Wasabi Power Battery (2-Pack) and Charger for Panasonic DMW-BCG10, DMW-BCG10E, DMW-BCG10PP and Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1, DMC-SZ8, DMC-TZ6, DMC-TZ7, DMC-TZ8, DMC-TZ10, DMC-TZ18, DMC-TZ19, DMC-TZ20, DMC-TZ25, DMC-TZ30, DMC-TZ35, DMC-ZR1, DMC-ZR3, DMC-ZS1, DMC-ZS3, DMC-ZS5, DMC-ZS6, DMC-ZS7, DMC-ZS8, DMC-ZS9, DMC-ZS10, DMC-ZS15, DMC-ZS19, DMC-ZS20, DMC-ZS25, DMC-ZX1, DMC-ZX3

This 2 pack is great. One can always be charged and ready while you use the other. They fit perfectly into my camera and we're less expensive than the comparable brand batteries. They perform well and are ready to use and transport for trips.

Like many other reviewers, I spent a lot time researching Amazon.com and other sites to determine the best alternatives for a battery/charger that would work properly in my new Panasonic DMC-ZS20 compact camera. I own several Panasonic cameras and have been lucky enough not to have any that prevent the use of non-Panasonic certified 3rd party batteries. The panasonic.jp support site lists about 20 cameras that have firmware downloads that can be installed and will prevent use of "non-approved" batteries. The site also states that there are NO 3rd party batteries certified to date, so if you purchase a 3rd party battery for cameras with the battery lock-out, you could be in trouble unless it has embedded circuitry that "spoofs" the camera firmware. Remember, as stated by Panasonic, this "feature" is for YOUR protection!!! (they say nothing about how reducing 3rd party competition will protect the obscene profits they make by selling their batteries at HUGE mark-ups).Before buying a 3rd party battery, remember to check your Panasonic camera model and firmware version against the list at [...]. If your camera is listed and your firmware version isn't earlier than what is listed, you will probably have a problem. Even if you camera is not listed or you have an earlier firmware version, a problem as still possible because the list is probably not complete and previous updates could have contained the battery "fix" too.Unfortunately most of the reviews I have seen that say certain batteries are OK do not include the camera's firmware version. I took the chance and ordered the Wasabi Power Battery and Charger kit and am happy to say the batteries work great in my ZS20 with firmware version 1.0. Version 1.1 was just released in September 2012 as a "hand-held night photo" mode fix, but my camera won't accept it as a necessary update, so I don't know if this version contains the battery "fix". The batteries are rated at 1200mAh compared to the Panasonic's (DMW-BCG10PP) approximately 900mAh - a 33% increase. I have not had time to determine if there really is a difference in capacity. The Wasabi batteries were received nearly fully charged, but topping off the charge on one with the external Wasabi charger and the other with the Panasonic supplied in-camera USB AC adapter took about the same amount of time. The Wasabi charger is rated at 500ma output and the Panasonic AC adapter for in-camera charging is rated at 800ma.Both the batteries and charger appear to be well made with good external finish. The batteries are the same dimensions as the Panasonic original and fit the camera and charger properly. The batteries did not "swell" when fully charged (some cheap ones do!) and neither the batteries or charger became excessively hot by the end of charge. The batteries also came installed in simple plastic holders that protect the batteries from physical damage and cover the terminals to prevent accidental shorting when stored - this is a great feature. So far I'm well impressed with the quality/value of the Wasabi battery/charger kit, but only time will tell if they will provide their rated capacity and have a long operating life in my rather battery hungry Panasonic ZS20.

If you shoot a lot of photos and movies around the house with your Panasonic camera, you'll need some back-up batteries to avoid a dead camera and ruining those special events for which you bought the camera in the first place! This Wasabi package is a good choice at a good price. You get 2 replacement batteries, a charger with pop-out prongs to go right into the nearest AC outlet, and an adapter for car charging, should you ever need that, too. The batteries charge up and work fine in the camera. Not sure if they last as long as original yet, as I've just started using them. My only negative comment is that batteries don't install with a firm "snap" in the charger, but they stay in place well enough to sit in the proper position while the battery is being charged and that's all that really counts. So I do recomment these for Panasonic point and shoot cameras.

A few camera generations ago, when Panasonic implemented the technology that checked the battery for something-or-another that prevented the use of 3rd party batteries, I had some batteries that wouldn't work with my latest generation Panasonic camera. They worked fine in my older Panasonic cameras, but not the new one. As a result, I was really skeptical when I saw that these were not Panasonic brand batteries. As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about because they work just fine in my ZS-20, ZS-10, ZS-7 and ZS-3.Of course, the low price is why you would buy these batteries instead of Panasonic-branded batteries. In that regard, this buy is remarkable. I can't tell the difference in the number of pictures you can take on one charge between these and the Panasonic batteries so I consider them to be equivalent. These batteries turn out to be about a quarter of the price of the Panasonic batteries. The fact that you get a charger is just a bonus.I've got chargers from my earlier cameras, but my new ZS-20 didn't come with an external charger. Panasonic expects you to charge the battery in the camera with a USB cable they provide. That is completely unworkable if you take a lot of pictures. You need a separate charger, so if you don't have one, that makes this an even better deal. I do agree, however, that this charger is not as good as the Panasonic brand because the battery doesn't fit as well. But that is a minor inconvenience. At least you will have an external charger.I think everyone should have an extra battery to prevent the disappointment of not getting the shots they want. These batteries fulfill that need for the Panasonic compact cameras. This package deal is a great buy because of the substantial discount and included charger. As a result, I highly recommend these batteries.