Canon Launches ‘Play it Safe’ Initiative, Helps You Spot Dangerous Knock-Offs

Canon recently launched a new safety initiative aimed at keeping dangerous knock-off gear out of your camera. The tag line for the initiative is “Play it Safe, Power your Canon with Canon Power,” and the company is hoping that a mix of warnings and education will do the trick and keep you from buying counterfeit “Canon” batteries and chargers.

Part one is a warning that most photographers already know:

Purchase of these products can lead to potentially dangerous results. Unlike genuine Canon products, counterfeit accessories may not meet government and industry safety standards and may overheat, smoke, melt, ignite and may cause bodily injury and property damage.

Pretty standard stuff. In addition, however, Canon USA has also added a section to its website dedicated to helping consumers identify knock-offs of the company’s most popular batteries and chargers. All of the examples (at the top and below) have the real product on the left, and a counterfeit example on the right:

Of course, this doesn’t include separately branded replacement batteries and such that you can buy at retail chains, only Canon counterfeits. Head over to Canon USA’s designated counterfeit page for more info.

(via Photography Blog)