Fraser
Well-known
Anyone recommend a non-oem M8 battery, my camera came with a couple but could do with a couple more, don't want to pay Leica prices.
Thanks.
Thanks.
kanzlr
Hexaneur
I didn't want to do that either, and with the D700 I always used third party batteries. But those I tried haven't been good at all. I only have two third parties (not even Chinese eBay stuff, but a German company. Well, most likely still just rebranded Chinese stuff) and one suffers from sudden power loss, the other is just empty rather quickly. Because I needed them, I bought another Leica one for € 80,-- (cheapest shop in Austria I found)!!. Thats...well...almost offensive. Anyhow, the original Leica ones work as they should, the third parties didn't.
If I found something from a more reputable company, like Ansmann (they did the early M8 Leica chargers for Leica) or maybe even Hama I'd give them a try, but I am pretty much done with no-names.
If I found something from a more reputable company, like Ansmann (they did the early M8 Leica chargers for Leica) or maybe even Hama I'd give them a try, but I am pretty much done with no-names.
ruslan
Established
I'm using ebay $15 batteries almost two years without any problems, more than 85k with M8.
Bill Blackwell
Leica M Shooter
If your camera is under warranty (I acknowledge it might be out by now), using 'other' batteries could void the warranty.
OTOH, I have heard stories of these after-market batteries ranging from not holding a charge, to showing a false low-battery charge indicator, to short circuiting the sensor circuits, to working just fine.
Why spend thousands of dollars on a Leica and use cheap after market batteries? At least to me, that makes no sense.
OTOH, I have heard stories of these after-market batteries ranging from not holding a charge, to showing a false low-battery charge indicator, to short circuiting the sensor circuits, to working just fine.
Why spend thousands of dollars on a Leica and use cheap after market batteries? At least to me, that makes no sense.
JMQ
Well-known
Forgive me, but you paid several thousand thousand dollars for the M8, and you want to save $100?
JMQ
Well-known
Ooops, I just realized that BillBlackwell made this point first -- so, I agree with Bill.
Fraser
Well-known
kanzlr
Hexaneur
if there are good after market batteries, that makes a lot of sense. Just because I paid €2000 for a used M8 doesn't mean that I have to throw out 100 more if I don't need to.
The problem is more like there are no GOOD after market batteries, only cheap crap where you can be lucky, or not.
for Nikons and Canons there ARE good after market batteries, for Leica M8/9...none so far.
beewee
Member
Personally, I find ALL M8/M9 batteries to be horrible (including those from Leica). On my most recent camping/hiking trip, I burned through 3 batteries (two Leica OEM batteries and one Pearstone battery) in a few hours, shooting about 400 frames in near freezing temperatures.
Luckily I had a 2nd Pearstone battery that lasted me until the end of my 2 day trip. The Pearstones work decently well with 2 minor exceptions. 1) The battery will not show proper charge unless you full drain it (shoot till the camera shuts off) and recharge. Otherwise, after you recharge the battery, the camera will still show the charge level before the battery was charged. 2) When putting a fresh, fully charged Pearstone battery into the M8, it takes a second or so for the camera to register that the battery has enough juice to boot it up. This is normally instant once you've booted the camera up with the freshly charged Pearstone battery. It's also instant for Leica batteries where as soon as you flick the power switch on the M8, the battery meter will show the charge level.
Luckily I had a 2nd Pearstone battery that lasted me until the end of my 2 day trip. The Pearstones work decently well with 2 minor exceptions. 1) The battery will not show proper charge unless you full drain it (shoot till the camera shuts off) and recharge. Otherwise, after you recharge the battery, the camera will still show the charge level before the battery was charged. 2) When putting a fresh, fully charged Pearstone battery into the M8, it takes a second or so for the camera to register that the battery has enough juice to boot it up. This is normally instant once you've booted the camera up with the freshly charged Pearstone battery. It's also instant for Leica batteries where as soon as you flick the power switch on the M8, the battery meter will show the charge level.
Freakscene
Obscure member
Agreed. I bought my M8 because it is a digital rangefinder, not because it's a Leica or anything else. I needed 10+ batteries when I went to Africa with it, so I bought third party ones from eBay. They third party batteries give me maybe 10-20 fewer shots (expected, they have a lower rating) but apart from that they are fine. The only battery that has failed on me was a Leica one (I have three of them too).
Marty
kanzlr
Hexaneur
@beewee the M8 just drains a lot of power. In freezing temperatures, ALL batteries die fast.
kanzlr
Hexaneur
German Hähnel batteries worked well in my D700, but the real no names weren't good either.
But then, Canon doesn't charge € 96,-- for their batteries AND they last longer
But then, Canon doesn't charge € 96,-- for their batteries AND they last longer
Fraser
Well-known
When I was using 1dmk11 etc I always bought from 7dayshop, I think the batteries were about £12 never had any problems I would swear whoever made the canon batteries were making these as well. When the 1d came out you needed about 5 batteries a day no way was I going to spend £100 a time for them!
You can always take the ends of the canon one and swap them with the cheap ones to get a better fit.
Now that I use 5dmk11 and Mk111s for work you hardly need spare batteries as they last so long!