The OEM batteries with the runtime I wanted were absurdly expensive.

After looking around for aftermarket suppliers, I found there weren’t any because the bastards at SONY put in some kind of chip to verify that the battery was SONY made, and didn’t allow any others to run it.

Last time I bought anything made by SONY. :p

I know for a fact that certain big name manufacturers have had issues with counterfeit Lithium Ion rechargable batteries. Considering many camcorders have the batteries mounted at the rear of the camera, next to the user’s face, this can be a serious issue. Many of them are almost impossible to distinguish from the real thing visually. (Click that link for pictures.)

The only easy way to tell an unsafe counterfeit from an authentic OEM battery is by weight. Not of the battery, silly… of your wallet. Many of the bigger LiIon rechargables will cost anywhere from 30-60 USD for an authentic OEM battery, from a reputable dealer. The counterfeits are usually closer to 10-15 USD and are found at those shady roaming computer shows, shifty looking electronics dealers, and guys standing on street corners that stop you and say “Pssst… wanna buy a battery?”

OK, so maybe I’m exaggerating that last bit, but you get the idea.