About this replacement
Canon BP-2LH / NB-2L Series — 7.4V Li-ion Replacement Battery (NB-2LH)
This is a 7.4V, 600mAh Li-ion cell that replaces the Canon NB-2L and BP-2LH battery across Canon PowerShot and EOS digital cameras from the early 2000s. It also fits Canon ZR800, ZR830, and ZR850 camcorder models, among 97 additional compatible devices. Voltage and cell chemistry match the original spec exactly.
- Multi-model fit across PowerShot, EOS, and ZR series: These camera lines share the same 7.4V two-cell Li-ion pack format, the same physical connector orientation, and the same BMS handshake protocol — which is why one battery covers such a wide range of Canon bodies from that generation.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We ran this cell through charge and discharge cycles on Canon camera hardware. The BMS accepted the cell without fault flags, voltage held stable across the discharge curve, and the protection circuit tripped correctly at the low-voltage cutoff threshold.
- First-use charge cycle in the camera body: Some Canon bodies from this era require the new cell to complete one full charge cycle inside the camera body — not just a wall charger — before the battery-remaining indicator displays accurately. Charge from within the camera body on first use.
Canon BMS rejecting a third-party cell on first install
Canon cameras in the PowerShot and EOS lines from this period use a BMS authentication check on first power-up with a new cell. If the body hasn't seen this cell before, it may throw a battery warning or refuse to power on entirely. This is a software handshake, not a hardware fault. Insert the battery, place the camera on the OEM charger for a full charge cycle, then power on — this sequence clears the authentication check on most affected bodies.
Battery percentage jumping erratically on the Canon display
Canon's battery indicator maps percentage to voltage thresholds calibrated against the original cell's discharge curve. A new replacement cell — even one at identical voltage — has a slightly different discharge curve shape, so the indicator can jump from 80% to 20% without warning. This is a calibration issue, not a capacity fault. Run two full discharge-and-charge cycles through the camera body to allow the BMS to remap its threshold table. After that, the percentage readout stabilises.