DMR battery solution - of sorts

[jaapv]

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Today I got the following e-mail from Leica:

 

 

thank you very much for your kind request.

 

Unfortunately the previous intention to produce new akkus cannot be realized due to technical and economical reasons.

It certainly took awhile until we could come up with a solution in this matter, but finally we are glad to give you the following information today.

 

Alternatively we contacted several akku experts in Germany who can refresh the existing akkus to achieve their full capacity again. Now we have located a reliable company in Germany that has the ability to serve the DMR-akku.

 

After carrying out a technical audit we now can recommend the following company McAkku:

 

http://www.akku-mainz.de

 

or

 

http://www.mc-akku.de/home.htm

 

I know Leica has been very active over the last year trying to find a producer for new batteries at a more or less reasonable price. It appears that they would become too expensive, given the small series needed, so I suppose this second-best is in the interest of DMR users.

[Steve Ash]

I regard this as very good news. I am not a DMR-user but one of the points that left doubts on the lifetime of digital cameras was the availability of suitable batteries. Now as I know that there has been a proper solution for DMR-user it makes me feel more comfortable in respect to the usability/lifetime of my digital gear.

 

Regards

Steve

[glenerrolrd]

Wow!

 

I really don t find that an acceptable solution. Maybe I am forgetting how long its been since the DMR was canceled but it seems like about 5 years. When I bought my first replacement batteries they were about $129 each. Hard to believe we will get refurbishing in the USA for less than that.

 

It would be different if the battery actually lasted but only a few hundred captures per charge requires 3-4 batteries for a typical 2-3hours of shooting.

 

It will be interesting to see what they think a reasonable turnaround is on the refurbishing.

 

I guess its better than no solution.

[topoxforddoc]

Without being anglo-centric, it would help if McAkku had an english version of their website. After all Leica are saying this is their long term international solution for DMR batteries. I'm just very glad I have 8 of these little blighters.

[roguewave]

I must echo Roger's remarks. I think this is very short sighted on the part of Leica. Given the fact the company is very profitable, I believe it is in their best interest to make this essential part available at a reasonable cost, even if they loose a small sum. It's bad enough that they vacillated, may I add in an almost swerving, drunken manner, in regards to both public statements and announcements in support of those people that invested in the DMR & the R system.

 

The fact that they will not take any responsibility is a shame. I know I speak for others that continue to use their DMR for critical work, that it is still a superb instrument & it has not outlasted it's usefulness, either to the owners or to the many working professionals that rely on it to make a living. This sort of throwing the baby out with the bathwater is unnecessary & outright provocative. I plan on writing to Leica directly & hope that other DMR owners follow suit. This is just not the correct way to conduct business.

[Nicoleica]

I think that an opportunity exists here for someone who can manufacture an adaptor to allow other batteries (Such as more standard batteries from Nikon or Canon.) to be used in the DMR. Surely such a device would be technically possible and, with modern rapid prototyping machines, commercially viable on a small scale.

[jaapv]

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It seems to me, given that there are, beside some dogs, quite good Chinese M9/M9 battries out there, as well as copies for other makes, that there must be a third party that can produce small series of DMR batteries. Has any forum member connections in that direction?

[stuny]

Jaap -

 

I hope you're correct, but cheap M8/M9 batteries make more sense than cheap DMR batteries since so many more digital Ms have been made than DMRs. I fear that it may not be a big enough market for a third party.

[jaapv]

Stuart, maybe it is wishful thinking, but I cannot but compare this to Franke und Heidecke, who, despite ebing bankrupt, managed to get new batteries for the Rollei 6008 to the market.

[garyp]

Below is a recent [last week] reply I received from Dave Elwell at Leica NJ regarding DMR batteries:

 

"At this time the battery is not available. Leica AG had to search for a new supplier and just recently located a manufacture. At this time they are not able to provide a delivery date. The cost will be $225.00and we accept Mastercard & Visa if you’d like to place an order."

Dave Elwell

[giordano]

This

Alternatively we contacted several akku experts in Germany who can refresh the existing akkus to achieve their full capacity again. Now we have located a reliable company in Germany that has the ability to serve the DMR-akku.

 

After carrying out a technical audit we now can recommend the following company McAkku

is perhaps misleading.

 

It's not a question of "refreshing" the existing batteries but - according to the website - of opening them up and fitting all new cells as well as testing the charging and safety circuitry.

 

Durch unsere Akku-Aufbereitung erhalten sie

einen elektrisch neuwertigen Akku. Da oftmals

höherwertige Zellen verbaut werden können,

sind die Akkus in vielen Fällen leistungsstärker

als das Original.

 

"Through our battery-treatment you receive a battery that is electrically as good as new. Since we can often use higher-capacity cells, the batteries are in many cases more powerful than the originals."

 

 

[wparsonsgisnet]

I agree that this is a serious problem for Leica.

 

If I were in Leica Marketing I would be losing sleep over this and looking for a way to solve this for future times. I use the D2 and the M8/M9. The M8/M9 share the same battery, but the D2 uses a different one.

 

Crap.

[AlanG]

Just to give an example of replacing cells in batteries - this is from about 15 years ago - I had the Rollei 6006 system and Marflex charged about $95 to replace the cells (8 Sanyo cells - sub C I think.) Then I found a place called Perott (no longer in business) that works on video and other packs and they did it for about $45. Then I had one done at Batteries Plus for about $25. I think these batteries now retail for about $4 - $5 each so $40 plus labor is it. And it is pretty easy for these places to connect 8 cells together and slide them back into the case.

 

 

If the DMR pack uses standard size cells there should be plenty of places that can rebuild the packs.

 

The key is to have enough of the cases for the batteries as they can be rebuilt indefinitely.

[topoxforddoc]

 

Therein lies the issue! With 2200 DMRs sold, I would imagine they could easily sell 5000 batteries, as everyone would buy at least two. I have 8 of these suckers and I would still buy more. It's a shame that one can't resurrect this like ADOX have done with long gone papers. Leica must still have the tooling for the casing injection moulds.

[jaapv]

Below is a recent [last week] reply I received from Dave Elwell at Leica NJ regarding DMR batteries:

 

"At this time the battery is not available. Leica AG had to search for a new supplier and just recently located a manufacture. At this time they are not able to provide a delivery date. The cost will be $225.00and we accept Mastercard & Visa if you’d like to place an order."

Dave Elwell

Yes- that my informantion as well before I got this mail.

[Michael Bass]

I have just recently been contacted by several other menbers of this forum about this issue, and it is likely I can rebuild these DMR battery packs with new cells for a reasonable fee. It seems like the biggest issue is getting the battery housing shell itself, which will likely only come from an existing battery pack that is ready to be refurbished.

 

It should also be a simple matter to make a higher capacity external pack to connect through the power in port, or through a dummy battery, or both depending on the plugs and connectors used.

 

If interested, contact me.

 

Michael Bass

michaelbass@charter.net

Michael Bass Designs

[troyfreund]

Hey Michael,

I'd still like to send you a car charger/battery charger soon.

Talk to you this week!

Troy

[rob_x2004]

With all these battery threads, how come the solution isnt jsut to visit the local battery repack, or is there something else other than the cells that wears out?

I would be surprised if the model car boys couldnt sort these out in their sleep with all sorts of high performance balanced sets. Anyone tried those guys?

[jaapv]

Well, you may have a phletora of local battery repacks in Oz, but in other parts of the world they are rather thinly spread.

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[garyp]

I'm still waiting on my spare charger to get to me, then I can also send battery and charger to Michael.

It's coming from Germany [to Tennessee] so it may be a li'l while still