[Leica] Third party M8/M9 batteries

Doug Herr wildlightphoto at earthlink.net
Tue May 22 20:30:17 PDT 2018


If you think US$125 for a battery is obscene don't even think about the SL.

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com
http://doug-herr.fineartamerica.com


-----Original Message-----
>From: Peter Klein via LUG <lug at leica-users.org>
>Sent: May 22, 2018 7:34 PM
>To: lug <lug at leica-users.org>
>Cc: Peter Klein <boulanger.croissant at gmail.com>
>Subject: Re: [Leica] Third party M8/M9 batteries
>
>Thanks, all.  I've done a bit of e-searching.  Many fewer sources offer 
>third-party batteries for the M8/M9 than a few years back. There seem to 
>be only two varieties available now.  Mostly I saw the Cameron Sino 
>batteries (1600 mah), and another no-name brand (1800 mah).  OEM Leica 
>batteries are 1860 mah.
>
>The last time I got batteries was in late 2010.  At that time, there 
>were third-party batteries circulating that had a very bad reputation, 
>and lower mah ratings (1400-1700) than the OEM Leica batteries.  Also 
>available were 1900 mah batteries with blue print on the label, which 
>had a good reputation. I bought two of these. Seven and a half years 
>later, they still work.  They are no longer available.
>
>My guess is that there was enough business to support both bad 
>knock-offs and good knock-offs back then. Today, the M8-M9 family is no 
>longer current, and only really cheap, bad ones remain.  So it may be 
>that it's best to bite the bullet and pay the Leica price, as obscene as 
>it is, and as much as I hate encouraging them.  No small camera battery 
>is worth $175, or even $125.
>
>And then there is the vendor.  They sent me the following baloney 
>boilerplate when I complained that the batteries had died after only a 
>few charge cycles.
>
>     "When a brand new battery is installed and your device is not 
>functioning properly, we suggest that you contact the manufacturer of 
>your device to see if they can help troubleshoot the problem.
>
>     "The manufacturer of the battery you have purchased is Cameron Sino 
>which is different from the original battery, this is the reason it has 
>a different quality.
>
>     "If you would like to have the %100 same quality, we suggest you to 
>contact the manufacturer of the original battery for additional 
>information as to where to buy the original one."
>
>Guess who ain't never gettin' no more of my business.
>
>--Peter
>
>
>
> > Although...that happens with every battery sometime. That said, there 
>really does seem to be a difference between Fuji OEM batteries and 
>nonOEMs, more noticeable in the more recent cameras. So I’d assume it’s 
>true with Leicas as well.
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> >
> > > On May 22, 2018, at 7:42 PM, Sonny Carter via LUG <lug at 
>leica-users.org> wrote:
> > >
> > > The math doesn’t work when a battery dies just when you want to take a
> > > picture.
> > >
> > >> On Tue, May 22, 2018 at 6:32 PM Frank Filippone <red735i at 
>verizon.net> wrote:
> > >>
> > >> Every year this subject gets discussed.
> > >> I postulated, years ago, that the market for the M8 battery type was
> > >> infinitessimal, compared to Nikon/Canon. What correct in the head 
>Chinese
> > >> maker would bother for this tiny market?  My conclusion was none. 
>So how do
> > >> these batteries get made and sold so cheap?  My thought is that , 
>in the
> > >> case of M8 batteries, that there is a reject rate. That the third 
>party
> > >> batteries did not meet some Leica spec. These batteries are sold as
> > >> aftermarket items, cheap. It follows they will not last as long as the
> > >> Leica spec ones.
> > >> As time pases, we have some proof they do not last.
> > >> Here is the financial question:  if Leica makes a battery that costs
> > >> 10-20-30 times the cost of the aftermarket brand , but lasts only 
>5 times
> > >> as long, which is a better buy???
> > >>
> > >> And the answer is.......
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> Leica Users Group.
> > >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> > >>
> > > --
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > Sonny
> > > http://sonc.com/look/
> > > Natchitoches, Louisiana
> > > 1714
> > > Oldest Permanent Settlement in the Louisiana Purchase
> > >
> > > USA
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


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