Maximal Power DB PAN DMW-BCG10 Secured Digital Camera Replacement Battery for Panasonic DMW-BCG10 (Black): Customer Reviews & Product Details

To make this battery work, you just need to change some options in the camera, actually, downgrade. But works just fine, didnt have any problems at all.

I ordered this battery from the MemStore for only $10.75 on December 15, 2009. I did not receive it until 22 days later and what I got was the wrong battery. I finally got the battery I ordered on January 28th. It took a while because the person I spoke with at the MemStore did not follow through on shipping the correct one until I called again a week after reporting receiving the wrong one to ask what had happened.

The good news: The battery I finally received works in the camera that I purchased the same day as the replacement battery after reading as much about the camera (Lumix DMC-ZS3) and the battery as I could here and other places online. The camera is excellent and I am still learning how to use it - so far the only complaint is poor low-light performance but that may improve as I become more familiar with its capabilities. I did not know if the battery would work given the conflicting results reported here in the reviews and I do not know what firmware this camera has and can find it specified nowhere on the camera or the manual; only that I ordered it in mid December, 2009.

The other news is that the battery I received ("Power2000 for Panasonic DMW-BCG10" as written on the battery) is not what is pictured - it is 3.7 volts, not 3.6, and is 1200mAh which seems better than the 1000 mAh on the photo of the one advertised. The 3.7 volts is a bit of a concern to me because I do not know how sensitive these cameras are to voltage variations but it seems close enough to not be a worry, especially since the manual indicates that the 3.6 V / 895 mAh battery is the minimum. I have used it only once but it may become the main battery since it should last longer than the original battery which will become the back-up.

I ordered both this battery (same as AMZN picture, not user picture) from Amazon.com and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The camera powered on and stated that the battery did not work with that camera. I would advise passing on purchasing this from Amazon.com for new Panasonic cameras. Many other reviews stated that it is a firmware issue with this battery and camera. Maybe the battery from the third party seller works. Returning this item to Amazon.com and will be purchasing an authentic Panasonic battery in its place.

I bought a Maximal Power DMW-BCG10 directly from Amazon.com and it arrived today (along with my new DMC-ZS3). Since most of the new reviews said this battery would work with firmware 1.2, I did not expect any problems.

However, the battery that arrived was a Maximal Power but marked DMW-BCG10E instead of DMW-BCG10. Although the BCG10 and BCG10E seem to have the same specs, the DMW-BCG10E I received did NOT work with firmware 1.2.

Information is readily available about downgrading the DMC-ZS3 to firmware 1.1 and, when I did that, the BCG10E battery worked. I gave the Maximal Power battery only 3 stars since it seems hit or miss whether the one you receive will work with DMC-ZS3 firmware 1.2 (the current version).

The battery works OK with my Panasonic ZS3 camera, without downgrading any firmware. And is cheaper than other batteries.