deeply discharged or aged. If the new one flashes too, it is the charger.

A pack left in storage long enough to self-discharge deeply may be refused outright. If there is still no response after a few minutes of a flashing light, retire the pack rather than coax it.

Green Light, but the Pack Is Empty

That means the charger is not seeing a load, and the usual reason is no contact: bent springs, a pack not pushed home, film or dirt on the terminals. Press lightly on the pack to see whether contact is made, or measure the voltage with a multimeter if you have one. If other packs charge fine in the same unit, the terminals on that one pack are the issue.

When to Replace the Charger

  • Still completely dark after you have swapped outlet, cable and pack.
  • One bay permanently dead while the others work.
  • Hot shell, smell or noise during charging.
  • Fill times that are wildly off, or packs that come off “full” and die quickly.

When replacing, make sure the charger actually matches the pack spec; the buying criteria are in how to choose an NP-FZ100 charger. If the pack itself will not take a charge either, work through the seven-step charging fault checklist.

Good Everyday Habits

  • Charge on a ventilated, hard, flat surface. Not a bed, not a camera bag.
  • Wait for green before pulling the pack. Do not keep interrupting the cycle.
  • Store long-term at roughly 40–60% charge and top up every three months.
  • Pack the charger and cable separately when travelling, so the prongs do not get bent.
  • Leave space between packs on a multi-bay charger so heat does not stack.

FAQ

Red never turns green, even after hours

Check whether the pack is unusually hot first. If it is merely slow, a large pack on a low-current charger will take its time. If it is several times the normal duration and the pack is clearly hot, cut power and try a different charger.

Green with no pack, red once I fit one — normal?

Normal. Red means charging has started. Once it goes green, the pack is ready to use.

The light blinks a few times and goes out

Usually a protection trip. Take the pack out, check the shell for swelling, clean the contacts and retry. If it keeps happening, stop using that pack.

Can I mix charger and battery brands?

Physically, a matching form factor usually works, but pick products with clearly stated specs that are designed for the pack. Matching voltage and connector is the minimum requirement.

Rather than decoding an old charger’s light language, use a matched kit. YO’s NP-FZ100 compatible battery is rated around 2280mAh / 7.2V / 16.4Wh: about $17.89 for a single pack, about $22.93 for one battery with a charger and about $36.74 for two batteries with a charger — the charger effectively adds roughly $5, which is hard to beat shopping for one separately. The TNP-FZ100 is the 2400mAh / roughly 17.3Wh version. Restocking in volume goes through wholesale enquiry, where orders over 100 units are quoted per batch.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

How Fast Does a 1050mAh LP-E17 Age? Reading the Signs

Short answer: assuming the same cell chemistry and the same protection-board strategy, a 1050mAh does not age faster just because it holds more. What determines how quickly an LP-E17 ages is cell operating temperature, how deeply it is discharged each time, the charge level it sits at in storage, and whether charging current is excessive. Rated capacity is only a numerator. If anything, in the same body a 1050mAh is usually discharged less deeply per session, which favors cycle life. It is, however, more sensitive to heat and charging conditions, and mishandled it will fail sooner than a smaller pack.

Split “degradation” into two different things

When people say a battery “is done,” they are usually conflating two separate phenomena. The first is capacity loss: the pack now delivers only seventy or eighty percent of what it once did, so the same shooting load drains it faster. The second is rising internal resistance: capacity may still be eighty percent, but the moment you fit it and press the shutter the voltage sags, the body concludes the battery is low and shuts down, and when you take it out and put it back it shows two bars again.

The causes are not identical. Capacity loss tracks charge cycles, long storage at full charge, and high temperatures; rising resistance depends more on cell quality and sustained high-current discharge. A 1050mAh carries more cell material, so each cell usually discharges at a lower rate, which makes the resistance path less likely to be the first to give out.

So judging whether a high-capacity pack is aging fast takes more than frame counts; you also need to watch voltage stability in the low-charge region. This is why some packs show one bar and still deliver dozens of frames, while others shut down the moment they drop to one.

Why high-capacity packs get misread as aging faster

The first reason is longer charging. On the same LC-E17 dock, a 1050mAh typically takes ten or twenty minutes longer than a 950mAh. What the user perceives is not ten percent more capacity but “why isn’t this full yet,” and over time that leaves an impression that the pack is in poor shape.

The second is the shape of the discharge curve. High-capacity cells often hold a flatter voltage plateau through the first eighty percent, then fall steeply past the knee. Someone used to a 950mAh reads this as “solid for ages, then suddenly dead,” when in fact the total time is longer.

The third is how the gauge is read. Most bodies combine voltage estimation with a coulomb counter, and when you fit a pack of different capacity the body’s model does not change with it, so the first few readings may be conservative. Most bodies converge over three or four full cycles, though never exactly.

What you observe More likely cause Is it degradation?
Charging takes longer than before Larger capacity, or a fixed charger output No
First two bars fall slowly, last bar falls fast Position of the discharge-curve knee No
Shows one bar and shuts down; a bar returns when refitted Rising resistance, voltage sag under load Yes
Twenty to thirty percent fewer frames for the same work Capacity loss Yes

How to judge it yourself over a year

You do not need lab equipment. A fixed routine recorded three times is enough: when the pack is new, at about six months, and at one year. The key is keeping the shooting conditions as close as possible, otherwise the numbers are not comparable.

  1. Same body, same lens, same shooting mode, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off, screen brightness at the same setting.
  2. Start from full and shoot single frames with minimal review until the body shuts itself off, then record the frame count. Do not review for long stretches mid-test; it skews the result significantly.
  3. Note the outdoor temperature. Below 10 degrees Celsius usable capacity drops by ten to twenty percent on its own, and skipping this note will distort the year-on-year comparison.
  4. Divide each frame count by the reference value for its temperature to get a relative capacity. Above eighty percent is normal, sixty to eighty is clearly aged but still usable as a backup, and below sixty means it should move to a secondary role.

If a full discharge test is impractical, there is a rougher method: shoot a normal day and compare the charge left in the evening with the same situation a year earlier. The error is larger, but the trend shows.

When 1050mAh actually lasts longer

One case is frequent bursts or long sessions with stabilization on. Those loads draw more current, and a larger pack runs at a shallower depth of discharge for the same frame count, putting less stress on the cell. The other is if you dislike running packs to shutdown: recharging with twenty or thirty percent left already reduces cycle wear, and a larger pack makes “still some left at the end of the day” easier to achieve.

Conversely, if you routinely charge to full and leave the pack in a bag for a month or two, or leave the camera in a car in summer, a 1050mAh will not age any better than a 950mAh. Hot storage at full charge is equally hard on both. The LP-E17 comes in 750, 950, and 1050mAh, and which tier suits you depends on your shooting rhythm rather than on which one is more durable. For the full picture on tiers and fitment, see the LP-E17 capacity and compatibility guide.

FAQ

Does 1050mAh have fewer cycles than the original?

Cycle count depends on the cell chemistry and the protection-board strategy, not the rated capacity. Canon’s original LP-E17 is about 1040mAh, the same order of magnitude as 1050mAh, and under normal use there will be no order-of-magnitude difference in cycle performance. Charging habits and storage temperature are what separate them.

After a year it drains faster. Did I waste my money?

Rule out the false alarms first: a different body, Wi-Fi left on, winter shooting, and heavier lens stabilization all make drain look faster. Run the fixed routine above once and compare with your first record. Only a real drop of more than twenty percent in relative capacity puts it in the aging range.

Should a high-capacity pack use a higher-current charger?

Not advisable. The LP-E17 charges in a dock and the current is set by the charger; ordinary users cannot adjust it. If you use a third-party portable charger, pick one rated close to the original. Excess current increases heat and shortens life. More on charging and cycles is in the 1050mAh category.

How should a spare be stored when not in use?

Charge it to about half, keep it in a dry box, away from light and at room temperature, and top it up every three or four months. Neither full nor empty storage is ideal: full accelerates aging of the positive electrode, and empty risks permanent damage from over-discharge.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

LP-E17 1050mAh Guide: Runtime Gain and Weight Cost

Short answer: 1050mAh is the highest of the three LP-E17 capacities YO offers, and only about one percent above Canon’s original at roughly 1040mAh. The real gain shows up against the 750mAh version, where the difference is about forty percent. The cost is a slightly heavier pack and a slightly higher price, and neither is significant at the LP-E17 form factor. Put another way: if you are moving up from an old 750mAh pack, the change is perceptible; if you already carry an original LP-E17, this tier gives you headroom, not double.

First the three tiers in one table, then where the gain actually lands, then which bodies benefit most, so you do not pay for capacity you will never use.

Where 1050mAh sits in the three-tier lineup

The LP-E17 comes in 750, 950, and 1050mAh. That is a YO lineup of its own and does not map to any Canon model number, because Canon officially makes only the LP-E17, rated around 1040mAh / 7.5Wh / 7.2V. Keeping both in view is what stops “1050 is bigger than the original” from misleading you.

Version Rated capacity Derived energy (at 7.2V) Relative to the original rating Typical role
Canon original LP-E17 About 1040mAh About 7.5Wh 100% Reference point
LP-E17 750mAh 750mAh About 5.4Wh About 72% Backup, light top-ups
LP-E17 950mAh 950mAh About 6.8Wh About 91% Everyday primary
LP-E17 1050mAh 1050mAh About 7.6Wh About 101% Long days out, fewer swaps

The Wh figures are rough calculations from nominal voltage. Usable energy also depends on the discharge curve, the body’s cutoff voltage, and protection-board efficiency, so this table is for comparison across rows, not a formula for how many frames you will gain. The percentage column is a ratio of ratings, not of real runtime.

How much runtime you actually gain

Going from 750mAh to 1050mAh is a forty percent increase in rated capacity, which in practice is the difference between swapping three times and swapping twice. Going from 950mAh to 1050mAh is about ten percent, which you will not feel in daily shooting unless your day happens to sit right on the line. Against the original 1040mAh the two are essentially level, and the gap is buried under cell age and unit-to-unit variation.

Actual frame counts depend on how you frame, stabilization, screen brightness, burst frequency, and ambient temperature. The same battery might deliver six or seven hundred frames on an 850D used mostly with the optical finder, and only three or four hundred on an R8 using the electronic finder throughout, with a further discount outdoors in winter. A safe expectation is somewhere between five and seven hundred frames, moving with the body; no absolute “one battery equals N frames” claim holds.

Swap counts make it clearer. Suppose a body gets five hundred frames from a 950mAh. Scaling roughly, the ten percent a 1050mAh adds is about fifty frames, just enough for one more group photo. A 750mAh in the same conditions would give about four hundred, a gap of an entire shooting block. So the comparison worth making is 750 against 1050; between 950 and 1050 there is only a small margin.

The weight cost: you are adding cell, not shell

Within one series, higher capacity means a larger and heavier cell. The 1050mAh is usually under fifteen grams heavier than the 750mAh and close to the original LP-E17. On a single pack that is imperceptible, but four packs in a bag or long handheld sessions on a small body like the R50 turn it into a noticeable amount.

Conversely, the LP-E17’s physical size means a high-capacity version cannot add much weight: it has to fit the same compartment, and the structure and protection board are largely shared. So “high capacity means heavier and clumsier” is overstated at this form factor. Price, supply, and consistency are worth more of your attention than the feel.

Which bodies benefit most from 1050mAh

  • Full-frame EOS RP and R8: the sensor and finder draw more, so the headroom in one pack directly determines whether you dare leave with only two.
  • R10, R50, R100: small bodies with shallow grips make frequent swaps disruptive to your rhythm, and more capacity means fewer of them.
  • 850D, 800D, 760D, 750D, 77D, 200D, 200D II: built around the optical finder with low draw, so a 1050mAh lasts a long time, the kind of pack you fit and stop thinking about.
  • M6, M6 Mark II, M5, M3: mirrorless designs with a high proportion of screen framing, where the capacity gain is easier to feel.

If you shoot a few hundred frames occasionally and have a dock at home for topping up, the 950mAh is better value; if a single outing runs all day with no convenient charging, the 1050mAh’s headroom is what pays off. Check the body list against the LP-E17 capacity and compatibility guide, or go straight to current specifications in the 1050mAh category.

FAQ

Does 1050mAh last longer than the original Canon LP-E17?

The rating is only about one percent higher, so theoretically they are on the same level. Real performance depends more on cell age, protection-board losses, and operating temperature; do not expect a noticeable runtime increase.

Can the original LC-E17 charge a 1050mAh?

Yes. The LC-E17 is Canon’s dock charger for the LP-E17 and works by voltage rather than capacity, so a larger pack simply takes longer to fill.

Will 1050mAh make the body run hotter?

Not in normal shooting. Body heat comes mainly from bursts, long recordings, and internal resistance, not from the capacity tier. If the battery itself is noticeably hot at idle, stop using it and have it checked.

Does this battery work in the EOS M50?

No. The EOS M50, M100, and M200 take the LP-E12, which is not interchangeable with the LP-E17. Check your body model before buying.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Camera Shuts Down and Runtime Collapsed: Is Your NP-FZ100 Worn Out?

When a body starts shutting down and a full pack lasts half as long as it used to, the usual cause is an aged battery, with body settings and environment coming second. Work in this order: rule out settings and environment first, run one full cycle to recalibrate the gauge, then swap in a known-good pack to see which side the problem sits on. If several packs all run short in the same body, look at the body. If only one pack runs short, that pack has aged.

Rule Out Three Non-Ageing Causes First

  • Cold: capacity drops noticeably below freezing, and around -10°C you may get roughly half of what you would at room temperature. Fast drain in winter usually recovers once the pack warms up; the coping strategy is in winter runtime.
  • Power-hungry settings: a bright screen for composing, burst shooting, 4K recording, constant autofocus and playback all raise draw, so the frame count falls accordingly. Drop the screen brightness and cut playback for a day and see whether the numbers come back.
  • An inaccurate gauge: a jumping percentage makes it look like runtime collapsed. Do one full charge-and-discharge cycle before you judge anything; the method is in calibrating the charge display.

Six Signs of an Aged Pack

Symptom Likelihood of ageing What it means
Drops to one bar after a few dozen frames from full High Usable capacity is well below the rating
Jumps from two bars straight to shutdown High Discharge curve collapses at the end; resistance is up
Cuts out at power-on or during a burst High Voltage sags under load and trips protection
Runs clearly hotter than packs from the same batch Medium-high Rising resistance produces more heat
Charges suspiciously fast, then dies just as fast High It is accepting less energy in the first place
Swollen or deformed shell Safety issue Stop using it and handle it as a safety issue

Note how the first, third and fifth rows combine. A pack that charges fast, empties fast and runs hot is aged, and you can treat that as settled.

How to Locate the Problem With a Swap Test

  • Swap the pack: fit a known-good battery into the same body. If runtime returns to normal, the original pack was the problem.
  • Swap the body: put the suspect pack into another body of the same model. If it still runs short, it is the pack.
  • Change the conditions: test indoors at room temperature with the power-hungry settings off, to remove cold and settings from the equation.
  • Count frames: log the shot count for two packs across the same outing. A written comparison beats an impression.

You do not need to-the-frame precision. You only need to see whether one pack is clearly behind the other. Official CIPA figures usually sit in the 500–700 frame range, while real-world use commonly lands closer to 60–80% of the rating, and lower again for video and bursts.

How Much Life Is Left: The Ageing Curve

Lithium cells typically retain around 80% of their capacity after 300–500 cycles, so “shorter after a year” is expected rather than alarming, and by roughly the two-year mark replacement deserves serious thought. Charging two or three times a week puts most people at that point somewhere between a year and a half and two years; heavier users arrive sooner. The full curve is laid out in capacity loss and replacement timing.

Situations Where You Should Just Replace It

  • Ahead of a wedding, commercial shoot or trip, when one pack is clearly underperforming.
  • Shutdowns during bursts or recording that have already cost you frames.
  • Obvious heat while charging, or any swelling in the shell.
  • Two-plus years of service, or cycle count approaching 300–500.

Heavy users should keep at least two packs in rotation so no single pack becomes the single point of failure in a shoot.

Habits That Slow Ageing

  • Top up opportunistically rather than running to zero. Frequent deep discharge is hard on cells.
  • Store long-term at roughly 40–60% charge, cool and dry at about 15–25°C, with a top-up every three months.
  • Avoid leaving packs at 100%, especially in a hot place.
  • Number your packs and rotate them, so none sits idle long enough to self-discharge into trouble.
  • Keep terminals clean and dry. Wipe them down after coastal or wet shoots.

FAQ

It shuts down, then powers back up showing charge. Is the pack dead?

Probably aged. Start-up and burst shooting draw high current; voltage sags under that load and trips protection, then recovers once the pack rests. That rebound is a classic ageing signature.

Can a new pack shut the camera down too?

Yes, under high load in burst or 4K, or in the cold. Warm it up and retest at lower load. If it still cuts out in normal conditions, contact the seller.

Will recalibration bring capacity back?

No. A full cycle improves the accuracy of the display, not the energy the cell holds. If the real frame count is still short afterwards, the cell has genuinely degraded.

Can the body itself cause shutdowns?

It can. Firmware glitches, a heavy lens focus motor, or heat protection in hot weather can all shut a body down. Use the swap test to separate the two.

Replacement is cheaper than most people assume. YO’s NP-FZ100 compatible battery is rated around 2280mAh / 7.2V / 16.4Wh: about $17.89 for a single pack, about $22.93 with one charger, about $36.74 for two batteries and a charger. If you want more headroom, the TNP-FZ100 is the 2400mAh / roughly 17.3Wh version, and long wedding days are worth planning around two or three spares per body. Bulk replacement goes through wholesale enquiry, where orders over 100 units are quoted per batch.