14 DAY TRIAL // A couple of weeks ago Japanese optics manufacturer, Nikon announced the availability of a new firmware update for their D3100, D3200, D5100 and D5200 digital SLR cameras as well as for the P7700 compact camera.
The last update comes to improve overall battery performance for each of the aforementioned models, but what Nikon didn't mention in the changelog is that the new firmware also removes compatibility with third-party batteries.
According to NikonRumors, several Nikon D3100, D3200, D5100, D5200 and P7700 users reported that their third-party EN-EL14 batteries are no longer working after they updated their camera firmware to the latest version. The same problem seems to be happening when trying to use Nikon EN-EL14 batteries with third-party battery grips.
From what I know, there isn't any way of reverting your camera's firmware, so if you already made the update, you'll have to buy original Nikon EN-EL14 batteries to keep the camera working. If by any chance you didn't update your firmware, you can keep using your third-party batteries without any problems.
[Update: December 10] I asked around a few friends and it seems that not all 3rd party batteries are affected by the new firmware update. Does your 3rd party battery still work after the latest Nikon firmware update? Let us know in the comments section below.