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M10 battery life


ELAN

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In my 1st Impression review of the M10 and again two week later in my 2nd Impressions review I criticized the M10 battery, having gotten only 400 to 500 exposures on a full charge, less than half my M240 gives.

 

My usual style of photography is to compose a lot and wait for the right moment to press the shutter release. I could be looking through the viewfinder for a while and only make a few exposures. During this time, as I half press the shutter to recompose and meter, the camera's electronics and metering are on and the camera hardly sleeps (my camera is set to fall asleep after 2 minutes of inactivity).

 

Yesterday I had a situation that called for firing rapidly. In a little over an hour I shot 365 exposures, and lo and behold, the battery charge was down only 20%. After a break we resumed and once again I shot 320 frames in a little over an hour, and once again the battery was down only 20%. At the end of the day I had 732 images on the card and the battery still had a 50% charge. A pleasant surprise.

 

It appears that the M10 electronics and metering, while the camera is awake but idle, consume much more power than the M240. I wonder if others had similar experiences?

 

(p.s., RF use only - no EVF, no LV, review off, a few quick chimps. FW 1.0.2.0)

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Also consider that the battery when new has not as much capacity as when cycled a few times. As you progress with using it, it attains its full capacity. Maybe you are experiencing this, as well.

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It would be interesting to know in which climatic conditions the camera was used. With temperarures well below 0 degree Celius over here the batteriy of the M9 is down after an hour - no matter how well it was charged and how many pictures taken. It works again after it was warmed up without charging it.

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I would very much like to have a slimmer M.  All the digital M's till' now have been unsexy lumps.   But I am sceptical about battery capacity of the M10.  - my experience with M-P (240) is not an impressive one.  - With my sort of use a battery does not last a full day, even.  M10 is obviously going to be worse, I fear.  A spare battery - or two - is a must. 

​Why not make a huge battery package attachable like the old motors on the manual M's?  As an extra?

​Then I am sure I will miss the video.  - So will the future 2. hand buyers.  Often young people.  For young people today, - video is standard they take for granted.

​Then it is the performance of the new sensor. Particularly with non-Leica lenses.  I want to see how it performs before buying the M10.

 

Edited by Olsen
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I have never owned a camera without a spare battery. Is carrying one really that challenging?

 

Yes.

 

I enjoy photography the most when I carry nothing but a Leica M.  No accessories or bags or extra lenses.  I pocket an ND filter but wish I didn't have to (the M11 better have ISO 50 and 1/8000 shutter).

 

I have a few spare M240 batteries but never had to carry a spare when I'm out for the day.

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Yes.

 

I enjoy photography the most when I carry nothing but a Leica M.  No accessories or bags or extra lenses.  I pocket an ND filter but wish I didn't have to (the M11 better have ISO 50 and 1/8000 shutter).

 

I have a few spare M240 batteries but never had to carry a spare when I'm out for the day.

 

 

then the M10 may not be for you.

Just seems like a silly stance considering the battery can fit in your front pocket and is smaller than my car key. 

 

I never leave home without a spare...even with the M240. And frankly i would rather the small battery than the alrternative

 

BTW- an ND filter will deliver a better image than iso 50 and 1/8000 

Edited by digitalfx
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then the M10 may not be for you.

Just seems like a silly stance considering the battery can fit in your front pocket and is smaller than my car key.

 

Excuse me?  I love my M10 even though I wish it had a larger battery.  And no, my stance isn't silly just because my photography style may be different than yours.

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Excuse me?  I love my M10 even though I wish it had a larger battery.  And no, my stance isn't silly just because my photography style may be different than yours.

 

 

sorry it was out of context...I was posting from phone and think I was confusing two posts

Edited by digitalfx
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Excuse me? I love my M10 even though I wish it had a larger battery. And no, my stance isn't silly just because my photography style may be different than yours.

I understand battery anxiety, but seriously, how is the prospect of carrying an extra battery cramping your precious photography style? I don't like to invoke the expression "first world problems," but, help me Rhonda, this isn't even significant enough to be a first world problem. Especially since it won't even affect someone unless he or she regularly returns from the field with ~30% charge or less remaining.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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The M10 is just like the other digital Ms. When the camera is brand new, the internal capacitor that keeps the persistent settings powered and runs the clock when the battery is out needs to be fully charged. The camera does this for the first week or two after it's first powered up, consuming battery power to do so, until the internal storage is fully reformed and peaked out. After that you'll see increased an number of exposures per charge—it takes much less power to keep the internal power storage topped off than it does to fill it in the first place. 

 

The other behavior ... being able to net double or triple the number of exposures during sessions when you spend a lot of time shooting and less time fussing with menus, watching the meter, etc etc ... is behavior identical to nearly every other digital camera I've owned. My M-D typ 262 and M-P typ 240, for instance, will in normal operation (three or four 100 exposures sessions in a week's time) will run about 500 exposures on a full charge. Make 50 exposures over a month's time and the battery will be flat after 200 exposures. But make 500 exposures in a day and there will be plenty of power left in the battery for more. The SL behaves like this too, as did (to greater or lesser degree) nearly every other digital camera I've owned in the past fifteen years. 

 

I tend to get very good battery life from my cameras because I set them up for the next exposure with good ballpark settings and only pick them up to check and make the exposure at the time the scene is playing out. Sitting there with the camera to your eye, fussing with the metering and running the LEDs is a great way to burn power needlessly. 

 

The solution to these problems, for me, is: Don't worry about it. I always buy one spare battery, but I've found that my usual photo session runs 50 to 150 exposures; I'm fine going for a walk like that with nothing but the camera, even if the walk is all day long. If the readout says I'm down to 20% before the walk, I might charge the battery first or I might not, but I'll certainly charge it when I get back. I might carry the spare if it's going to be a long day, or I'll just shoot until the battery is exhausted and end the session then. Although the M10 battery has 28% less milliamp-hour capacity compared to the typ 240/246/262 battery, the M10 electronics are reputed to be 20% or so more efficient so the actual reduction in exposures per charge should be pretty small once you get into the workflow with the M10 that works best.

 

I know I'd never notice the difference between getting 500 exposures per charge and getting 700 ... That's three or four sessions for me, at least in normal situations, and I'll have a spare battery with me if I'm going to be shooting a lot anyway.

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Great info!

Not to mention it takes 3-4 cycles of the battery to get full performance.

 

But so far I've never had a day of shooting where I ran out of battery. Regardless I always keep two spares. One on the charger and one with the camera. The M10 battery is so small you can carry it in your pocket without even noticing it's there.

 

The whole issue is simply blown out of proportion.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

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"..the M10 electronics are reputed to be 20% or so more efficient so the actual reduction in exposures per charge.."

 

I've wondered if this is true but haven't found a decent reference...perhaps you can help Mr ramarren.

 

all best...

One of the interviews with Leica discussed this and how the managed heat. I think it's the one on Red Dot Forum

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

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"..the M10 electronics are reputed to be 20% or so more efficient so the actual reduction in exposures per charge.."

 

I've wondered if this is true but haven't found a decent reference...perhaps you can help Mr ramarren.

 

all best...

 

 

I read it in at least one, maybe two, of the dozen reviews of the M10 that came out within a week of the camera's being released, and the folks at the store alluded to it as well. That's as much of a reference as I can offer. 

 

I still wouldn't worry about it at all. Just use the camera and don't examine it under a microscope all day. :)

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Great info!

Not to mention it takes 3-4 cycles of the battery to get full performance.

 

But so far I've never had a day of shooting where I ran out of battery. Regardless I always keep two spares. One on the charger and one with the camera. The M10 battery is so small you can carry it in your pocket without even noticing it's there.

 

The whole issue is simply blown out of proportion.

 

Yes, OMG, yes. In September I rode my motorcycle from NYC to St John's, Newfoundland, and back on an eleven day ride. I took my Q, two spares, and no charger. No problem. A craftsperson chooses a tool for a job, and then takes into account the tool's attributes as he or she performs the task to be performed. This princess and the pea stuff is so junior varsity.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited by edw
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