# Nikon D5100 generic batteries?



## tissa

I have been trying to find a battery for my D5100 to have a spare one, but I can't fine any generic ones to save my life! I really dont want to speand $60 on another battery. When I had Sony Alpha it was very easy to buy a generic battery for$18 and it worked just as good as the original one.
Does anyone know if there are any generic batteries for Nikon D5100 out there?


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## jriepe

In doing this search for you I found you are right in that they are not easy to find and has been mentioned on other forums as well but I did find this.


Dantona 7.4V/950mAh Li-ion Battery for Nikon EN-EL14 - RadioShack.com
Jerry


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## dumeril7

I found this one.  Can't vouch for the company or the battery, but it seems to be the right item...

NIKON Digital Camera Batteries, EN-EL14, EN-EL14e

D7


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## jriepe

dumeril7 said:


> I found this one.  Can't vouch for the company or the battery, but it seems to be the right item...
> 
> NIKON Digital Camera Batteries, EN-EL14, EN-EL14e
> 
> D7



I clicked this link and in red print it says it can't fit the DSLR D5100.

Jerry


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## MTVision

tissa said:
			
		

> I have been trying to find a battery for my D5100 to have a spare one, but I can't fine any generic ones to save my life! I really dont want to speand $60 on another battery. When I had Sony Alpha it was very easy to buy a generic battery for$18 and it worked just as good as the original one.
> Does anyone know if there are any generic batteries for Nikon D5100 out there?



When I bought extra batteries (7 months ago) the guy at the camera store said there weren't any generic batteries out yet. I would assume there would be some out now!


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## zamanakhan

Just buy regular ones they are not very expensive, and last a long time. I am surprised there are no 3rd party yet myself as there are 3 very popular cameras that use the same battery. I think more than 3  actually.


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## BFiggy

I got a Nikon EN-EL14 for $40 from FRYS.com | NIKON . The last generic battery I bought didn't stay charged anywhere close to as long as the one from the manufacture.


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## nmoody

Also got mine for $40 at Fry's for my D3100


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## tissa

Thank you all! As I mentioned when I had Sony Alpha the generic battery i bought for dirt cheap $18 stayed charged just as long as the regular one. I am not ready to spend $60 on a battery. I will check out the links you all provided!


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## dumeril7

jriepe said:


> dumeril7 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I found this one.  Can't vouch for the company or the battery, but it seems to be the right item...
> 
> NIKON Digital Camera Batteries, EN-EL14, EN-EL14e
> 
> D7
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I clicked this link and in red print it says it can't fit the DSLR D5100.
> 
> Jerry
Click to expand...


Sorry about that!  The entry on the search results page that led me to it said it *did *fit the d5100!

D7


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## ShutterbugSarah

Amazon.com: For Nikon EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery DSLR: Camera & PhotoRemember you have to use a Battery Grip!


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## jriepe

ShutterbugSarah said:


> Amazon.com: For Nikon EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery DSLR: Camera & PhotoRemember you have to use a Battery Grip!



Battery Grip? And why is that?  I would be leery of a $6.80 battery but I must say I did buy some generic batteries for my Canon S95 for a very low cost and they work great.  With my D7000 I decided to stick with Nikon batteries.  If a generic battery leaks, explodes, etc. and ruins a $1,200 camera you're SOL.  I bought a generic for my D80 from Adorama that sucked so I went back to a Nikon battery for a spare.  

Jerry


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## tissa

Thanks to *dumeril7* I got a generic one for $40 (with shipping and taxes). Lets hope it works ok


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## MTVision

tissa said:
			
		

> Thanks to dumeril7 I got a generic one for $40 (with shipping and taxes). Lets hope it works ok



I thought the one he posted didnt work with the d5100. I didn't check - that's just what another poster said.


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## The_Duke

I picked up a genuine en-el14 from national camera exchange for 40$. not on sale or anything!


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## tissa

MTVision said:


> tissa said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks to dumeril7 I got a generic one for $40 (with shipping and taxes). Lets hope it works ok
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I thought the one he posted didnt work with the d5100. I didn't check - that's just what another poster said.
Click to expand...

It said on the web site specifically that it works for D5100.
"Use this battery to replace the tired, old Nikon EN-EL14 battery in your  Nikon D3100, D5100, COOLPIX P7000 or P7100 digital camera. Keep a fully  charged spare in your bag so you never miss a shot."


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## MTVision

tissa said:
			
		

> It said on the web site specifically that it works for D5100.
> "Use this battery to replace the tired, old Nikon EN-EL14 battery in your  Nikon D3100, D5100, COOLPIX P7000 or P7100 digital camera. Keep a fully  charged spare in your bag so you never miss a shot."




The battery Dumeril posted does not work with the d5100. 



			
				jriepe said:
			
		

> In doing this search for you I found you are right in that they are not easy to find and has been mentioned on other forums as well but I did find this.
> 
> Dantona 7.4V/950mAh Li-ion Battery for Nikon EN-EL14 - RadioShack.com
> Jerry



^^^ this must be the battery you bought.  Hope it works great!


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## tissa

Warning for those who might want to buy batteries from this site Dantona 7.4V/950mAh Li-ion Battery for Nikon EN-EL14 - RadioShack.com. Even though the description clearly states that the batteries fit Nikon 3100 and 5100 they DO NOT! I paid $40 for them (with taxes and shipping), got it today and the display on my camera said "this battery is not designated to be used on this camera. Please use a battery that is designated for this camera" (or smth like that). I called customer support and the guy couldn't answer why they have wrong information about the product. He was speaking very very fast and quickly said he was gonna issue a return lable and i can return the battery and get a refund. 

URH!


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## jriepe

Sorry to hear that Tissa.  I am the one who provided the link to you but I didn't know as it states specifically that it does fit the D5100.  

Jerry


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## jrizal

The Nikon D3100/D5100 can detect third party batteries once you put them inside and will give you an error message. The only way to use cheap third party batteries is to use them with a third party grip. (Nikon does not have an official grip for these models.) The price of two batteries and a grip is even less than the price of an original. You can get them at Amazon. Also, you can go to Youtube to see actual reviews of the grip and batteries. I can attest that these batteries do work as I have bought two together with a battery grip though the one I got is the one with a remote sensor for $35. The most popular brand is the Meike/Neewer brand costing around $23 whereas two batteries would cost around $15. There are other more expensive third party grips but they seem to be rebranded Meike grips. So far they work fine for me though my D3100 has become bigger due to the grip.


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## bobcape

I have two that work great.  I got them from Cameraland when I ordered my camera.  When I get home I'll get the model # info.Bob


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## tissa

bobcape said:


> I have two that work great.  I got them from Cameraland when I ordered my camera.  When I get home I'll get the model # info.Bob


Thank you Bob!


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## bobcape

bobcape said:


> I have two that work great.  I got them from Cameraland when I ordered my camera.  When I get home I'll get the model # info.Bob



I'm sorry, I made a mistake.  The D5100 batteries are all Nikon originals.  I bought 2 cameras at about the same time from Cameraland.  A D5100 and an AW100.  I bought two extra batteries with each.  The D5100 batteries are Nikon originals and the AW100 extra batteries are Promaster.  I apologize for the error.

Bob


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## tissa

i guess no way to avoid paying another $60  Ridiculous considering that it has been quite a while and no generics yet


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## jriepe

jriepe said:


> ShutterbugSarah said:
> 
> 
> 
> Amazon.com: For Nikon EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery DSLR: Camera & PhotoRemember you have to use a Battery Grip!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Battery Grip? And why is that?  I would be leery of a $6.80 battery but I must say I did buy some generic batteries for my Canon S95 for a very low cost and they work great.  With my D7000 I decided to stick with Nikon batteries.  If a generic battery leaks, explodes, etc. and ruins a $1,200 camera you're SOL.  I bought a generic for my D80 from Adorama that sucked so I went back to a Nikon battery for a spare.
> 
> Jerry
Click to expand...


Sarah, when you stated it was necessary to buy a battery grip to use generic batteries for the D5100 I was at a complete loss as to your reasoning and was questioning that logic but now I see another poster has stated the same thing stating that the generic batteries will not work when inserted directly into the camera.  So your info. was spot on.  Just felt compelled to let you know I was evidently wrong.

Jerry


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## momo3boys

Good luck finding one, but keep in mind that generic ones tend to last half as long as the standard ones. I've found that they are not worth what you save because you need two to equal the original one!


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## ph0enix

The battery is an important piece of the equation.  Trying to save a few bucks may end up costing you your camera if a crappy battery fries it or explodes in it.  I would not cheap out on the batteries.  Just something to consider.


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## jriepe

ph0enix said:


> The battery is an important piece of the equation.  Trying to save a few bucks may end up costing you your camera if a crappy battery fries it or explodes in it.  I would not cheap out on the batteries.  Just something to consider.



I agree with you on this.  I could have bought generic batteries for my D7000 but decided otherwise.  If one saves $30 on a battery but that battery ruins a $1,200 piece of equipment you have lost BIG time.  

Jerry


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## jrizal

ph0enix said:


> The battery is an important piece of the equation.  Trying to save a few bucks may end up costing you your camera if a crappy battery fries it or explodes in it.  I would not cheap out on the batteries.  Just something to consider.



The Nikon EN-EL15 (not for the D3100/D5100/P7000) has an issue. EN-EL15 Battery - Electrical Safety Recall. So originals do have their issues as well. That's something to consider too. (This also reminds me about original Sony Vaio batteries literally burning up.)

This issue IMO is more of Nikon trying to have a monopoly on batteries. The P7000 with the original firmware was able to use after-market batteries until after the latest firnware upgrade. This just shows that Nikon strongly discourages the use of aftermarket accessories. From a manufacturer's standpoint accessories have the largest profit margins, hence making accessories extremely overpriced.

But I must say that some aftermarket items are better than others. It also goes that one should check the aftermarket brand's reputation and also actual user reviews.

To reiterate, AFAIK there are no known aftermarket batteries that will work directly with the D3100/D5100 without using an aftermarket battery grip. Nonetheless, two batteries and a camera grip would still come out cheaper than an original one.

Should you still prefer an original one, the cheapest that I can find costs $40 both at Fry's and Amazon which was pointed out by others.


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## jrizal

jriepe said:


> jriepe said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ShutterbugSarah said:
> 
> 
> 
> Amazon.com: For Nikon EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery DSLR: Camera & PhotoRemember you have to use a Battery Grip!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Battery Grip? And why is that?  I would be leery of a $6.80 battery but I must say I did buy some generic batteries for my Canon S95 for a very low cost and they work great.  With my D7000 I decided to stick with Nikon batteries.  If a generic battery leaks, explodes, etc. and ruins a $1,200 camera you're SOL.  I bought a generic for my D80 from Adorama that sucked so I went back to a Nikon battery for a spare.
> 
> Jerry
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Sarah, when you stated it was necessary to buy a battery grip to use generic batteries for the D5100 I was at a complete loss as to your reasoning and was questioning that logic but now I see another poster has stated the same thing stating that the generic batteries will not work when inserted directly into the camera.  So your info. was spot on.  Just felt compelled to let you know I was evidently wrong.
> 
> Jerry
Click to expand...


@Jerry do note that you still have to insert the original battery first and then turn the camera on in order to make the generic batteries to work. Doing this "fools" the camera to "think" you still have the original battery installed. But as an afterthought, if I had spent $1,200 for a D7000 (body only) plus around $300 for a basic 18-105mm lens I would most likely not scrimp on batteries. But since the EN-EL14 compatibles have been out for around two years and with no known reported issues, I decided to take a leap of faith and purchased a two-pack and a battery grip as well three weeks ago. Only downside for me is that the my D3100 obviously became bigger. But I wanted a battery grip with remote as well.


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## jrizal

momo3boys said:


> Good luck finding one, but keep in mind that generic ones tend to last half as long as the standard ones. I've found that they are not worth what you save because you need two to equal the original one!



Not necessarily true. There are always two things to check aside from price: 1) the specs and 2) actual user review to learn about actual performance.

I have an Olympus bridge camera that uses the LI-50B battery rated at 925mAh and costs $30. I have bought two compatibles rated at 1400mAh costing $3 a piece with no known reported issues. Needless to say, each of these compatibles last longer than my original.


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## jrizal

tissa said:


> i guess no way to avoid paying another $60  Ridiculous considering that it has been quite a while and no generics yet



@Tissa, actually generics have been around. What is ridiculous is Nikon's decision not to allow generics to work directly with their cameras as shown with the P7000. The P7000 having the same battery also works with generic batteries as long as it has the original firmware. But with the recent firmware upgrades, the same battery will no longer work. 

PS as mentioned earlier by others and myself, the cheapest original go for $40 at Fry's and Amazon.


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## ph0enix

jrizal said:


> ph0enix said:
> 
> 
> 
> The battery is an important piece of the equation.  Trying to save a few bucks may end up costing you your camera if a crappy battery fries it or explodes in it.  I would not cheap out on the batteries.  Just something to consider.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Nikon EN-EL15 (not for the D3100/D5100/P7000) has an issue. EN-EL15 Battery - Electrical Safety Recall. So originals do have their issues as well. That's something to consider too. (This also reminds me about original Sony Vaio batteries literally burning up.)
> 
> This issue IMO is more of Nikon trying to have a monopoly on batteries. The P7000 with the original firmware was able to use after-market batteries until after the latest firnware upgrade. This just shows that Nikon strongly discourages the use of aftermarket accessories. From a manufacturer's standpoint accessories have the largest profit margins, hence making accessories extremely overpriced.
> 
> But I must say that some aftermarket items are better than others. It also goes that one should check the aftermarket brand's reputation and also actual user reviews.
> 
> To reiterate, AFAIK there are no known aftermarket batteries that will work directly with the D3100/D5100 without using an aftermarket battery grip. Nonetheless, two batteries and a camera grip would still come out cheaper than an original one.
> 
> Should you still prefer an original one, the cheapest that I can find costs $40 both at Fry's and Amazon which was pointed out by others.
Click to expand...


I'm not saying that Nikon batteries can't have their issues but if they cause your Nikon camera to blow up, you can probably file a claim with Nikon and have them fix or replace it.  Not so much the case with after-market batteries.


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## jrizal

@Ph0enix, For some the risks involved have been considered already and probability wise the benefits outweigh the risks. Fact is a whole aftermaket industry is thriving. This does not mean to say that you should not buy originals. It's a free market out there. Feel free to buy whatever is best for you. And it's not limited only to Nikon cameras. Manufacturers from all industries do tend to discourage third-party accessories suppliers often claiming they are not compatible in order for them to gain huge margins. But the real point in this thread is that there are viable alternatives for using original batteries albeit they have some "quirks" of their own (i.e. having to use a battery grip - not all would want that.) In any case feel free to use whatever you deemed best for your camera and happy shooting.


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## ph0enix

jrizal said:


> @Ph0enix, For some the risks involved have been considered already and probability wise the benefits outweigh the risks. Fact is a whole aftermaket industry is thriving. This does not mean to say that you should not buy originals. It's a free market out there. Feel free to buy whatever is best for you. And it's not limited only to Nikon cameras. Manufacturers from all industries do tend to discourage third-party accessories suppliers often claiming they are not compatible in order for them to gain huge margins. But the real point in this thread is that there are viable alternatives for using original batteries albeit they have some "quirks" of their own (i.e. having to use a battery grip - not all would want that.) In any case feel free to use whatever you deemed best for your camera and happy shooting.



Agreed.  I just want the OP to realize the risk they're taking.  Ultimately the decision is theirs to make.


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## ShutterbugSarah

jriepe said:


> jriepe said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ShutterbugSarah said:
> 
> 
> 
> Amazon.com: For Nikon EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery DSLR: Camera & PhotoRemember you have to use a Battery Grip!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Battery Grip? And why is that?  I would be leery of a $6.80 battery but I must say I did buy some generic batteries for my Canon S95 for a very low cost and they work great.  With my D7000 I decided to stick with Nikon batteries.  If a generic battery leaks, explodes, etc. and ruins a $1,200 camera you're SOL.  I bought a generic for my D80 from Adorama that sucked so I went back to a Nikon battery for a spare.
> 
> Jerry
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Sarah, when you stated it was necessary to buy a battery grip to use generic batteries for the D5100 I was at a complete loss as to your reasoning and was questioning that logic but now I see another poster has stated the same thing stating that the generic batteries will not work when inserted directly into the camera.  So your info. was spot on.  Just felt compelled to let you know I was evidently wrong.
> 
> Jerry
Click to expand...


No worries!


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## tamas970

I saw the struggle with the 3rd party batteries - I partly agree, that genuines are usually of higher capacity (however, 1/2 capacity for 1/4th of the price is still a deal).

I am looking for a much simpler device: an AP-5a connector for external power (timelapse photos). I found this on ebay:

EP-5A EP5A EP-5 EP5 Connector Nikon P7000 D3000 D3100 D5000 D5100 | eBay

About half the price of the original nikon cable. Would it work with the D5100? Or it has to be chipped like the batteries?


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