Recommended spare batteries and chargers for a new Canon EOS R7?

Question

just picked up an R7 for a big hiking trip next month and I'm stressing about power. Mirrorless eats batteries so fast and I only have about $100 left to spend. I'm torn between buying one official Canon LP-E6NH for $80 or grabbing a multi-pack from a brand like Wasabi or Neewer.

Official Canon (pricey but safe?)

Wasabi Power dual pack (super cheap)

Neewer USB-C kit (handy for charging in the car)

I've heard third-party batteries can sometimes cause the camera to act weird or not show the right percentage. Is it worth the risk for more capacity or should I just stick to one extra genuine battery and hope for the best?

Connor Patrick Kelly · Accepted Answer

Congrats on the R7, it is an amazing piece of kit for hiking! Honestly, for a big trip where you are away from power for days, quantity beats brand names every single time. I have used the Wasabi Power LP-E6NH Battery 2-Pack with Dual USB Charger for months and they have been fantastic performers. While you might lose the peak mechanical burst speed (the green icon changes), the trade-off is totally worth it to keep shooting all day long. Here is my methodical approach to maximizing your $100 budget:

Purchase the Wasabi Power LP-E6NH 2250mAh 2-Pack to instantly triple your capacity.

Invest in a Neewer Dual USB-C LCD Charger for LP-E6NH for convenient charging via a portable power bank in your pack.

Reserve your genuine Canon battery specifically for high-speed action sequences. Tbh, the battery percentage display on these newer third-party cells is incredibly accurate now. Dont let the official brand fear-mongering stop you from capturing your trip. It is going to be amazing!

Michael_Evans · Answer

Building on the earlier suggestion, quantity is huge for hiking, but you gotta watch the internal resistance and the chip handshake. I've spent way too much time looking at discharge curves for these things. The R7 is super picky... if it doesnt recognize the battery as a genuine NH, it actually throttles your mechanical shutter speed. You lose that 15fps Green H+ mode and it drops down significantly. If you want to maximize that $100, I'd look at the SmallRig LP-E6NH USB-C Rechargeable Camera Battery. It's usually about $40 and you can charge it directly with a phone cable. This is a lifesaver on a hike because you can ditch the bulky wall cradle and just use the same power bank you use for your phone. A few technical bits to weigh up:

Third party cells often have lower actual mAh than the label claims, usually around 1800-1900 effective.

Official Canon LP-E6NH Lithium-Ion Battery is the only one that guarantees the full 15fps mechanical speed in all temps.

In-camera charging via USB-C needs a Power Delivery (PD) source, so check your power bank specs tho. I'd honestly grab one SmallRig and maybe one BM Premium LP-E6NH Battery 2-Pack set. That gives you three total batteries for roughly $75. It's a solid compromise. Just keep in mind the cheap ones might struggle if it gets really cold in the mountains. Lithium chemistry is kinda finicky like that... anyway, let me know if you need specs on power banks too.