Canon car charger CBC-E6

[insanitybeard]

Sorry to add another 'Canon's pricing sucks' thread, I know there have been a few recently regarding Canon's pricing of lenses in particular but....

I own a 7D which uses the LP-E6 battery (as do the 5D II and III models). Canon makes the CBC-E6 charger which you connect to the cigar lighter socket in a car which allows you to charge your batteries on the move. Great idea..... BUT, in the UK, it costs about £150. The standard mains powered LC-E6E charger costs about £45 - 1/3 the cost! Obviously they make loads more of the mains powered chargers to be bundled with the bodies so production costs are lower but what a difference in price! It's far cheaper just to buy an inverter to convert the 12v output from the cigar lighter socket up to the 240v UK mains voltage and then use the mains charger to convert it back down again! Now I know production costs have little to do with retail price and Canon maximises their profit on these kind of accessories but I can't believe they sell many at that price! Might as well buy 2 spare batteries for the same money and charge them up before leaving home!

 

[tron]

You are correct! I have an inverter and I have already used it to charge LP-E6 on the fly, errr... I mean on the drive :

 

[Deleted member 91053]

Just bought an inverter myself - 136 GBP (Canon lead) vs 6.59 GBP (for inverter) - bit of a no brainer really!

 

[insanitybeard]

Just bought an inverter myself - 136 GBP (Canon lead) vs 6.59 GBP (for inverter) - bit of a no brainer really!

That's the thing I don't get, Canon must be happy to sell a few at high profit than many at lower profit (not that I have any figures to back that up). If it cost a similar amount to the mains charger I would happily get one but 3 times the price?

 

[tron]

Just bought an inverter myself - 136 GBP (Canon lead) vs 6.59 GBP (for inverter) - bit of a no brainer really!

That's the thing I don't get, Canon must be happy to sell a few at high profit than many at lower profit (not that I have any figures to back that up). If it cost a similar amount to the mains charger I would happily get one but 3 times the price?

Wait to see the new caps prices ;D

 

[neuroanatomist]

That's the thing I don't get, Canon must be happy to sell a few at high profit than many at lower profit (not that I have any figures to back that up). If it cost a similar amount to the mains charger I would happily get one but 3 times the price?

The AC/Mains charger must be able to take alternating current of a wide voltage range and two different frequencies and convert it to direct current of 8.4 V (for an LP-E6). Obviously, you fail to understand the engineering complexities of producing a car charger that must be able to take just a single input voltage that's already direct current and step down the voltage a little bit. For them to charge only 3 times as much for a device that sophisticated, why...it's a real bargain!!

 

[insanitybeard]

That's the thing I don't get, Canon must be happy to sell a few at high profit than many at lower profit (not that I have any figures to back that up). If it cost a similar amount to the mains charger I would happily get one but 3 times the price?

The AC/Mains charger must be able to take alternating current of a wide voltage range and two different frequencies and convert it to direct current of 8.4 V (for an LP-E6). Obviously, you fail to understand the engineering complexities of producing a car charger that must be able to take just a single input voltage that's already direct current and step down the voltage a little bit. For them to charge only 3 times as much for a device that sophisticated, why...it's a real bargain!!

;D ;D ;D (at the start of your post I thought you were shooting me down!)

 

[Deleted member 91053]

The AC/Mains charger must be able to take alternating current of a wide voltage range and two different frequencies and convert it to direct current of 8.4 V (for an LP-E6). Obviously, you fail to understand the engineering complexities of producing a car charger that must be able to take just a single input voltage that's already direct current and step down the voltage a little bit. For them to charge only 3 times as much for a device that sophisticated, why...it's a real bargain!!
[/quote]

The inverter produces standard Uk voltage and AC frequency + accepts standard UK plugs. So you just plug in your charger as if it were a mains socket. Other than the rather long leads hanging about in the car I cannot see what the problem is. I have tried my Canon LP-E4, CP-2LWE and LC-E4 chargers on in car inverters with zero problems. As I said at the price for the Canon lead (which will ONLY work on my LC-E4) it's a no brainer.
As to Canon chargers being sophisticated???? Only the 1 series chargers allow balancing of the individual cells, and then they take forever to do it! With Lithium cells periodic balancing is important to get the most out of your batteries. The Canon 3 cell charger/balancer Lc-E4 is over 300 GBP in the UK, yet I have far more sophisticated chargers that cost less that 30GBP - pity I cannot work out how to connect them. The Canon/Nikon etc Lithium battery chargers are poor at best and WAY overpriced.
P.S. With my interest in electric powered R/C aircraft I am critical of batteries and chargers

 

[tron]

The AC/Mains charger must be able to take alternating current of a wide voltage range and two different frequencies and convert it to direct current of 8.4 V (for an LP-E6). Obviously, you fail to understand the engineering complexities of producing a car charger that must be able to take just a single input voltage that's already direct current and step down the voltage a little bit. For them to charge only 3 times as much for a device that sophisticated, why...it's a real bargain!!

The inverter produces standard Uk voltage and AC frequency + accepts standard UK plugs. So you just plug in your charger as if it were a mains socket. Other than the rather long leads hanging about in the car I cannot see what the problem is. I have tried my Canon LP-E4, CP-2LWE and LC-E4 chargers on in car inverters with zero problems. As I said at the price for the Canon lead (which will ONLY work on my LC-E4) it's a no brainer.
As to Canon chargers being sophisticated???? Only the 1 series chargers allow balancing of the individual cells, and then they take forever to do it! With Lithium cells periodic balancing is important to get the most out of your batteries. The Canon 3 cell charger/balancer Lc-E4 is over 300 GBP in the UK, yet I have far more sophisticated chargers that cost less that 30GBP - pity I cannot work out how to connect them. The Canon/Nikon etc Lithium battery chargers are poor at best and WAY overpriced.
P.S. With my interest in electric powered R/C aircraft I am critical of batteries and chargers

Hey! Neuro was obviously joking

 

[Deleted member 91053]

Hey! Neuro was obviously joking
[/quote]
Think I missed the sarcasm there! I shouldn't have done as I am a bit of a sarcastic git myself!
I will put this one down to It being late and too much Scotch Whisky - I can't afford Irish Whiskey!

 

[neuroanatomist]

Mmmm...Jameson's. Good idea. Back later. Maybe.

 

[Deleted member 91053]

Mmmm...Jameson's. Good idea. Back later. Maybe.

Bushmills when it's on offer!