

You don’t want to be caught out in the field with a dead battery.
Camera gear really saps (not sips) power but the good news is extra batteries aren’t that expensive. Well, some are. But you can get good replacement batteries that don’t cost a fortune.
When I bought the Panasonic Lumix FZ1000, I quickly discovered that the factory-supplied 1,250 milli-ampere/hour battery would only last for about 370 photos in normal use. Turn on the camera’s WiFi system, and the battery life is a little less. This is to be expected in a camera with motorized lens, image stabilization, a big screen and a really high-definition viewfinder all asking a small battery to carry them through the day.
Looking around, I discovered the Panasonic-branded replacements for the BLC-12E cost more than $50. But online, I found a higher-capacity battery kit that included TWO BLC-12E equivalent batteries, plus a charger and a 12V “cigarette lighter” automotive adaptor for under $34. With free shipping, too.
The manufacturer of this kit is ChiliPower, and the kit is available from the US and Canadian versions of Amazon.
I have used both of the batteries that came with the kit, and can confirm that they take a full charge and last longer than the Panasonic original before needing a recharge. They’re rated at 1,450 milli-ampere/hour, which is a bit better than the Panasonic stock battery.
Having not one but three batteries in my camera bag is peace of mind for long trips on which I might not have access to plug-in power for recharging.
Bottom line: why pay a lot more for less power in your camera bag? Get ’em and you’ll like ’em.