Which battery does the Nikon B600 take?
The Nikon Coolpix B600 is a digital compact camera that features a 15.9MP sensor. It is powered by the Nikon EN-EL12, which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery pack. Lithium-Ion batteries offer a high energy density and low self-discharge, and are nowadays found in many portable electronic devices.
The EN-EL12 operates at a voltage of 3.7V and has a capacity of 1050mAh. It can be charged from a standard electrical outlet via the Nikon MH-65 charger (that can be purchased separately, for example, at amazon). The battery pack measures 44 mm in width, 5 mm in height, and 32 mm in depth. It weighs 20 g. The Nikon EN-EL12 has been on the market since August 2008 and sells at good camera retailers, such as amazon, for about $35. Nikon provides the EN-EL12 in a black outer finish. Generic alternatives (see below) that are compatible with the Nikon Coolpix B600 can be obtained at substantially lower cost.
Find a generic replacement for the Nikon EN-EL12 at:
amazon.com
ebay.com
How many shots can I take with a fully charged ?
The number of shots that one can get out of a battery pack depends heavily on the style and imaging practice of the photographer. For example, the extended use of the LCD screen for framing or reviewing will result in reduced battery performance.
The Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) has established guidelines that manufacturers are supposed to respect when reporting the battery life of their cameras. According to this CIPA-rating, the Nikon B600 can take 280 images on a single charge. Given the relatively demanding energy usage of the CIPA procedures, this rated number should be achievable or be surpassed in most practical situations. However, if the environment is cold, the LCD screen is used heavily, or the camera is turned on and off frequently, battery mileage might drop towards or even below the rating. Also, as the battery pack ages, its performance will tend to deteriorate.
What about generic battery packs?
Nikon sells the original EN-EL12 battery pack at quite a steep price. This premium pricing strategy has left room in the market for third party suppliers to offer fully compatible battery packs at much lower prices. Savings from buying generic replacement batteries can amount up to 70 percent of the price of the genuine battery pack.
Nikon EN-EL12 Specifications
- Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack
- Compatibility: Nikon B600 & other selected Nikon cameras
- Voltage: 3.7V DC
- Capacity: 1050mAh
- Number of shots (CIPA) with the Nikon B600: 280
Indeed, one can often find a variety of competitively-priced EN-EL12 replacements from different vendors at major online platforms (see, for example, here on ebay). All these generic alternatives should work fine with your Nikon B600. So why would anybody then buy the more expensive original battery? Well, below are some arguments in favor of the genuine Nikon EN-EL12, which can perhaps be summarized as "peace of mind":
- Assurance that the warranty of the camera will not be rendered void if a battery-related failure occurs;
- Assurance that the battery pack will indeed have the stated capacity;
- Assurance that the battery will have low self-discharge rates and, thus, will hold its charge even when not in use;
- Assurance that the power unit will not trigger any warning messages on the camera and can be effectively charged with the standard charger;
- Assurance that the manufacturing process has respected the safety guidelines for Lithium-Ion batteries;
If you can live without these assurances, then you are in for some nice savings from buying generic replacements for the Nikon EN-EL12. Unfortunately, the market for generic battery packs is rather fluid, with new trade names popping up regularly while others disappear. Hence it is difficult to keep track of all the suppliers and the quality of their products. That said, in North America, battery packs from Wasabi have gained a good reputation, while in Europe, replacement power packs from Patona have received many favorable reviews. In any case, the existing comparisons tend to find that the cheapest of the generic replacement packs score worse in terms of achieving their rated capacity, holding their charge over time, or allowing for a large number of charge-discharge cycles than somewhat pricier battery packs (or the genuine Nikon offer). Thus, the old adage, "If the price sounds too low to be true, it probably is" has some merit with respect to camera batteries also. You can check the current offers and prices for the original Nikon EN-EL12 and its clones by using the buttons below.
Find a generic replacement for the Nikon EN-EL12 at:
amazon.com
ebay.com
Which other cameras use the Nikon EN-EL12?
The B600 is not alone in using the Nikon EN-EL12. Several other cameras from Nikon are powered by the same type of lithium-ion pack. The adjacent table lists some of them along with a selection of their headline specifications.
| Camera Model | Battery (name) | Battery life (CIPA) | Sensor Size (type) | Resolution (MP) | Weight (g) | Camera Launch | Launch Price (USD) | Street Price (USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikon A900 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 300 | 1/2.3 | 20.2 | 289 | Feb 2016 | 399 | ebay.com |
| 2 | Nikon A1000 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 250 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 330 | Jan 2019 | 429 | ebay.com |
| 3 | Nikon AW100 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 250 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 178 | Aug 2011 | 299 | ebay.com |
| 4 | Nikon AW110 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 250 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 193 | Jan 2013 | 349 | ebay.com |
| 5 | Nikon AW120 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 350 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 213 | Feb 2014 | 349 | ebay.com |
| 6 | Nikon AW130 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 370 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 221 | Feb 2015 | 349 | ebay.com |
| 7 | Nikon B600 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 280 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 500 | Jan 2019 | 349 | ebay.com |
| 8 | Nikon P300 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 240 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 189 | Feb 2011 | 329 | ebay.com |
| 9 | Nikon P310 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 230 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 194 | Feb 2012 | 329 | ebay.com |
| 10 | Nikon P330 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 200 | 1/1.7 | 12.0 | 200 | Mar 2013 | 379 | ebay.com |
| 11 | Nikon P340 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 220 | 1/1.7 | 12.0 | 194 | Feb 2014 | 379 | ebay.com |
| 12 | Nikon S70 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 200 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 160 | Aug 2009 | 399 | ebay.com |
| 13 | Nikon S610 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 290 | 1/2.3 | 10.0 | 145 | Aug 2008 | 279 | ebay.com |
| 14 | Nikon S620 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 250 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 120 | Feb 2009 | 279 | ebay.com |
| 15 | Nikon S630 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 220 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 140 | Feb 2009 | 249 | ebay.com |
| 16 | Nikon S640 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 270 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 130 | Aug 2009 | 249 | ebay.com |
| 17 | Nikon S710 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 250 | 1/1.7 | 14.2 | 195 | Aug 2008 | 379 | ebay.com |
| 18 | Nikon S800c | Nikon EN-EL12 | 140 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 184 | Aug 2012 | 349 | ebay.com |
| 19 | Nikon S1000pj | Nikon EN-EL12 | 220 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 175 | Aug 2009 | 349 | ebay.com |
| 20 | Nikon S1100pj | Nikon EN-EL12 | 220 | 1/2.3 | 14.0 | 180 | Apr 2010 | 299 | ebay.com |
| 21 | Nikon S1200pj | Nikon EN-EL12 | 220 | 1/2.3 | 14.0 | 186 | Aug 2011 | 499 | ebay.com |
| 22 | Nikon S6000 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 210 | 1/2.3 | 14.0 | 156 | Feb 2010 | 199 | ebay.com |
| 23 | Nikon S6100 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 210 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 175 | Feb 2011 | 199 | ebay.com |
| 24 | Nikon S6150 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 230 | APS-C | 16.1 | 299 | Mar 2013 | 1,099 | ebay.com |
| 25 | Nikon S6200 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 250 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 160 | Aug 2011 | 229 | ebay.com |
| 26 | Nikon S6300 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 230 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 160 | Feb 2012 | 199 | ebay.com |
| 27 | Nikon S8000 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 210 | 1/2.3 | 14.0 | 183 | Feb 2010 | 299 | ebay.com |
| 28 | Nikon S8100 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 220 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 180 | Sep 2010 | 299 | ebay.com |
| 29 | Nikon S8200 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 250 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 213 | Aug 2011 | 329 | ebay.com |
| 30 | Nikon S9100 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 270 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 214 | Feb 2011 | 329 | ebay.com |
| 31 | Nikon S9300 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 200 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 215 | Feb 2012 | 249 | ebay.com |
| 32 | Nikon S9400 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 230 | APS-C | 16.1 | 299 | Mar 2013 | 1,099 | ebay.com |
| 33 | Nikon S9500 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 230 | 1/2.3 | 18.0 | 205 | Jan 2013 | 229 | ebay.com |
| 34 | Nikon S9600 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 290 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 206 | Feb 2014 | 199 | ebay.com |
| 35 | Nikon S9700 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 300 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 232 | Feb 2014 | 349 | ebay.com |
| 36 | Nikon S9900 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 300 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 289 | Feb 2015 | 349 | ebay.com |
| 37 | Nikon W300 | Nikon EN-EL12 | 280 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 231 | May 2017 | 389 | ebay.com |
Nikon EN-EL12 FAQ
The Nikon EN-EL12 is the standard power source for the B600. As such it is an indispensable camera accessory. Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular aspects of the battery pack and Lithium-Ion power units more generally.
Is there a car charger available for the EN-EL12?
Nikon does not offer a travel charger, but third party suppliers might do (see here on ebay).
Can I use the EN-EL12 in any of my other electronic devices?
No, the battery is specifically designed for use in the Nikon B600 and other selected cameras from Nikon.
How should the EN-EL12 be stored?
Lithium-ion batteries can hold a charge for a long time. However, these battery packs have a safety mechanism built-in that disables any re-charge if the voltage drops below a certain minimum level. To avoid this safety-trigger to be activated, the battery pack should be charged at least once every few months.
How should I discard my old Nikon EN-EL12 battery pack?
The contents of Lithium-Ion batteries is under pressure and the packs can explode if exposed to extreme heat. Lithium-Ion battery units should therefore never be incinerated and should not be thrown into the household trash, but put into the recycling stream. Most places that sell camera batteries will also accept them back for recycling.
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