![[News] On April Fools', Canon Reminds Us of Counterfeits](https://cdn.fstoppers.com/styles/large-16-9/s3/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/canoncounter_jpg.webp)
Today on Canon USA's Facebook, Canon urged it's fans to remember the dangers of counterfeit products. Now we at Fstoppers have had our own experiences with faked products, like faked Nikon filters and the D7000 MB-D11 knock-off, but Canon contends the problem could be even worse if you're not careful about what you are buying. Sure, some of these products are just lower quality, but what happens if something as important as a battery malfunctions? For counterfeits, this is a serious problem.
From Canon's Facebook:
Canon points to some serious issues, most prominently with battery related products. From these low resolution photos, it looks like one might have caught on fire and melted, while another outright exploded. Because they aren't often not equipped with certain protective devices meeting Canon's and the electronic industry's basic quality standards, these batteries are not only breaking international laws, they are downright dangerous.
Have any of you experienced problems with products you thought were genuine? Let us know below, and send us images of counterfeit products so we can warn the Fstoppers nation to avoid them.
I can give some input for the Nikon batteries as well. Bought a counterfeit one, that I later returned. The difference is tiny. What you need to look for, is the golden sticker on the back of the battery. It needs to have 4 tiny cuts (two on each long side) in it to be an Original Nikon battery. The one I bought, didn't. That was the only difference.
I bought knockoff batteries once (without Nikon branding) and they are terrible. My camera constantly turns on and off when I use them. Never again will I make that mistake.
Have you guys looked at SterlingTek batteries? I used those for my old T1i and just bought some new ones a few months back with my 50D. I have been using those batteries in the t1i without issue for over a year and a half, and in my 50D now roughly 3 months with absolutely no issues, in fact... the battery life with the SterlingTek's is better than the canon OEM