Battery charger By MacGyver!?!?!?

[badpets]

useless, very entertainment thread.

[johnalex141r]

Originally Posted by badpets

useless, very entertainment thread.

Not so useless, but educational, at least to me.

If you are interested in powering your M8 with an external power supply, (mains connected, or larger batteries) or just in battery technology, this thread is interesting.

Larger batteries? a film camera gives better reliability in colder temperatures than my M8 does; a larger capacity battery might just help. (I'm talking -20 to -40c here; my Canon F1N works for 36 clicks, my M8 for 18 or less)

Also, if you are doing tethered shooting (see my thread on the OSX image capture stuff a few months ago) then maybe having a camera that'll stay powered up for a longer time might be of interest.

JohnS.

[wparsonsgisnet]

John, there is a post here from a buy who had Leica mill holes in a bottom plate so he can fit a batter adapter and cable for constant power. I'll see if I can find the posting.

[fotografr]

Originally Posted by wparsonsgisnet

John, there is a post here from a buy who had Leica mill holes in a bottom plate so he can fit a batter adapter and cable for constant power. I'll see if I can find the posting.

The only thing I recall like along that line was a modification to allow battery and card removel without taking the base plate off the camera.

[wparsonsgisnet]

Right. One of the members had Leica put holes in a bottom plate so he could power the camera remotely. He posted a pic of the plate, a nice, chrome plate with very pretty holes in it.

I can't find his posting.

[caparobertsan]

ok, THIS is the solution for powering up battery hungry M8 camera! Please see my attachment.
What do u think? Don`t bash me this time. I am just suggesting this to Leica. There should be 2 models. One with built-in rechargeable Lithium inside. The other one is For rechargeable AA NIMH batteries or Non rechargeable Lithium batteries.
Sorry for my drawing also.....

[fotografr]

I can see where this might make sense as an optional battery pack. I wouldn't opt for it myself because of the additional size and weight. Also, in 14 months of shooting with the M8 I have never run out of juice and I only carry one extra battery. I get a minimum of 200 RAW files on each battery.

[ceflynn]

A USB connection does not have the proper voltage and current to recharge the battery, according to postings I read that provided neither footnotes nor references to double-blind studies.

[caparobertsan]

Originally Posted by jaapv

It is not so much the price, as the size of the standard charger that is the problem.

Yes That is right! This charger is about 1/3 of size and price is like 1/10th!!!!!!!!!

[caparobertsan]

And there is nothing wrong with H&K battery. same spec.

[marknorton]

Originally Posted by caparobertsan

ok, THIS is the solution for powering up battery hungry M8 camera! Please see my attachment.
What do u think? Don`t bash me this time. I am just suggesting this to Leica. There should be 2 models. One with built-in rechargeable Lithium inside. The other one is For rechargeable AA NIMH batteries or Non rechargeable Lithium batteries.
Sorry for my drawing also.....

Pat Pend? LOL. Of course no other manufacturer has ever thought of providing a detachable base containing batteries and a grip.... Besides, I've frequently suggested here a Leicavit-style baseplate containing one or more of: battery, wireless LAN, docking connector, grip.

If we did ever get an M9, it might be this would be the only way to provide power with satisfactory battery life because it's the current battery pack which intrudes into the lens throat.

[masjah]

Please forgive my asking - I'm just a totally bemused film user looking-in here - but why spend all that money on a truly wonderful digital camera, and then use a lash-up charger with completely wrong charge monitoring characteristics. I'm aware that the lash-up may be smaller, but not if you've got to carry your protective box around with you in case you cause the battery to explode.

[vanhulsenbeek]

Originally Posted by masjah

Please forgive my asking - I'm just a totally bemused film user looking-in here - but why spend all that money on a truly wonderful digital camera, and then use a lash-up charger with completely wrong charge monitoring characteristics. I'm aware that the lash-up may be smaller, but not if you've got to carry your protective box around with you in case you cause the battery to explode.

My idea! Trash all that junk, buy some extra batteries and enjoy the camera! Robert Capa would have made photo's with his new camera!

[SJP]

I liked the USB to mains current testing procedure - very stimulating.

However the point is that the orignal charger is humongous and a $6000 + camera deserves something slicker than the frankencharger. With the current Li-ion charger technology it should be easy enough to modify an off the shelf generic charger to something of a sensible size, including a dual battery charger etc.

Meanwhile I happy with what I have to be happy with.

[jaapv]

I'm a bit puzzled by all the "low capacity" complaints. Except for pros on extended shoots - but they will have a second and even third body and an assistant to change batteries and cards- there will always be a quiet moment to take a quick look at the display and switch batteries when it is down to one bar.
The size of the thing, though. On extented travels I ususally take two - I don't trust them and have been known to forget one - and a DMR charger, which is only marginally smaller. I could use the space in my camera backpack...

[johnalex141r]

Hi Jaapv;

Originally Posted by jaapv

I'm a bit puzzled by all the "low capacity" complaints. Except for pros on extended shoots - but they will have a second and even third body and an assistant to change batteries and cards- there will always be a quiet moment to take a quick look at the display and switch batteries when it is down to one bar.

I'm sure one could plot a log curve showing a "shots per charge" vs "ambient temperature".

Goofin' around with that base plate, and the little tab to change batteries when it's cold...

A "cold" story for you:

BTW - I once imported a VW Golf to The Netherlands; brand new; and got a recall notice from my canadian address, and took it into the local (wassenaar) VW dealer. Long story short - car was inspected, and I got a letter stating that the power steering component failed when it was cold; and that there were no parts in europe because it did not get that cold, and that if the car was ever re-exported to canada, it would be fixed free of charge.

JohnS.

[fotografr]

Originally Posted by ceflynn

A USB connection does not have the proper voltage and current to recharge the battery, according to postings I read that provided neither footnotes nor references to double-blind studies.

So, what you are saying is that you won't be trying our suggestion?

[jimrivers]

I tried using the Hong Kong batteries in my M8 but had very bad results. First of all the picture quality was very bad. Every shot was out of focus. There was much more ISO noise. The shutter made more noise. My wife walked out. My dog got flees. I got a flat tire on the way to meet a new client. The only upside was that they lasted longer and cost 1/10 the price.

[ceflynn]

I thought each battery came with a free flee filter.

[johnalex141r]

Jim; lucky you; my dog died, my refrigerator failed, my neighbor borrowed my tractor, and every station on every radio in my house tunes in only country music now. Not only that, my bass guitar now only plays root-fifth combos; no thirds, sixths, or any other note like that.

Yours in pain;
JohnS.

Originally Posted by jimrivers

I tried using the Hong Kong batteries in my M8 but had very bad results. First of all the picture quality was very bad. Every shot was out of focus. There was much more ISO noise. The shutter made more noise. My wife walked out. My dog got flees. I got a flat tire on the way to meet a new client. The only upside was that they lasted longer and cost 1/10 the price.