jaapv Posted May 9, 2013 Share #121 Posted May 9, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Ten years after discontinuation of the ME and MM, if a next model does not use them. That gives you maybe twenty years of use from now, not even considering refurbishing services, which is perfectly feasible as I found with my DMR batteries. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 9, 2013 Posted May 9, 2013 Hi jaapv, Take a look here Non-Leica M9 Battery Test. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jessiewonka Posted October 18, 2015 Share #122 Posted October 18, 2015 Steve, Now that’s interesting. From my reading up on Li-ion batteries I was told in several places they have much less (I forget the right term) self-discharge than all other rechargeables. But, as they said, there there was some…. however small. What you say is very interesting, indeed! I'm curious all these years later what your opinion is on third-party M9 batteries. Is there one you'd recommend over another? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucerne Posted October 18, 2015 Share #123 Posted October 18, 2015 (edited) I'm curious all these years later what your opinion is on third-party M9 batteries. Is there one you'd recommend over another? Well, I'm still using a combination of Leica and no-name batteries in my M9 since 2013. Some cost £75, and others as little as £1. Some are awkward but not impossible to charge. There are methods, but it can be time consuming and frustrating when I'm in a hotel room trying to prepare for the following day. Doesn't put me off third party batteries though! I'm now also using them on my Leica Q. there aren't actual brands. Just suppliers, although I don't think I've done business with your original Chinese supplier. Edited October 18, 2015 by lucerne Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted October 18, 2015 Share #124 Posted October 18, 2015 I am the cautious one so I stuck with Leica's own battery. Then I got curious and bought an inexpensive (~$12US) called "Powersmart dla003.387" I was going to use it until failure then cut it open to see if/what kind of regulator chip it had. Well, it works perfectly, and has for a year! I'm going to order two more to see how my luck holds up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frase Posted October 19, 2015 Share #125 Posted October 19, 2015 I am the cautious one so I stuck with Leica's own battery. Then I got curious and bought an inexpensive (~$12US) called "Powersmart dla003.387" I was going to use it until failure then cut it open to see if/what kind of regulator chip it had. Well, it works perfectly, and has for a year! I'm going to order two more to see how my luck holds up. I was just about to buy a new battery, I've tried a few generic left over from my M8 and couldn't get any of them to work so stuck with two original leica ones but one is not charging fully now. I found the powersmart one you talked about and just ordered one and will see what happens! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frase Posted October 27, 2015 Share #126 Posted October 27, 2015 got the powersmart battery charged up fine will see once it needs charged again if it works like the Leica ones. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted October 29, 2015 Share #127 Posted October 29, 2015 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) I was just about to buy a new battery, I've tried a few generic left over from my M8 and couldn't get any of them to work so stuck with two original leica ones but one is not charging fully now. I found the powersmart one you talked about and just ordered one and will see what happens! The two additional powersmart batteries I received at $12 each work. What can we say? A batch properly made, and the rest ...? Now I have five batteries for the M9, all behaving properly. A fluke? I don't care. What works, works. Are the Powersmart people just way smart and competent? I do not know, but they are on my radar for good stuff. I will add that I do not understand the light indicator for the M9 charger. When it blinks 80% what does it mean since there is not indicator that the battery is fully charged. WTF? . Edited October 29, 2015 by pico Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted October 29, 2015 Share #128 Posted October 29, 2015 The two more powersmart batteries I received at $12 each work. What can we say? A batch properly made, and the rest ...? Now I have five batteries for the M9, all behaving properly. A fluke? I don't care. What works, works. I will add that I do not understand the light indicator for the M9 charger. When it blinks 80% charged is cool but when can we know that it is 100% charged. My guess is - we cannot. . Duh. When the light stops flashing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted October 29, 2015 Share #129 Posted October 29, 2015 Duh. When the light stops flashing. the 80 percent light never stops flashing. Duh. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted October 30, 2015 Share #130 Posted October 30, 2015 On mine it does when 100%. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB_tx Posted October 30, 2015 Share #131 Posted October 30, 2015 Mine also stops flashing when full charge is reached, but I only have Leica brand batteries. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaDeVa Posted October 30, 2015 Share #132 Posted October 30, 2015 Mine also stops flashing when full charge is reached, but I only have Leica brand batteries.Same for me (with Leica batteries). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted October 30, 2015 Share #133 Posted October 30, 2015 I was wrong. Mine did stop flashing, and reads 100% in Info. Where is my head? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
xixi_gelly Posted April 25, 2016 Share #134 Posted April 25, 2016 Hi, any more word on how the China-made Powersmart batteries perform? And has anyone ever tried their charger as well? I'm considering getting a charger and two batteries from Powersmart because I currently have one charger and 2 batteries (original Leica) for the M9 and it's only enough for one day. I was thinking if I had four batteries and two chargers, I could use two batteries each day, and charge them both during the night. Alternatively, does anyone still make a dual-battery charger? I believe Delkin no longer makes theirs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucerne Posted April 25, 2016 Share #135 Posted April 25, 2016 (edited) First: Welcome to this forum. From 2013-2015 posts, you can see that Powersmart batteries work! I tend to assume that all batteries (including Leica) are made in China and I have a selection which I've used successfully for three years. Some Leica batteries (for the Q) are marked "made in China") Considering their price, I feel I can afford to experiment, but I've never had a failure. I carry a minimum of four on each trip, usually use two per day, and charge them whenever I get the chance. Non leica-branded come in two types, and some are chargeable in the standard Leica charger. Powersmart aren't a brand I know about but I can see that they are now available in the UK. It isn't clear whether they can be charged in the Leica charger. Having a second charger may be useful, but when travelling, its just extra to carry. Other members will suggest from experience, the ones that they've found work. Let us know how you get on. Edited April 25, 2016 by lucerne 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frase Posted April 26, 2016 Share #136 Posted April 26, 2016 I tried the powersmart batteries used them once but once they charged it didn't reset the charge indicator in the camera. I think with a non-Leica charger they would work fine. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david strachan Posted April 26, 2016 Share #137 Posted April 26, 2016 I tried the powersmart batteries used them once but once they charged it didn't reset the charge indicator in the camera. I think with a non-Leica charger they would work fine. The after market batteries are famous for this problem. AFAIK they all have this problem. The way round it... run your battery down completely in camera ie use it until the camera stops working. Then charge in the Leica charger. It should show the full bar, and depreciate the indicator bar from there. They've always had a reasonable capacity, in my experience. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
xixi_gelly Posted April 28, 2016 Share #138 Posted April 28, 2016 Many thanks all for the helpful comments and the note of welcome as well, Lucerne. The Powersmart batteries aren't much money so I'll give them a try and report back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DK_Leicafreak Posted June 20, 2016 Share #139 Posted June 20, 2016 (edited) Regarding the power/charge level and Lithium-Ion (or for any Li-xx* battery)... A charger cannot see the healt state of a battery in terms of capacity. It usually determine the charge level by monitoring the peak charge voltage. Getting closer to "full" the battery can't take any further charge and the charge current reduces. And the charge voltage become linear (have in mind, that a battery can only accept charge if the charge voltage exceeds the battery nominal voltage - same principle as having a liquid flowing from one tank to another in terms of pressure a difference). The maximum voltage a charger can output is often limited by a set value (in order not to damage a healty battery) The charger will usually terminate charging (which is clever, as any Li-xx battery will be damaged by overcharging - read OVER-VOLTAGE). And in fact also by over-discharge (damage due to under-voltage)! Assuming a healty charger, and a battery that are not able to make the charger extinguish the 80% lamp, is due to a less-than-nominal capacity battery, which mean that the battery is not able to benefit the full charge voltage (due to internal resistnace), which mean that charge voltage will not get high enough to provide the value required to satisfy the logic that turns on the "the more than 80% charged/full" LED. Battery cell detoriation is caused by several factors; like formation on film on the electrode surface (gives increased internal resistance), delamination of electrodes and decreased migration of (Li) ions. This is usually dermined by the quality of the cells and by the number of charge/discharge cycles in combinations. Battery defects are another issue not necessarily caused by usage; but for instance manufactoring, internal leaks, overloading, mechanical impact etc. The internal resistance of a Li-xx battery will usually increase as deterioration happens. To reach the same capacity as a new fit battery will in fact require higher voltage, but this is kind of hypothetical as this will damage the battery. And since the charger will have a max output set for the battery type, the user will experience this as less capacity. Indeed, it is possible to charge a deteriorated (or bad) battery to it's approximated nominal full-charge level, but as soon at the battery gets loaded the nominal voltage drops-off. This corresponds to less residual capacity. I'm fortunated to have advanced (computer controlled) Li-xx chargers from my R/C-model airplane interest - and these can be used to determine the real healt state of Li-xx by verifying the capacity by a combination of long term and short term discharging (by setting a resistive load across the battery and counting the amperage usage in that process. And calculate/outout the battery internal resistance as well (for comparison purposes). And I have had good and bad experiences with both OEM and non-OEM type batteries. My general observation is however that OEM-batteries performs better in terms of capacity and cycles, that the opposite. I suspect that OEM batteries are made of batches having better entry specifications. And therefore at bit more costly. But not near anything justifiable in terms of what a Red Dot label ! *Li-xx: Li-Ion, Li-Po, Li-Fe My "2 Danish Kroner" :-) /Niels Edited June 20, 2016 by DK_Leicafreak Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 7, 2017 Share #140 Posted July 7, 2017 Too bad DK_Leicafreak only wrote one post altogether. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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