Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2015/02/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]HI Sonny I don't have any personal experience with any non-genuine batteries or chargers. Probably my always too long response to Kyle's actual question should have just been: Not that I ever heard of ;-) On Tuesday, February 10, 2015, Sonny Carter <sonc.hegr at gmail.com> wrote: > Geoff, you might be onto something when you suggest another charger. When > I changed to the new style charger that came with the M9, some of my > after-market batteries would not charge at all, giving an error flash on > the led. > > The remaining non-leica batteries seemed to be even less reliable than > before. > > When I was shooting regularly with the M9, I carried 3 Leica branded > batteries and never needed to go past #2 in a day. > > Maybe I would have had better luck with the aftermarket cells with an > aftermarket charger. > > Sent from my iPad > > > On Feb 9, 2015, at 4:24 PM, Geoff Hopkinson <hopsternew at gmail.com > <javascript:;>> wrote: > > > > To focus on your specific question Kyle, I have never previously read of > > anyone's speculation that any version of their genuine batteries were > > 'chipped'. I did provide the official explanation for the changed camera > > behaviour from the firmware update for whatever you want to make of that > > ;-). > > That model has been used and available since 2006 and is still in use > with > > some current models of course. You will see subtly different marked > > versions in circulation and genuine production has come from at least two > > different manufacturers/countries that I am aware of. There are different > > power ratings markings (on some non-genuine ones) too. There are many > tens > > of thousands of the originals in circulation, there having been 30,000+ > > M9's for a start. Those numbers are tiny compared to the volume > production > > for the big brands of course. > > One recent comment elsewhere I saw was that leaving the (non-genuine) > > batteries for longer on the charger past the nominal fully charged > > indication made them then show as charged fully in the camera. You could > > try another charger too if you were in a mind to investigate? > > > > > > Cheers > > Geoff > > http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman > > > >> On 10 February 2015 at 06:25, Geoff Hopkinson <hopsternew at gmail.com > <javascript:;>> wrote: > >> > >> Kyle due to some publicised reports of write errors one of the changes > in > >> later firmware for the M9 was to make the camera less tolerant of > marginal > >> power levels from batteries. One indication of that was for when you > want > >> to perform a sensor clean. The camera would not start that unless the > >> charge was nearly full. They also noted that all batteries have a finite > >> life (limited number of charge cycles before they become much less > >> efficient). Voltage levels of course are not the the sole > >> measure/indication. Their instructions also include noting about a > number > >> of cycles before the units are most efficient initially and recommend > >> periodically running them 'flat' (not shorting them out though. > >> > >> Including those originally included I think I had four (genuine) units I > >> used over 6 years (maybe 25000 exposures? or so with the two cameras > that > >> got randomly rotated and I never saw any problems with them personally. > As > >> far as I know two or three of those are still in service now with > Lluis. I > >> would typically change the battery with the SD card after ~400 > exposures or > >> whenever I forgot to turn the camera off before putting it in my bag, > >> whichever came first. > >> > >> I think on this list at one point different people reported varying > >> experience with different non-genuine batteries. They might chime in? > >> > >> For sure the Leica ones cost a lot. I guess that the one for the M8/9 > was > >> easy to clone or whoever actually made the originals produced a lot of > them > >> to different standards? It's interesting that the battery for the M (typ > >> 240) is actually two of the earlier assemblies in one case, but I've not > >> heard of a single non-genuine version anywhere. > >> > >> > >> Cheers > >> Geoff > >> http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman > >> > >> On 10 February 2015 at 01:19, kyle cassidy on the lug < > >> leicaslacker at gmail.com <javascript:;>> wrote: > >> > >>> Howdy folks -- > >>> > >>> I've been using 3rd party batteries in all of my cameras since > >>> Australopithecus started banging rocks together -- in Panasonics, > Nikons, > >>> and various Leica's with no problem. In fact, I've often wondered if > >>> workers from the OEM shop sneak back in at night and continue > production > >>> without labeling them. > >>> > >>> I recently got four off-brand M9 batteries (from two different > retailers) > >>> and notice a curious behavior -- when they're fully charged often the > camera > >>> will give a "battery low" warning and shut down -- however voltage > meter > >>> shows the batteries are fully charged. I'm wondering if Leica has > possibly > >>> chipped it's batteries and instructed the camera not to work with 3rd > party > >>> batteries (in the same way that the Keuring coffee-machines recognize > >>> imposter K-Cups and refuse to work with them.) I can think of several > >>> possible reasons for this, but chipping the batteries I think is the > most > >>> likely. Another option is that only 3rd party manufacturers who make > >>> batteries for Leica cameras are hucksters, but it seems less likely. > >>> > >>> Any thoughts on this? $130 for a battery is $120 that I could use > toward > >>> a plane ticket to photograph something with a battery that's worth $10. > >>> > >>> Kyle > >>> > >>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> Leica Users Group. > >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > -- Cheers Geoff http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman