[Leica] DMR Battery Information

[afirkin at afirkin.com (afirkin at afirkin.com)]

> I want to share some information with the LUG about DMR batteries. I've
> got
> four DMR batteries, two of which are showing signs of fatigue. I had an
> interesting conversation with Michael Bass about rebuilding the batteries
> with fresh cells. One of the DMR batteries reads half full after a full
> fresh charge. Using that battery, I squeezed off over four hundred
> (nearly)
> continuous shots before the battery expired. Yet in the field the battery
> dies within an hour or so of shooting polo a couple of Sunday's ago. And I
> don't chimp. That tells me that the main battery drain using an R8/DMR
> combination is not so much the shutter power requirements as it is the
> "just
> being on" requirements. I'm going to send the battery to Michael to have
> him
> replace the cells. But I'd like any other insights anyone has as to why
> the
> freshly charged battery shows a half charge, yet it can provide over 400
> quick shots yet die in the field in less than an hour.

Very interesting. Power leak presumably. I do switch off the DMR as often
as possible, but its "slow" start up seemed to me to perhaps be using more
power than leaving it on. I'll be interested in replies to this as well. I
liked the comment about using the film wind to cock the shutter and save
the battery. Never tried that.

Cheers

Alastair