Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2015/02/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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> > 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> >> 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> 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