What's happening with my V-Lux 114?

[stuny]

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Each time I turn on my V-Lux it asks me to set the calendar which I must do before I can take any photos.  That works until I turn off the power.

 

Any ideas?

[DigitalHeMan]

Some cameras have an internal battery that is used to power the chips storing the date information, so that you don't need to reset every time you remove the removable battery. The internal battery is kept charged by the removable battery that powers the camera. I can imagine that if you stored the camera without the removable battery in it, then after a (very) long time then the internal battery could become discharged, and would need to be reset. However since you use your camera a lot I can't imagine that to be the case do you always remove the battery to charge it at the end of a shoot? Maybe leave a fully charged battery in there overnight and see if it changes anything? I can't imagine it will though, so I think you are going to need to send it back to the mother ship....

[stuny]

Simon -

 

Thank you for your suggestion, but the longest I have the camera without a charged battery is the few seconds it takes to change from a partially discharged battery to a fully charged battery.

[Manoleica]

Hi Stuny, I'm not sure, but if there is a Reset button, have you tried a Reset?

Otherwise it's a call to Leica or your Dealer.. Replacement Required..

[ChrisRL]

Stuny

From what I gather, the clock and other system information is powered either by EEPROM or some other internal battery (not the camera battery) charge. This is what helps the camera remember what it is and when it is even if you take the camera battery out. There's no written record of this item that I can find, but since it's digital I'm pretty sure that's what it is - that internal motherboard power isn't working properly, so if you remove the main camera battery, the clock and other system information is lost.

 

The main camera battery may or may not charge the internal system chip. On regular computers, it's a button battery that lasts for years but is not rechargeable. Not having opened a 114 up, I couldn't point it out to you, and in any event, as mano said, it's a Dealer deal, warranty etc.

 

Pretty basic error for a Leica branded camera, though.

 

What happened after your system reset?

[pop]

Normally, the clock is indeed powered by an on-board capacitor which is charged from the battery. In a new camera, the capacitor may take up to two days to charge to capacity. Hence, if you remove the main battery from a camera before that internal "battery" is fully charged or if you leave your camera without its main battery for any length of time (days, I would guess) the internal battery might become exhausted.

 

It's possible that the manual says something about the time needed to charge and discharge that capacitor.

 

If you normally keep your camera with a charged battery installed, I'd assume the internal capacitor to be defective and bring the camera back.

[stuny]

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Leonard, Chris & Philipp -

 

Thank you.  I fear the camera needs to visit Leica.

[Max Parks]

I set the date/time for C1 and C2.  When I turn the camera OFF 'and back ON, the date/time is still there.  However, if I remove the battery in favor of a fully charged battery, I have to reset the date/time.  It's a bit annoying.  I found out, that the internal clock is powered by an internal capacitor battery which can loose its charge with age.  I hope this helps.