jim_royer Posted May 10, 2007 Share #1 Posted May 10, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Do any of you M8 users know who makes the battery. I'm ready to buy an additional one and was hoping to get a better price than buying one with the word Leica on it. Thanks in advance. Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 10, 2007 Posted May 10, 2007 Hi jim_royer, Take a look here M8 batteries. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
4season Posted May 10, 2007 Share #2 Posted May 10, 2007 The original maker is Ansmann, but they don't currently sell M8 batteries directly. You can also find knockoffs on eBay pretty cheaply, but I can't vouch for the quality. Li-Ion batteries are twitchy beasts and can go up in flames spectacularly if not done right, hence this is not an area where I'd normally cut corners. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry Posted May 10, 2007 Share #3 Posted May 10, 2007 Jim, B&H photo is selling a less expensive version of the battery: Impact Impact BM8 Lithium-ion Battery (3.7v, 1150mAh) Larry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 10, 2007 Share #4 Posted May 10, 2007 Buy a 5000$ camera and skimp 30$ on the battery Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted May 10, 2007 Share #5 Posted May 10, 2007 My experience of buying 1 battery on ebay has been it's fine. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhoelscher Posted May 10, 2007 Share #6 Posted May 10, 2007 That battery that you referenced specs out at only 1150 mAH, compared with the factory version 1900 mAH ... doesn't seem like a good deal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted May 10, 2007 Share #7 Posted May 10, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Not sure where you get that number from, I haven't noticed any difference in battery life. If it exists, it's masked by variation in use from charge to charge. The risk-averse among you will continue to buy Leica batteries, think there's some magic angel dust sprinkled over them and be taken to the cleaners in the process. Me, I'm more than happy to work with compatibles. The same vendor is doing a 5 pack for the price of 1 Leica battery. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
intransit Posted May 10, 2007 Share #8 Posted May 10, 2007 Do any of you M8 users know who makes the battery. I'm ready to buy an additional one and was hoping to get a better price than buying one with the word Leica on it. Thanks in advance. Jim There's a fellow eBay My World - zoo2003yy who's selling with a seemingly good report cards: 1800 mAh 3.7v and my local dealer & I will buy 1/2 dozen to check them out... Expensive cam = costly fringe benefits4sure! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkhien Posted May 10, 2007 Share #9 Posted May 10, 2007 My suggestion : eBay: Battery For Leica M8 14464 Digital Camera (item 230128072478 end time May-14-07 20:52:09 PDT) I bought o1 for myself , nothing wrong with it , unless you want "Leica " name on it !! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hahn73 Posted May 10, 2007 Share #10 Posted May 10, 2007 I agree that the whole Leica branding thing on batteries is silly. Leica's expertise is in optics, not batteries. I'm going to buy a couple of these batteries as well. $100 for a battery is just plain stupid. I'll plunk down four grand for their camera because no one else can build one. The same is NOT true of batteries. When's the last time anyone seen a Li-Ion battery blow up other than at a tradeshow where [insert big corporation] shows the results to scare you into buying their own very marked up batteries? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 10, 2007 Share #11 Posted May 10, 2007 It is not the batteries blowing up; it is the association of batteries/battery charger with camera's dying. Those were Leica (Ansmann) products and the dust seems to have settled now, fortunately. Where is my guarantee with a third-party battery? I'm convinced there is nothing wrong with most third-party batteries, in fact I have been using them in other camera's. But why should I enter a lottery where my benefit is just thirty dollars (not counting shipping costs and VAT, which makes them very close in price to Leica batteries anyway) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted May 10, 2007 Share #12 Posted May 10, 2007 The day I ordered my M8 I also ordered a second battery from the place I bought the M8, WAY over priced, and also a third battery from B&H, normal B&H price. I have not used more then one battery at any given shooting session. So I think my 3 batteries will last me for some time. When the time comes, 2 or 3 years form now, I will "think" about aftermarket batteries and make the decision then. Until then I'm happy I bought real Leica batteries. Oh in my opinion the batteries have nothing to do with the sudden death syndrome (SDS) of the M8. Nothing has ever been proven that the batteries have anything to do with SDS. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuchs Posted May 11, 2007 Share #13 Posted May 11, 2007 I have 4 original Leica batteries, and 2 from the Hong Kong seller on ebay, look for item #230128072478. Original batteries cost me USD 99 each. Those from HK USD 14.99. The two from HK are going strong at last as the others, last longer and after 1 and a half months of service never gave me any issues with my camera. I was one whose charger failed after 5-6 weeks of use. At that time I used only original batteries. I am convinced now the problem I had was only caused by the charger, as was in the case of at least some of the reported SDSs. The potential problem with Leica not honouring their warranty if anything fails when using a 3rd party battery is real, though. Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted May 11, 2007 Share #14 Posted May 11, 2007 The potential problem with Leica not honouring their warranty if anything fails when using a 3rd party battery is real, though. Unless you leave the third-party battery in the M8 when sending it in for service, how would Leica ever know? I would imagine they are far too busy to carry out some kind of forensic analysis to try and determine what kind of batteries have been used in the camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hahn73 Posted May 11, 2007 Share #15 Posted May 11, 2007 It is not the batteries blowing up; it is the association of batteries/battery charger with camera's dying. Those were Leica (Ansmann) products and the dust seems to have settled now, fortunately. Where is my guarantee with a third-party battery? I'm convinced there is nothing wrong with most third-party batteries, in fact I have been using them in other camera's. But why should I enter a lottery where my benefit is just thirty dollars (not counting shipping costs and VAT, which makes them very close in price to Leica batteries anyway) Someone above mentioned something about them possibly going up in flames. In the U.S., the cost benefit comes out to be almost US$80. If you like to pack extra batteries from long excursions away from an electrical socket, that cost adds up quickly. I also don't see any proof that the battery has anything to do with the camera dying, especially since in most of the cases of those that I read about, one "fixed" the problem by ejecting the battery and putting it back in (and they were Leica batteries too). Of course, it's your money so it's your right to decide whether that risk is real or not. My opinion is that it's not. If my camera blows up though, my mind will change. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertknappmd Posted May 11, 2007 Share #16 Posted May 11, 2007 There are so many variables out there in M8-land, I don't know why anyone would want to increase the risk by buying an unknown battery. As we say in New York... "Pay the two dollars...." :eek: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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