Originally Posted by
GrumpyDiver
I've never quite figured out how people will sped a lot of money on their camera gear and then go cheap on the batteries.
Lithium-ion (Li-on) batteries that power your camera are fine if they are well made and not abused, but can become fire hazards under the right circumstances. If you remember the massive laptop battery recalls a few years ago; these were a a result of manufacturing defects that lead to a fire risk; the internet as full of videos of laptops with their Li-on batteries. bursting into flames. There are significant restrictions on transporting Li-on batteries, especially by air. You can't put them into your luggage, for instance and can only carry limited quantities in your cabin baggage.
The battery has safety circuitry and components built in. Lithium is a very reactive metal and can burn, especially in the presence of humidity. Oxygen is generated at the cathode, and this must be vented, so the battery contains a vent and a burst disk, in case the vent gets blocked. The battery can get into thermal runaway during charging or if charged at low temperatures, so cutoff circuitry is built-in to detect overheat conditions. There is also a thermal cutoff to detect overheat during use, i.e. the battery has a lot of failure detection mechanisms built in. Are you willing to assume that the knock-off battieres have these features built in?
So, you are willing to trust non-name batteries that could do serious harm to your camera and its immediate environment? These problems can occur with name brand, but at least they will stand behind their products. I personally stick with batteries from my camera's manufacturers.