Panasonic DMW-BCJ13 Battery for DMC-LX5 - the panasonic lumix review

This is the first review I have ever submitted but really felt ripped off by the seller (Commercial Solutions Consulting Storefront) and wanted to let people know. I wanted an extra backup battery for the Panasonic LX5 I was buying, and instead of buying a generic battery for a lot less money, wanted to play it safe and pay the extra bucks ($50) for a factory one I knew would work. So when I ordered my camera from Amazon I also ordered the extra battery along with it which came from Commercial Solutions Consulting Storefront.

I chose this one because the picture showed Lumix and Panasonic Model DMWBCJ13 on the battery, and along with the much higher price I knew it was a Panasonic factory one. HOWEVER when my package arrived with both the camera and extra battery, it was VERY obvious it wasn’t a Panasonic battery. Instead of seeing LUMIX and Panasonic model DMWBCJ13 on it I saw “Battery Pack for DMWBCJ13″ and nothing Panasonic/Lumix related anywhere on it. In addition, when I compared the two of them, the factory battery that came with my LX5 was noticeably heavier than this generic one.

To this sellers credit it did ship/arrive promptly, and to Amazon’s credit I was given a quick return/refund when I called. However to picture a Panasonic battery, and charge top dollar to get it, only in turn to receive a cheap generic one I could have ordered for $10 really got to me. I will never order anything from this seller again.
NOTE – when I went to write this up I noticed a LOT of other reviews from people buying Sony, Cannon, and Panasonic batteries from Commercial Solutions with the same experience. They were replying to the posts by offering them $35 to either remove their review or change it to positive. They can keep their $35.

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Nathaniel Allen (Oakland) –

  

  

It’s always good to have a spare battery in my bag. It’s unfortunate this one is as costly as it is.

As a previous owner of an LX3 (and now an LX5), I see that Panasonic has “chipped” this battery as indicated by the 4th connection (the circle ‘D’ visible along the left hand side in the stock photo). This means I’m stuck with buying Panasonic’s battery, versus a less pricey aftermarket battery from a third party.

However — lesson learned over the years after buying aftermarket batteries for other Pentax, Panasonic and Sony cameras I’ve owned — the spares from the camera manufacturer have always given me greater capacity than the aftermarkets, even when they come from recognized companies.

Sometimes the reduced capacity is worth the cost. Sure, maybe I’ll only get 2/3 of the number of shots, but maybe at 1/3 of the price! Not to mention it keeps a little price pressure on the manufacturer (Panasonic, in this case) to keep their prices in check.

Anyhow, I’m way off on a tangent. The battery works. It lasts for more shots than I care to shoot in a day. Its self-discharge rate is very low, so even if it’s been stored for a few weeks, it’s ready to shoot. Can’t go wrong with this battery.

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Nathan Andersen “film lover, philosophy profe… (Florida) –

  

  

  

The main reason I bought the Lumix DMC-LX5 is because I can carry it everywhere – in case I find something worth shooting. Some days I shoot a lot, some days not so much. What that means, though, is that it’s hard to predict when my battery might be running low. Plus, I don’t always carry my charger around with me. One day I was at an event where I was shooting a lot and halfway through I ran out of juice – that’s when I decided that I needed to have an extra one.

I’ve had bad luck with off brand batteries in the past, so this was really the only choice for me, and I haven’t been disappointed. The cost is the only drawback with the battery – but I’d rather spend a bit more for something that works well than pay less for something that doesn’t work or causes problems with the camera. These batteries hold charge very well and last longer than the batteries in comparable compact digital cameras. I keep this in the storage case that comes with it, and carry it around with my camera in the front pouch of a Caselogic Medium Camera/Camcorder Case. It works great, and now I’ve always got a back up when I run out of juice.

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