Panasonic Begins To Lock Out 3d-Party Camera Batteries

OhMyBattery writes "The latest firmware updated for Panasonic digital cameras contains one single improvement: it locks out the ability to use 'non-genuine Panasonic' batteries. It does so for safety reasons, it says. It seems to indicate that this is going to be the norm for all new Panasonic digital cameras. From the release: 'Panasonic Digital Still Cameras now include a technology that can identify a genuine Panasonic battery. For the protection of our customers Panasonic developed this technology after it was discovered that some aftermarket 3rd party batteries do not meet the rigid safety standards Panasonic uses.' The firmware warning is quite clear as to what it does: 'After this firmware update your Panasonic Digital Camera cannot be operated by 3rd party batteries (non genuine Panasonic batteries).'"

Comments

Nice.

[Anonymous Coward]

Everyone wants to make a buck stifling competition and innovation these days.

Too bad for them

[YrWrstNtmr]

There goes Panasonic off my list for an upcoming camera buy.

I am in the market for a new camera.

[macbeth66]

I guess it will not be a Panasonic. If it had issued a warning after putting hte battery in, then it would be OK. This just sounds like the same crap Lexmark pulled. I still actively recommend against their printers.

Re:I am in the market for a new camera.

[snowraver1]

As I see it, the camera is using the (unofficial) battery to post and load the firmware, only to realize that the battery is illigal, and then either eisplays message or halts. I just find it funny that it has to use the very device that it intends to block to power the check.

Lock is anticompetitive, not consumer prot'n

[debrain]

If Panasonic was concerned about 3rd party suppliers selling unsafe batteries, it could sell licenses with strict requirements or set up a certification program to test the safety of the batteries sold by these suppliers.

Locking out competition to create an artificial tie-in between the camera and the battery is anti-competitive, in my opinion. There are ways to ensure the safety of customers without a tie-in that undermines market-based competition.

Mind you, I only read the blurb- I don't know the details of what Panasonic is proposing. But the summary seems telling.

Standards?

[Joseph Vigneau]

"some aftermarket 3rd party batteries do not meet the rigid safety standards Panasonic uses."

It would be interesting to see what standards they refer to. Is that a trade secret?

Re:Well...

[wowbagger]

"As long as subsequent firmware updates can be applied without applying this one, I'm fine with it."

Sorry, it doesn't work that way. Any future updates will also have this (mis-)feature.

If I can't use common batteries, forget it

[roc97007]

If I can't use AA or AAA batteries (or some reasonable equivalent) I'm not interested. Even my pro D-SLR has an adapter to use double As.

Just say no to crap like this. Who needs Panasonic? There are lots of choices out there.

Apple makes it difficult to replace batteries.

[Futurepower(R)]

It works for Apple.

Generic batteries are a must for any of my devices

[ehud42]

I have bought a number of music players, cameras and other electronic gadgets and my number 1 requirement is it must use standard off the shelf batteries (namely AA or AAA). This is for a number of reasons:

1) Avoid planned obsolescence - hardwired batteries (I'm looking at you Apple) mean the product will be useless by not holding a charge long before I'm done using it.
2) Emergency power - having proprietary batteries either hardwired or not means that if I run out of a charge while on a road trip or away from my charger, then I'm hooped - I have to wait up to hours for the battery to charge.

And now:

3) Stupid vendor lock in - I have better things to spend my money on than overpriced name brand accessories / supplies.

I look forward to the day when cellphones can efficiently run on 2 or 3 AAA's.

I just bought a lower end digital camera and steered away from Panasonic as soon as I realized they did not use AA or AAA batteries. Went with a Fuji S1000 - have been happy with it so far - uses the same NiMH AA batteries I have for my Olympus camera, iRiver MP3 player, and LogicTech cordless mouse.