All "7V" category Li-Ion batteries discharge down to about 6.5V; fully charged 8.4V. This is inherent to Li-Ion chemistry, has nothing to do with the label on the battery. 7.2V - 7.4V is where the battery spends most of its time discharging in the camera, so one can call it a 7.2V battery or 7.4V battery, it is just labeling. There is no such a thing as "surge" when it comes to the battery performance. The only way a battery can damage a camera is if it catches fire due to internal defects. This can happen to any Li-Ion battery including brand names like Sony - just watch the news, or google "Dell battery recall"
HTH

thanks Alex, that gives me peace of mind.... actually these OEMs turned out to be great, i think i just keep them.....

OEM = original equipment manufacturer; i.e. Canon. They will be fine.

But if you are considering third parts (after market) batteries, most will work OK as well, if they are marketed as compatible with the Canon. Some after market will perform better than others, it is a bit of a roll of the dice.

As noted above, the 7.2 volt rating is the nominal battery voltage - the voltage of the battery starts out higher when fully charged and will decrease somewhat below 7.2 volts as the batter discharges. Actual voltage measured will depending on the state of charge, charge left, and load.

Just throwing in my 2 cents. I'd been on the fence regarding battery selection for my two new A1s. Was concerned about getting a third party battery instead of the genuine Canon, but was also concerned about the price of the Canons. I wanted the Canon BP970G for longest possible runtime. At $165-$175 each, that was going to eat into my budget for other accessories I needed. I discussed it with Brian at Zotz Digital (these guys are phenomenal by the way) and he convinced me to save the moolah and go with the Lenmar LIC970G for $100. I was a little skeptical after reading some of the posts regarding stuck batteries, but decided to take his advice.

I received the Lenmar batts and let me tell you they're perfect. They fit like a glove into the battery compartment. They slide in just right, and pop out perfectly. No snags, hangups, sticking, anything. They're perfect. I'm so glad I took Brian's advice and saved the 150 bucks.

So, to anyone looking to buy the perfect battery for your A1 - I highly recommend the Lenmar LIC970G. The "G" designation is important! Oh, they also come with a 3 year warranty. The Canon is only 1 year.

Peace out

Dave

Confirm
 

I confirm everything Dave says! I own a LIC970G and works flawlessy.

I have the same positive experience with the Lenmar 970G!

I have had great experience with non-Canon batteries in my GL2 and now I use those same batteries in my XH-A1.

I purchased two BP970G's with the A1 but have 5 non-Canon batteries and have used them quite a bit as well.

I bought the Hahnel 970 equivalent, fits perfectly.

Weren't a lot of Canon batteries once made by Hahnel?

No fires yet.

Impact batteries rule. Buy those!

A1 battery Power
 

just wondering if anyone knows of any real world hourly ratings on the A1 Batteries?

LCD Closed,
LCD open
Auto focus
Manual Focus
Standby.... that kinda thing..

anyone ??

There is a huge chart in the operator's manual which cross-references four different batteries with LCD vs. EVF, HD vs. SD, maximum times vs. typical times. It's too complex to post it here, but all you have to do is download the PDF copy of the XH series operator's manual from Canon. In the North American version, this chart is on page 17. Hope this helps -- Canon AU download link:

http://www.canon.com.au/products/dig...1_support.aspx

cheers mate

thing is i always find that manufacturers are a lil bias when it comes to this, hoping while i read through this that someone might have an opinion as well..

In my experience their times given for the "typical" column are pretty accurate in terms of real-world use.

OEM Compatible batteries
 

Hi:

I know, stick with the original is always recommended. But, I find that original battery for the XH-A1 ranges above 200 euros, and OEM compatibles around 60 euros. Does anyone have any experience (bad?) using such batteries?

On a daily basis I don't need an extra battery, but as I am planning a trip where access to recharging batteries may be days a way I was considering an extra battery. More precisely, I am going 3 weeks to Costa Rica and some tours may end up being 2-3 days. I don't know how much recording I will get to do during a day, so I am thinking of bringing a spare, just in case.

After that I really don't need the spare battery any time soon, so a cheap battery that will do for the trip seems to be an attractive option. Question is if any such battery will do?

Thanks, Erik

I am using citi tek batteries them seem to be doing fine cost around £80.00.