Sony NP-FH50 Infolithium H Series Camcorder Battery

Sony have nobbled the info-lithium chip to ensure you buy this geniune Sony battery - Just bought a Sony HC53E Camcorder. Very annoyingly my old, identical looking, same 7.2v, Sony NP-FP Camcorder batteries from my previous defunct model [Sony HC22E] don t fit this new HC53E camcorder though, thanks to a few mm more plastic on the base lugs and Sony s new [anti-copying] info-lithium chip. Trim the old NP-FPs to fit in the HC-53Es NP-FH slot and the camera says incompatible battery - i.e. it s got an old style info-chip, even though it is a Sony battery of the right shape, voltage and power. So I had to buy one of these `genuine Sony NP-FH50 as a spare battery [it s the same physical size as the NP-FH30 supplied with the camera, but with a tad more power reserve]. Sony have nobbled the new HC-53E camcorder so that cheaper generic ones can t work without a naff patch cable and thus can t provide the very useful time and % battery charge left graphical info on-screen. This anti-piracy mod isn t to stop others manufacturing batteries and passing them as off as counterfeit Sony s [the generic were always branded], it s simply trying to force you to buy the rather overpriced Sony batteries that can cost over half the price of the entire camcorder. That said I got this Sony NP-FH50 for around £30 from Amazon resellers, which wasn t bad value [although my complete Sony Camcorder + NP-FH30 battery was only £120 from Amazon]. You can recharge these Sony NP-FH50 batteries in the camera, but I bought a £15 generic mains/12v car charger combo, so that I can recharge one battery while filming with another.

Exactly what I wanted for a decent price and a Sony original. - Fact: I have tried compatible batteries from Amazon Market Place. For me they did not work and were returned. This Sony original was my last hope. Since I have first used it I have not had one seconds problem. For me the compatible route was a mistake as, for me, they discharged far too quickly and did not give me notice of their demise - they just ran out. This Sony original (as a back up for the original I have) works great. By all means give the compatibles a go, if it works stick with them. I have spent as much money trying 3 compatibles - I should have just purchased this from the start. I will not make the same mistake again - I will go the original route from the off.

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