I'm trying to set my mom up with an extra battery and charger for her new Optura 400, and am going in circles due to some uncertainties I have. Here's a few specific questions:

What's the deal with having two series of batteries (NB- and BP-)? How different are these two series? Will a charger that works with one necessarily work with the other? This is an issue because some aftermarket chargers advertise they're for one series (e.g., the NB-2L), but don't mention the other.

Does anyone have the official capacities for the 4 batteries listed for this camcorder (NB-2L, NB-2LH, BP-2l12, BP-2l14)? Canon lists estimated play time, but I wanted mAH values so I can compare to aftermarket batteries.

Some of the aftermarket batteries advertise increased capacity (e.g., 1000mAH instead of 570 mAH), even though the battery appears no bigger than the stock size. Is there a danger to this? Are these likely to be any less reliable, more prone to problems of any type? How much is too much?

Any recommendations for specific chargers, or general guidelins such as whether its important to go with slow or fast charge units?

Any feedback would be appreciated!

Thanks

I have had good results with www.eagleimports.com for my Optura XI. Great prices and service.

Dave,
thanks a million for website. I could'nt believe prices for the BP-522 & BP-535. I just purchased the Optura Xi but has'nt been delivered yet, and was looking for batteries, etc. Can you tell me about the recharger for those particular batteries. Also, any experiences w/your Xi would be welcome.

Appreciate your help...

Joe M

The NB nomenclature comes from the still photo division. The BP nomenclature comes from the video division. It's still the exact same battery type either way, with minor variations in power. See my page at http://www.dvinfo.net/canonoptura/articles/optura40elura70-2.php#batt for a brief overview.