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Generic batteries


Charles_Boileau

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What would be useful is a charger that would drain the battery before charging it - at the option of the user.
The only problem being that that is not best practice for using LiIon batteries. They would only put it in to accommodate a product that eats into their own sales.
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I frequently see quoted on the forum comments like, "if you can afford a $xxxxxx camera you should be able to afford the batteries (or whatever)."

 

Well that is pure bunkum, usually coming from those who have never known the hardship of saving and skrimping to achieve a major purchase.

 

Erl, this is utter rubbish!

 

Irrespective of who you're directing these comments at; unless you know the personal circumstances of every member who posts an opinion here,

you're not in a position to make these kind of broad sweeping and judgmental statements about them.

 

Let's just accept that everyone's entitled to freely express an opinion here, without being judged or categorized.

 

And after all, let's also not forget it's only batteries that we're discussing....

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don't buy generic batteries. so you've bought a $5k+ camera and won't spend $100 to get an authentic battery? The Leica batteries undergo quality assurance....how do you know the generic ones do?

 

some things just never make sense to me...such as people defending $20 non-QC, non-QA sketchy batteries...

Edited by iedei
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digital photography demands you regularly upgrade your computer and software, none of which is cheap. Your camera will obsolete itself faster and demand an expensive replacement.

I’m not sure I’d use the word ‘demands’ in this context. Manufacturers may want to persuade us that their latest product is a ‘must have’, but I take the view that whether we are talking about digital cameras or computers, the point is eventually reached where the technology meets one’s needs and further upgrading serves little purpose.

 

In terms of cameras, I bought my first digital camera in 1999, and gradually switched from model to model as the technology improved – all the way from 640 × 480 pixels to today’s 5212 x 3472 pixels. But I’ll be happy to stay with my M9-P until it or I finally expire.

 

I suspect that many households already have a computer, so for them this represents a purchase in its own right rather than something that results from the acquisition of a digital camera. Once again, there is a law of diminishing returns. After a long series of computer upgrades that started in the mid-1980s, I now have all the performance I need. I’ve been running the same computer since 2004, albeit with the regular addition of more and larger hard disks. Over the last few years, I’ve been able to acquire at modest cost spares of all the parts that make up my computer, so I expect to keep it operational for the foreseeable future.

 

Best regards,

Doug

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Even if that's correct, the Leica premium for batteries vastly exceeds the cost of QC and QA.

 

I like Leica products - but the battery pricing is ridiculous.

 

The Leica batteries undergo quality assurance....how do you know the generic ones do?

Edited by tele_player
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Even if that's correct, the Leica premium for batteries vastly exceeds the cost of QC and QA.

 

I like Leica products - but the battery pricing is ridiculous.

 

that still doesn't make it OK to buy a generic battery!

 

Of course Leica will do their own testing and ensure it is up to spec. The same way Porsche will test the batteries they install into their cars. That's the price you pay for OEM parts. For the peace of mind that at least you are getting a predictable product.

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We disagree - a non-OEM battery would be perfectly OK, if it worked correctly. This is true on a camera or a car.

 

that still doesn't make it OK to buy a generic battery!

 

Of course Leica will do their own testing and ensure it is up to spec. The same way Porsche will test the batteries they install into their cars. That's the price you pay for OEM parts. For the peace of mind that at least you are getting a predictable product.

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I wonder how many people fill their expensive car with petrol at the most expensive petrol station? After all it's got to be better petrol because it costs more.

 

So it is a glib crase comment when people come out with 'why pay $7000 for an camera and not pay for the genuine battery'. It doesn't matter how rich people are, or how poor they are, but to accept that you are being ripped off and to like it is the most insane stupidity.

 

I had to buy generic batteries as spares when I got my M9 because Leica had omitted to bother ordering enough from their suppliers, thus leaving a worldwide shortage. So much for customer care. So for six months I used my cheap Chinese batteries as backup without any problems (other than the charge indicator), they lasted longer than the Leica battery, and they didn't explode. Eventually when my battery ordered through my Leica dealer arrived I went to get it, but I still wonder why.

 

Steve

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Erl, this is utter rubbish!

 

Irrespective of who you're directing these comments at; unless you know the personal circumstances of every member who posts an opinion here,

you're not in a position to make these kind of broad sweeping and judgmental statements about them.

 

Let's just accept that everyone's entitled to freely express an opinion here, without being judged or categorized.

 

And after all, let's also not forget it's only batteries that we're discussing....

Mike, I seem to have hit a raw nerve here. That was not my basic intention.

My comments were directed generally at posts over a considerable time span, not any specific poster. The style of post I am targeting are guilty of what you attribute to me, ie. broad sweeping and judgmental statements.

 

I agree about the freedom of expression. I was exercising it.

 

I have not forgotten that it is "only batteries we're discussing." They are vital to me and I presume everyone else.

 

You have had experiences that influence your choice to use only Leica batteries and I respect that. My circumstances influence the choice I have made and I need to adapt to it. I presume everyone does the same to suit individual needs.

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Would it be wonderful if the generic Leica battery makers could make them properly? Oh! They cannot! At least not so we can discern the faulty lots.

 

There is the rub. Using generics is a gamble. We almost certainly represent the typical range of risk aversion.

 

So get over it already. You pay and take chances or not.

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I wonder how many people fill their expensive car with petrol at the most expensive petrol station? After all it's got to be better petrol because it costs more.

 

 

that is a horrible analogy.....

 

A) most petrol stations in the same viscinity have similar prices

B) the fuel is identical at all stations and is filled by the same trucks.

 

all batteries are not the same. they are built at different places....under different levels of quality control.

Edited by iedei
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My grandmother told me to never talk of politics, religion, or batteries.

When she was younger, I bet your grandmothers quote read differently, eg. "politics, religion, or sex." ;)

 

I agree with her!

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...So get over it already. You pay and take chances or not.

Only serious risk is to pay $15 and to throw the faulty battery away in my experience. Happened to me twice in eight years with D70 and Digilux 1 generic batteries. Those horrid precedents did not prevent me to buy generics for all my Canon, Nikon, Epson and Leica gear. Only problem for the latter (M8.2) is the necessity to discharge generics into the camera before recharging them. Not a problem for me but horses for courses and everybody's free to pay $150 needless to say, fortunately for camera makers.

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Not a problem for me but horses for courses and everybody's free to pay $150 needless to say, fortunately for camera makers.

 

they can readily be found for $99. I bought one recently for $99 brand new shipping included.

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The battery is a rip off compared to an official one cost wise. What we do not know is how much the manufacturer charges Leica for the "official" version. Perhaps the big price boost is to Leica, not Leica to us.

 

All that said, we can be assured Leica doubles the price they pay. ALL companies do this for spare replacement items.

 

I knew a man who worked at a GM warehouse. Cadillac and Chevrolet spark plugs came from the same bin, Cadillac brand was sold for double and the Chevrolet ones were priced too high to begin with.

 

I have on order official ones from B & H . We will see when they actually ship because of the Super Storm. I feel better to get the correct item for a $7000 camera. A bit like buying a Corvette and putting regular gas in it. I also buy Lexar cards too for the same reason.

Edited by tobey bilek
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