V-Lux 4 Battery Question

[LAHayes]

I gave a good friend a V-Lux 4 (for her birthday). She is interested in a spare battery. In as much as the V-Lux 4 is built upon the Panasonic DMC-FZ200 is it possible to use the DMW-BLC12 Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery (7.2V, 1200mAh) which is of a lower price than the Leica V-Lux 4 BP-DC12 Lithium-Ion Battery for V-Lux 4 Digital Cameras (7.2V/1200 mAh)

[rsolomon]

i have a V Lux-4 and was looking into a spare battery, but honestly the battery last a long time - i sometimes shoot 600 or so pics in an afternoon at a sporting event and still have plenty of battery left - so atleast in my case i dont see a need for this addtional battery.

on the other hand i have always had spare batteries for all my cameras so this is my first "i only have one battery" and it seems to be working fine. im curious is this need habit or are you really using the battery that much.

[stuny]

My experience with the longevity of the V-Lux 4 battery matches Richard's. However, I still bought a spare just in case for times when I'm too far away from power with great photo opportunities - Such as all day in a tropical rain forest.

I too wondered if the Panasonic battery would work - they are cheaper than the Leica batteries. If you're near a Panasonic dealer perhaps you could try the battery in your Leica.

[Northwest Wanderer]

I always like having a spare battery on hand. Not sure I really need one as the one supplied lasts for many shots before recharging.
That said, I still want to buy a spare for my V-LUX 4. I'd have one now but it's very hard to get one in the U.S. The major stores, B&H, Adorama, etc seem to all be waiting for stock to come in.

[Tim B]

Hi, I recently acquired a V-Lux 4 and am very pleased with it as a quick and easy carry round if I don't need my Ms.

I always have a spare battery and bought a Leica one with my new camera. I don't know about the Panasonic ones, but I can't imagine why they would be different. There are, however, some independent third party brands that have lower mAh ratings - so they won't last as long. The Leica ones are rated at 1200mAh and I have seen some third party ones for sale on Amazon rated at 900mAh.

Tim

[stuny]

Tim -

The issue is that at least Panasonic, and I would guess Leica, too, has a code in the battery to let the camera know it's an approved battery. The question then is whether the Leica and Panasonic batteries are interchangable.

[Northwest Wanderer]

I inquired with the service dept at B&H Camera in N.Y.C. They carry both the V-Lux 4 and the Lumix DMC,FZ200. I was told the batteries are interchangeable. They are physically the same and both are rated 7.2V, 1200mah

[Tim B]

Stuart,

Thanks for that - I didn't know they were that fussy!!

I remember using Panasonic and Leica batteries with my Digilux 2 without any issue, but that was years ago. No doubt they have tightened up their brand exclusivity although one might wonder why they bother with something like the battery - except, of course, for a small margin of profits.

Tim

[ajthornbury]

Hi, I have a dlux-5, and tried a Panasonic battery. The Dlux-5 didn't like it, came up with an error message saying battery not recognised.

[Northwest Wanderer]

Originally Posted by Northwest Wanderer

I inquired with the service dept at B&H Camera in N.Y.C. They carry both the V-Lux 4 and the Lumix DMC,FZ200. I was told the batteries are interchangeable. They are physically the same and both are rated 7.2V, 1200mah

I went ahead and bought the Lumix battery for my V-LUX 4. It works perfectly. I could not wait any longer for the Leica labeled battery. It is the same at a better price.

[stuny]

I'm just back from two weeks in Panama, mostly out shooting wildlife. The spare battery came in handy since one battery would last just over 26 hours with the camera being on nearly constantly for shooting and chimping 10 hours per day. I'd recharge the worn battery either after the morning (6:30 - noon) and before afternoon (after 15:00) shoots, or overnight. That worked well.