Canon LP-E6

Short answer: it works, but it is not the 5D Mark IV’s supplied pack. The camera ships with an LP-E6N (1865mAh/7.2V). An LP-E6+ is a compatible pack that will be recognized and will power the camera, and what it improves is voltage stability during sustained discharge, not total capacity.

This needs saying up front because the name “LP-E6+” is easy to read as one of Canon’s models. Canon’s official LP-E6 family has only four members — LP-E6, LP-E6N, LP-E6NH and LP-E6P — and the plus sign comes from third parties (YO included) labeling an enhanced version. The 5D Mark IV is a 2016 camera that shipped with the LP-E6N, and it has no relationship with LP-E6+.

1. How a 5D Mark IV actually spends power

The 5D Mark IV is a DSLR built around an optical finder. Its everyday power profile is therefore completely different from a mirrorless body: when you are not shooting, the sensor and viewing system are essentially idle, and the big draws are the mirror assembly, the shutter, the focus motor, image processing and card writes.

Its characteristics are:

• High peak current, low average current. In single-frame shooting the current peak arrives with the shutter and mirror movement, while idle draw is low. That makes momentary discharge capability matter more to the experience than total capacity.
• Long exposures and bursts are the pressure points. During a long exposure the sensor works continuously; during a burst, writing and processing happen at once. These two scenarios place the highest demand on sustained discharge.
• Built-in Wi-Fi, GPS and the touchscreen are quiet consumers. The 5D Mark IV has both Wi-Fi and GPS, and once enabled they draw continuously even when you are not shooting. That is usually the reason people complain that the camera is flat after two days in the bag, not the pack itself.

Put those three together and it becomes clear why an enhanced pack has a place in an older DSLR: what it optimizes is precisely the ability to hold voltage under momentary and sustained discharge, which is where a DSLR is most likely to falter.

2. On capacity, do not expect the LP-E6+ to be higher

This is where misunderstanding is most common. The LP-E6+ is positioned to improve discharge stability, not capacity. It does not turn one pack into two.

So if what you want is “shoot longer in one go”, the right move is to carry two packs, not to swap in one marked with a plus. If what you want is “no sudden shutdown at the end of a shoot, and a steadier gauge”, that is where an LP-E6+ has something to say.

3. The real matching question in an older body — does the curve line up

The 5D Mark IV gauges charge using voltage sampling combined with a coulomb counter. Canon’s LP-E6N curve is calibrated for it, so the bars fall evenly. A third-party pack with a differently shaped plateau tends to produce one of two deviations: bars that fall very slowly at first and then drop off a cliff, or a display showing two bars left when the pack is already near cutoff.

That is why the same third-party pack can behave differently across bodies — the older the body, the more conservative its gauge algorithm and the less tolerant of curve shape. In most cases this is not a fault but a calibration difference.

The test is simple: fit the new pack, shoot a fixed sequence of frames, and watch where the bars begin to fall faster. Consistent acceleration in the low range is normal; a shutdown with no warning in the middle means the protection board’s cutoff is high or cell consistency is poor.

For more on discharge stability in older bodies, see the related articles in the LP-E6+ category; to compare official specifications, the LP-E6 series category has the full picture.

4. Who this combination suits

Good fits: everyday outdoor shooting, the backup slot on a wedding job, studio work, and long sessions that need three or four packs in rotation. What these have in common is that no single session is extreme, but nobody wants to lose power at the wrong moment.

Handle with care: long timelapses, the primary pack for a full event, and extreme-cold location work. Timelapse and long recording demand the most sustained discharge, and cold raises internal resistance sharply — a Canon high-capacity model such as the LP-E6NH has more margin there.

One practical piece of advice: do not convert every pack to the same type. Canon in the primary slot and a third-party enhanced pack in the backup slot balances cost against safety, and it lets you cross-check on location simply by swapping packs.

FAQ

Which pack does the 5D Mark IV ship with?

The LP-E6N, 1865mAh at 7.2V. The 5D Mark IV was released in 2016 and that was its supplied pack. The LP-E6+ is not the original; fitting one is compatible use.

Can an LP-E6+ damage the camera?

Not under normal circumstances. The LP-E6 series uses a common electrical interface, and as long as a third-party product’s protection board is properly designed, output voltage and cutoff stay within safe limits. The real concern is poor-quality cells and packs with no protection board — a quality-control issue, unrelated to whether something is labeled “enhanced”.

Why do the bars fall unevenly after fitting an LP-E6+?

Usually a gauging deviation caused by a discharge curve that differs from Canon’s calibration, not a failed pack. As long as there is no unannounced shutdown it can stay in service; if it repeatedly cuts out mid-shoot, the pack cannot hold up under the 5D Mark IV’s momentary current and should be demoted to backup only.

Can an LP-E6+ replace a Canon pack as the primary?

For ordinary shooting, yes; for important work, not advisable. The primary pack carries the work that cannot be repeated, and Canon models are more predictable in calibration and batch consistency. Keeping the enhanced third-party pack in the backup slot is the steadier arrangement.

Short answer: the difference is discharge stability, not capacity. The LP-E6N is Canon’s own model at 1865mAh, 7.2V; LP-E6+ is a third-party label for an enhanced version, and its rated capacity usually lands in the same bracket. What really separates them is internal resistance, how flat the discharge curve stays, and how the protection board limits current.

The question keeps coming up because the “+” naturally implies “more”. Capacity, though, runs into physical limits: a 7.2V pack built from the same class of cells in the same shell cannot show an order-of-magnitude jump in energy density. A slightly higher rating is plausible; doubling is not.

1. Start by putting both names in their place

The LP-E6N is Canon’s revision of the LP-E6, raising capacity from 1800mAh to 1865mAh; both generations are 7.2V, with fully interchangeable shells and contacts. Canon’s LP-E6 family contains only LP-E6, LP-E6N, LP-E6NH and LP-E6P — LP-E6+ is not among them.

LP-E6+ is a naming convention used by third parties (YO included) to separate a “standard” from an “enhanced” version. There is no industry-wide definition, so one maker’s “enhanced” can mean something completely different from another’s: better cell sorting, a different protection board, or simply a new label. What follows therefore compares a well-designed enhanced pack with Canon’s LP-E6N in general terms, not one specific product.

2. Capacity — looks like a big difference, usually is not

Put both packs in the same body and shoot at the same pace, and the gap in usable time is usually smaller than the gap in rated capacity. The reason is that “rated capacity” and “usable capacity” are not the same number.

• Rated capacity is measured under standard discharge conditions, typically at a low discharge rate and down to a low cutoff voltage.
• Usable capacity is what sits above your camera’s actual cutoff point. Once voltage falls to a threshold the body reports low battery or shuts down, and the energy below that never gets used.

So a pack with a higher rating but a lower discharge plateau and higher internal resistance will sag faster under heavy current, and the energy you can actually extract may be less than from a lower-rated Canon pack. That is why many people who switch to a high-rated third-party pack feel that things got no better, or worse.

3. The real gap sits at three mechanical levels

Internal resistance. Resistance determines voltage drop under high current. Bursts, long exposures and video recording all raise current, and the higher the resistance, the more terminal voltage falls. Once terminal voltage drops, the body concludes the pack is nearly empty and warns or shuts down early — even though charge remains in the cells. An enhanced pack that uses cells with better high-rate characteristics has lower resistance, which flattens that curve.

Discharge plateau. A lithium-ion discharge curve is not a straight line: it has a relatively flat middle section and a fast fall at the end. The flatter the plateau and the later the fall, the closer usable capacity comes to rated capacity. Canon’s advantage is that its packs are calibrated together with the body’s gauge algorithm, so curve shape and display logic match; a third-party pack may have a good plateau but a different shape, which produces display error.

Protection-board current limit. Every third-party pack carries a protection board handling over-current, over-discharge and over-temperature. A conservative threshold gives a large safety margin but trips early under heavy current, which shows up as “the camera just cut out mid-shoot”. An aggressive threshold survives peaks but demands more of the cells and the thermal design. None of this appears on a spec sheet; it can only be inferred from use.

4. How to compare them yourself without instruments

1. Same body, same lens, same settings. Turn off Wi-Fi, GPS and stabilization to remove variables, and use the same card and shooting pace.
2. Measure the cutoff point first. Shoot continuously from full and note the frame count at the first low-battery warning. This tests whether the pack holds up at the end of discharge, which matters more than total frames.
3. Then measure recovery. After the warning, power off, let it sit ten minutes, and power on again. If the level jumps back noticeably, the warning came from voltage sag — a classic sign of high internal resistance.
4. Compare charge time. From empty to full on the same charger, the pack that finishes clearly faster usually has less real capacity.

This yields a relative answer rather than an absolute number, which is enough to choose between two packs and requires no extra equipment.

If Canon’s high-capacity model is what you are weighing, see the LP-E6NH category; for the full list of official models in the series, the LP-E6 series category has a summary; other questions about enhanced packs are collected in the LP-E6+ category.

FAQ

Is the LP-E6+ capacity much larger than the LP-E6N?

No. The two usually fall in the same bracket; a third-party product may rate slightly higher, but shell size and cell energy density rule out an order-of-magnitude difference. Claims of “double capacity” are not credible.

Why does my LP-E6+ last less than a Canon LP-E6N?

The usual causes are a lower discharge plateau or higher internal resistance, which produce visible sag under high current and make the camera declare low battery early. On top of that, the body’s gauge is calibrated to Canon’s curve, so a differently shaped curve discounts usable capacity further.

Can the price gap make up for the difference?

Partly. An enhanced pack in the budget bracket is close to Canon under light load, which is enough for everyday stills; under bursts, long exposures and cold conditions the gap widens. It depends where you place the pack in your kit.

How can I tell a genuinely enhanced LP-E6+ from a relabeled one?

Three signs: whether the level recovers after a low-battery warning and a rest (internal resistance), whether the gauge falls linearly (plateau), and whether bursts cut out unexpectedly (protection board). If all three pass, the design is reasonably serious; if any one is clearly off, be cautious.

Short answer: it fits and it works, but it should not be your only pack for an R5. The EOS R5 ships with an LP-E6NH (2130mAh/7.2V), and an LP-E6+ is a compatible substitute. Everyday stills and ordinary video are fine; the moment you move into 8K, long high-frame-rate 4K takes or cold conditions, the limits show up.

Start with the name. LP-E6+ is not a Canon designation — it is how some third parties (YO included) label an enhanced version, and Canon’s LP-E6 family consists of only four packs, LP-E6, LP-E6N, LP-E6NH and LP-E6P. So what follows is not “Canon’s support list for the R5” but what actually happens when a third-party enhanced pack goes into one.

1. The R5’s load profile is nothing like a DSLR’s

The EOS R5 is mirrorless: it meters from the moment it is switched on, with the sensor, EVF and image processor all working. Its power profile has three characteristics — high idle draw, high peak current and heavy sustained load.

• High idle draw. Being on and metering costs power, and that is the most fundamental difference from the 5D series. A pack of the same capacity therefore has a naturally shorter usable time in an R5.
• High peak current. 8K recording, high-frame-rate 4K and 20fps electronic-shutter bursts are sustained high-current loads, not the brief pulses of a DSLR.
• Heat and throttling are linked. During long recordings the body warms, pack internal resistance rises with temperature, terminal voltage falls further, and the effect feeds on itself.

That is precisely why Canon introduced the LP-E6P in 2024 alongside the EOS R5 Mark II, positioned as a high-discharge pack. It also says something about how Canon views heavy-load shooting: capacity is not the only variable, and discharge capability matters just as much.

2. It is compatible, but there are four limits

Of the four, the first two come from discharge capability, the third from gauge calibration, and the fourth is common to all lithium-ion packs — Canon does not escape it either, it simply has more margin.

One point deserves special mention: the LP-E6+ has no USB-C charging port. Many people assume an enhanced third-party pack can be charged by cable; it cannot. The R5 body accepts USB-C PD input for power or charging, but that is a body-side capability, and whether the battery has a port of its own is a separate question.

3. Scenario by scenario, the answer becomes clear

Fine to use: still photography, travel, portraits, event coverage, short clips of a few minutes. Single-session load is modest in these settings, an LP-E6+ has enough discharge margin, and the cost advantage is real.

Use with caution: full wedding or conference recording, 8K short-film work, drone ground monitoring — anything that cannot be interrupted. Not because failure is certain, but because the cost of failure is too high.

Not advisable: extreme-cold shoots, entire 8K long takes, and projects that depend on precise power planning, such as scheduling shots by percentage. The first two are physical limits; the last is a readout issue.

A practical arrangement is to keep a Canon LP-E6NH in the primary slot and an LP-E6+ in the backup slot. Use the backup between takes and switch back to Canon for the important shots. That controls cost without concentrating risk in one place.

To understand how Canon’s high-capacity and high-discharge models differ, see the LP-E6NH category and the LP-E6P category; general questions about enhanced packs are collected in the LP-E6+ category.

4. Three checks to run once it is in the camera

1. Confirm recognition. Insert the pack, power on and see whether the level appears promptly and stays stable. A long stretch of odd readings or repeated warnings means the communication or gauge does not match — do not take it out on a job.
2. Run a burst. Shoot a sequence on the electronic shutter and watch for a mid-sequence cutoff or a jumping gauge. This quickly exposes protection-board current limiting.
3. Record a long clip. Record ten minutes or so at the highest specification you actually use, and see whether a low-battery or heat warning arrives early. This is more direct than any specification.

If all three pass, the pack is usable at your working intensity. If any one fails, demote it to backup rather than forcing it.

FAQ

Is the LP-E6+ a model Canon made for the R5?

No. Canon has no LP-E6+ model; the official LP-E6 family is LP-E6, LP-E6N, LP-E6NH and LP-E6P. The R5 ships with an LP-E6NH, and the R5 Mark II that followed in 2024 is paired with an LP-E6P.

Will an LP-E6+ make the R5 throw errors or lock up?

In most cases it will not lock up and works as soon as it is recognized. A particular product may show an odd gauge reading or a message about a non-Canon battery; that is a difference in communication and gauging. It does not affect basic power delivery, but it does affect planning shots by percentage.

Can an R5 shoot 8K on an LP-E6+?

Short clips usually work; long continuous recording is not advisable. 8K is the R5’s heaviest scenario and makes the greatest demand on sustained discharge, which is where Canon’s high-capacity or high-discharge models have more margin.

Can I charge an LP-E6+ through the camera’s USB-C port?

Not directly. The LP-E6+ has no USB-C interface and needs a dock. The R5’s USB-C input is a body-side capability that can power the body or charge a pack inside it, subject to the body manual, but that is not the same as a charging port on the battery.

Short answer: LP-E6+ packs charge only in a dock and have no USB-C port of their own. A Canon LC-E6 or LC-E6E works as-is, and a third-party charger has to meet three conditions — 8.4V constant-voltage output, at least 0.5A per bay, and independent per-bay control with temperature protection. Anything below that standard is not worth buying.

This belongs at the very top because it is where misunderstandings cluster. Plenty of people see a third-party pack advertised with “fast charging” and assume a Type-C cable will work, when in fact the LP-E6+ has no port on the shell at all and every charge has to go through a dock. The camera body’s USB-C input is a body-side capability, not a charging port built into the battery.

1. How charging works in the LP-E6 series

The LP-E6 family — LP-E6, LP-E6N, LP-E6NH, LP-E6P, and third-party LP-E6+ — are all nominally 7.2V two-cell lithium-ion packs. Two cells in series give a full-charge voltage of 8.4V, so a charger must output a strict 8.4V constant voltage and follow a constant-current to constant-voltage (CC-CV) profile: current is held steady while voltage rises, then the charger switches to constant voltage near 8.4V and current tapers until cutoff.

Two details matter in that process: voltage accuracy and cutoff judgment. Too high and the cells sit at the edge of overcharge, which accelerates fade; too low and the pack never fills, so usable capacity is discounted. Poor cutoff judgment produces either “shows full but is not” or repeated trickle top-ups, and both shorten life.

The value of a Canon LC-E6 or LC-E6E lies exactly there: fixed output specifications, cutoff logic validated against the pack’s protection board, and a stop when full. It does not chase speed — filling an LP-E6N usually takes more than two hours, and that pace is deliberate.

2. Three hard numbers to check on a third-party charger

Common two-bay and four-bay third-party chargers range from a few dozen yuan up to the budget bracket. A compliant design is not expensive; the problem is that cheap models cut corners on exactly the two things a spec sheet cannot show — independent per-bay management and temperature protection.

Another common misconception is that faster is better. For a small pack like the LP-E6, around 1A is already fairly aggressive; pushing current higher trades heat and fade for convenience at a poor exchange rate. Canon’s conservative current is a choice, not a technical limit.

3. Four steps to verify a charger is a match

1. Read the label. The output must state 8.4V, not a range like 8.4V-9V and not 12V. A wide-range output usually means there is no precise constant-voltage stage inside.
2. Time a charge. Using the same pack, charge from the camera’s low-battery warning until the indicator goes out. A clearly short time — an hour and a bit, say — points to a high cutoff; clearly longer than three hours points to low current or an incomplete charge.
3. Feel the temperature. A pack that is warm during charging is normal; one that is hot to the touch is not. Heat means excessive current or inadequate dissipation, and sustained use shortens life noticeably.
4. Check it in the camera. Put the freshly charged pack back in the body and read the level. If it repeatedly shows just over 90% right after a full charge, the cutoff or the pack’s gauge is off.

None of these steps needs instruments, and one pass filters out most non-compliant chargers.

4. How the combinations compare

Canon LC-E6 plus LP-E6+: the steadiest combination. The charger works to Canon’s logic, and as long as the pack’s protection board is properly designed, the CC-CV sequence completes normally. The downside is one pack at a time, so multi-battery users queue up.

A compliant third-party multi-bay charger plus LP-E6+: efficient, and a good fit for anyone heading out with four or five packs. The precondition is confirmed independent per-bay management and thermal control — not the models that cost a few dozen yuan.

An old non-constant-voltage charger plus LP-E6+: not advisable. These are mostly early products that judge cutoff by simple voltage comparison and adapt poorly to newer cells.

One aside worth stating: LP-E6+ is not a Canon designation — it is how some third parties (YO included) label an enhanced version. Canon offers only LP-E6, LP-E6N, LP-E6NH and LP-E6P. That also means the protection-board design is set by each maker, so charger compatibility has to be judged by observed behavior rather than by the rating on the box.

To see how the models in this series differ in positioning, compare the LP-E6 series category; for how enhanced packs behave in the camera, the LP-E6+ category covers more.

FAQ

Can I charge an LP-E6+ with a USB-C cable directly?

No. The LP-E6+ has no USB-C charging port and has to go into a dock. The camera body supports USB-C input, but that powers the body or charges a pack sitting inside it — a different thing from a port on the battery itself. Check the body manual for specifics.

Can a Canon LC-E6 charge a third-party LP-E6+?

Yes. The LC-E6 and LC-E6E output a constant 8.4V and the LP-E6 series interface is identical, so a third-party pack charges normally as long as its protection board is properly designed. Actual charge time may differ slightly with the pack’s real capacity.

Does a faster third-party charger damage the pack?

It depends on current and thermal control. Around 1A is a normal range with limited impact; clearly above that, with a pack that gets hot while charging, accelerates capacity fade. The test is not “how fast” but “how hot.”

When the charger indicator goes out, is the pack full?

Usually yes, but it can also mean an early cutoff or poor contact. The reliable approach is to put the pack back in the body and read the level; if it comes up clearly short several times in a row, inspect the charger or the pack.