DSC-HX9V & NP-FG1 Battery Problems

[NarwhalDancer]

Hi, I have bought an NP-FG1 spare battery for my DSC-HX9V camera and I keep getting inconsistant remaining time displays for the battery.

When chraged fully from getting it out of the packaging, the battry charged a lot quicker than the original NP-BG1 battery that came with the camera and showed as having 159 mins of battery life.

I left the battery in the camera overnight with the camera turned off and the next day when I turned it on, it said I had only 146 mins of life left. I then proceeded to take a few photos and a test video of about 3 mins in HQ mode and the battery life plumeted to around 81 mins left. I turned the camera off for about 10 mins and back on again and the battery life went up to 112 mins before dropping to 109 mins and back up to 112 mins.

What the hell is going on? This is the second NP-FG1 battery I've used in the past two weeks from the same shop and both have shown very inconsistant battery levels/charge times.

Sometimes it's as though the camera is still using the battery even when it's turned off.

Has anyone else experienced this and is there a fix for it?

I may as well just buy another NP-BG1 battery without the battery time remaining info as at least that works correctly and doesn't have varying battery levels indicated. Very disappointed with the NP-FG1 as a spare battery.

[GoNz0-]

its dynamic, it will give an estimated time remaining depending on the mode its put itself in, true manual settings will even it out, turning on movie mode will show a low time, plain playback will give a high time. auto and semi auto will show fluctuations as it sets it own mode depending on the conditions.

it basically proves the person who sold it you does not understand the product.

initial charge is a nearly full battery, left in the camera it will use a small amount per day, leave it in for a month and it will go flat, leave it out for a month and it will be 90+%

would you rather know the estimated time left or a 4 step full to empty ?

can i assume it also shows a full battery bar as well ?

the 1st i got from a camera shop turned out to be a fake, it would give mins remaining but show 25% charged, i sent it back and purchased direct from Sony and it works as expected.

the 159-146 is 1% loss overnight, nothing to worry about as it would have still had a bit over overvolt from the charger going to trickle mode.

Message was edited by: GoNz0-

Message was edited by: GoNz0-

[NarwhalDancer]

Thanks for the info Gonzo. The battery life seems to vary quite dramatically. I've just tried it again and the battery bar is 3/4 full and it says it has 97 mins left that's in intelligent auto mode. Actually just as I typed that, it's just jumped up to 99 mins.

I really don't know where I am with this battery. The NP-BG1 battery on the other doesn't show any fluctuations and displays a full bar even when I leave it in the camera overnight.

I'm wondering whether my NP-FG1 is a fake or not and so I've just ordered one direct from Sony at considerably more cost. My battery that I bought from Amazon was £11.50 + £4.59 p&p, whereas from Sony it's cost £39.00 inc. free delivery. The shop that sold it me through Amazon was called Hot Deal and this is the second battery I've had from them that has shown what I consider to be unusual behavior.

When I get the battery from Sony I'll compare it with the one I have from Amazon and see if I experience any similar issues. If I do, then perhaps that's how the battery's supposed to behave but it just seems a bit weird when comparing it to the NP-BG1.

[osupics]

i would be interested in hearing an update when you get the battery direct from sony to see if there is infact any difference between it and the ones you purchased off amazon. i myself was looking at the same battery on amazon though i also considered a non sony branded option sold there too (though quite possibly the sony branded ones might be fakes as they are much cheaper?). reviews for them seem to be good all in all but it would be interesting to hear your comparisons/results.

[GoNz0-]

tbh anything for that price is a fake, really is as simple as that amazons full of crooks. i trust 2 sellers on amazon, indego starfish and amazon themsleves, both sell real goods, even sellers using amazon warehouse will be selling fakes.

as for the dynamic battery mins remaining its perfectly normal and not a dulled down 4 bars that wont drop a bar for a month or more.

even the image on the LCD changing will drop a few mins if its burning more current.

just get on with enjoying the camera and dont buy from dodgy amazon sellers

[NarwhalDancer]

Well after sending the battery I bought from Amazon to Sony, they confirmed to me yesterday that it was a fake. I've since received the battery I ordered direct from Sony (at the significant price difference of £39 vs £11.50) and it works absolutely fine and as I'd expect it to work. Sure there are fluctuations in the battery's time remaining but nowhere near as varied as with the other battery and after the initial charge I got an improved overall life of 202 mins vs 159 mins of the Amazon-bought battery.

The battery from Sony holds it's charge much, much better and doesn't lose any significant amount of life when left in the camera overnight.

To address your comments Gonzo, I think it's a little unfair to say that Amazon is full of crooks. Sure I was seduced by the incredibly cheap price offered and perhaps that should've served as a warning to me but in my defence, Hot Deal (the shop that sent me the battery) was the one that Amazon said would fulfill the order when you click on the "Add to basket" or "1-click" order buttons. So seeing as I didn't have much choice and Amazon automatically sends them the order, I don't think I can be to blame.

Sony said they'll send me the fake battery back along with a letter confirming that it isn't genuine, so I will have to inform Amazon/Hot Deal and request a refund. I'll certainly be more wary of where I buy things from in the future and if there is a significant difference in price, then I'll know it's probably too good to be true and order direct from the manufacturer/a more reputable company.

Thanks for the help guys.

[osupics]

saw another cheaper NP-FG1 online at a place called heathfields.co.uk. £10.50 plus a couple of quid p+p.

http://www.heathfields.co.uk/official-sony-np-fg1-rechargeable-battery-for-cyber-shot-dsc-w35

unlike other places it states that its a genuine official sony battery but im assuming that at that price it is probably a fake like the amazons mentioned above?

[GoNz0-]

maybe after you have been conned a bit more by crooks on amazon you will be on my side, if the price is to good it usually is.

[NarwhalDancer]

I just checked on TrustPilot and that site has only got 2 stars and mixed reviews: http://www.trustpilot.co.uk/review/heathfields.co.uk

As Gonzo has said, if something is priced well below the official manufacturers price then it may not be genuine. Looking at what is shown on the Heathfields site, you can't tell at all if it's a genuine product or not. For me the only difference I saw was in the packaging where the little hologram sticker is, on the fake battery it was greenish in colour but on the genuine packaging it is more gold. Also, the little storage box you get for the battery was a very tight fit on the fake but on the genuine battery it is a little bigger so the battery goes in more easily.

I'd advise you to just pay the extra money and get a battery direct from Sony.