Strange M9 Battery Issues

nightfly

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I've been having two strange, possibly related battery issues with my M9 which are driving me a little crazy:

1) Turn camera on, battery at 75-100%, take a shot, let it write to card, review it, switch it off. Turn camera back on, it's dead. Nothing. Remove the battery and turn it on again, it works take another shot or two, switch off. Turn it on again, same thing, dead. Take out battery, put in and it works. At next opportunity, charge battery and look at photos on card, none of the photos taken during this battery issue period are written to card. Totally gone. Fully re-charge battery, works as normal.

2) Use camera and turn off with 75-90% full battery. Leave in bag for few days, go to shoot, battery dead.

If I shoot continually with battery, it drains at normal rate. Sometimes can put away and turn on again in a week and no problems. It can work flawlessly for weeks or even months and then both problems pop up again.

It's driving me a little insane. Obvious solution get another battery but issue 1 seems to be more camera than battery related.
 
Had this happen and found that I had left the camera with the switch turned half way between off and first marker. Make sure that camera is set to sleep after a minute or so and problem solved. Also try another card. I use Panasonic golds and Transcend. No further issues occured. Calibrate your batteries also.
 
The $22 battery is much more palatable than the $160 Leica one but only if it actually works. I know people will say why gripe about a $160 battery for a $7000 camera but really it's pure price gauging. Also I bought my M9 used for half price so I'd buy an $80 battery.

I'm more concerned with the issue where it doesn't write to the card properly than the being dead after a few days. I'd read that this is sometimes something with the camera circuitry rather than the battery. Curious if anyone had that issue.

Just one battery for M9 😱
I don't know if it was resolved with latest fw, but my M-E accepts made in China non-Leica labeled 22$ battery same way as it works with Leica labeled made in China 150$ battery.

Also, some Leica M9 batteries are under recall.
 
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