M7 battery life

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Tim Gray

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This isn't the usual question about battery life. At least I don't think it is. I've got an M7 on the way (very excited) and I was told by the dealer that even though the 2 DL 1/3N lithium batteries are easier to load and are what the camera comes with from the factory, using 4 SR44 silver oxide batteries will give me longer life. I'd be totally cool with that since thats what my M6 takes *and* they are really cheap in bulk.

However, when I looked up the battery stats, the lithium ones have 160 mAh, while the SR44 has 175 mAh - not that big of a difference. Does anybody have any anecdotal evidence supporting longer/shorter life with SR44's?

If its about the same, or just a tiny bit worse, I'll go with the SR44's...

Thanks!
 
Well that's a 10% difference already.

In addition, it's not only a question of mAh, but also of the discharge curve - how the cell is holding its voltage. SR44s are pretty good in this respect.
 
I had never heard this before, but it is plausible for the reasons rxmd describes, though I would guess that much would also depend on your shooting style & habits (ratio of long exposures to short, how often & how long you meter a scene, etc.).

Tim Gray said:
This isn't the usual question about battery life. At least I don't think it is. I've got an M7 on the way (very excited) and I was told by the dealer that even though the 2 DL 1/3N lithium batteries are easier to load and are what the camera comes with from the factory, using 4 SR44 silver oxide batteries will give me longer life. I'd be totally cool with that since thats what my M6 takes *and* they are really cheap in bulk.

However, when I looked up the battery stats, the lithium ones have 160 mAh, while the SR44 has 175 mAh - not that big of a difference. Does anybody have any anecdotal evidence supporting longer/shorter life with SR44's?

If its about the same, or just a tiny bit worse, I'll go with the SR44's...

Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
I've always used two 1/3N lithiums. I always carry spares so two are easier than four. Especially if you have more than one M7.
 
I would like to order 1/3N batteries (for my Leica M7 and Mamiya 7II) in bulk from Adorama or BH Photo Video since it's no longer available here in our local photo stores. Would UPS or FedEx allow shipping lithium batteries in bulk to the Philippines?
 
Probably, but I don't know...

I guess I'm going to order a bunch of batts from sr44.com and compare with the DL 1/3N's. Thought 150 rolls is nuts good.
 
Tim Gray said:
Probably, but I don't know...

I guess I'm going to order a bunch of batts from sr44.com and compare with the DL 1/3N's. Thought 150 rolls is nuts good.
Click to expand...

Yeah, ive only ever gotten that many from the varta batteries....i don't know what they put in them, and personally I don't care...so long as they keep working as nicely as they do. The duracell version of the dl 1/3n gets me about half that performance.
 
Unless the M7 consume batteries in a unique way that I cannot conceive I dont believe this is the case. When cameras like the Nikon F3 and FE2 generation Duracell always specified that one DL1/3n would last longer than a pair of the MS76's. The Lithiums also have a greater low temperature life as well.

150 Rolls is outstanding for an M7 battery set so I think this shows the DL1/3n's ability to last.
 
150 rolls sounds to goo to be true. I have MP, which uses battery only for metering, I got somewhere between 20-50 rolls depends on the climate. But seriously, comparing to the film cost these days, buy a pack of 12 can last you few years.
 
Check the data sheets, there are at least 3 vendors for 1/3Ns, and one I recall is better than the Duracell.

Also, if you don't mind changing more often, good alkaline LR44s will be a better value, change them just a bit more frequently, but they cost just pennies each vs expensive silver oxide SR44s at well over $1 or $2 each.
 
I think

I think

that the design of the M7 was to glom an electronic shutter and meter into an existing aging design, resulting in an inefficient system compared to an electronic shutter and meter designed from the ground up to be efficient. The batteries in my Chinon SLR were changed about twice in 25 years, but it only has a meter, the shutter is mechanical.

Palaeoboy said:
Unless the M7 consume batteries in a unique way that I cannot conceive I dont believe this is the case. When cameras like the Nikon F3 and FE2 generation Duracell always specified that one DL1/3n would last longer than a pair of the MS76's. The Lithiums also have a greater low temperature life as well.

150 Rolls is outstanding for an M7 battery set so I think this shows the DL1/3n's ability to last.
Click to expand...
 
Advanced Leica M book by Osterloh p. 33 says the M7 should use 2 DL lithium 1/3Ns and last about 65 rolls of 36 exposures at room temp., and 10 seconds of metering time. So if you're getting 150 rolls, you're doing great!!
 
ampguy said:
Advanced Leica M book by Osterloh p. 33 says the M7 should use 2 DL lithium 1/3Ns and last about 65 rolls of 36 exposures at room temp., and 10 seconds of metering time. So if you're getting 150 rolls, you're doing great!!
Click to expand...

See, that's almost exactly what I get out of duracell dl 1/3n's...but a friend turned me on to these varta dealies...and that's been the kicker it seems.
I shot 70 rolls over the past 3 months and my batteries are still fresh and kicking and I've had these batteries in my camera since december, so they certainly weren't fresh 3 months ago.
 
The Varta batteries are a bit more expensive but they are worth it. In my experience with Nikon and Leica they last longer than others. I think Varta is a German company but the batteries are made in Japan. Varta CR1/3N fits the M7. DL1/3N is the Duracell p/n?
 
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