jto555 Posted October 8, 2015 Share #1 Posted October 8, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi all, I just got a "Check Battery Age" in red on my nearly 2 year old M. While I do use the cameras (professionally) a lot, it does seem to be a bit early for a battery to get close to end of life! By the way, with two bodies I use four batteries, which I have numbered so I can rotate my usage. Has anyone else got this message? In contrast, the 6 batteries for my Canon 5D Mark IIs' which I have used since 2009, are still going strong. Are the, way more expensive, Leica batteries build to a lesser standard or was there a bad batch? John 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 8, 2015 Posted October 8, 2015 Hi jto555, Take a look here "Check Battery Age". I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Schrödinger's cat Posted October 8, 2015 Share #2 Posted October 8, 2015 Hi all, I just got a "Check Battery Age" in red on my nearly 2 year old M. While I do use the cameras (professionally) a lot, it does seem to be a bit early for a battery to get close to end of life! By the way, with two bodies I use four batteries, which I have numbered so I can rotate my usage. Has anyone else got this message? In contrast, the 6 batteries for my Canon 5D Mark IIs' which I have used since 2009, are still going strong. Are the, way more expensive, Leica batteries build to a lesser standard or was there a bad batch? John I can't comment on the battery quality, but it does occur to me that the level at which you get a battery warning might just be (Leica typical ) conservative vs. some other brands. I think I would just keep using it and see what happens, although this may not be an option in professional use. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardkaraa Posted October 8, 2015 Share #3 Posted October 8, 2015 Your battery may need a reset. Leica recommends one every 50 charge cycles or so. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrödinger's cat Posted October 8, 2015 Share #4 Posted October 8, 2015 Your battery may need a reset. Leica recommends one every 50 charge cycles or so. How is that done, other than just using the battery to depletion ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardkaraa Posted October 8, 2015 Share #5 Posted October 8, 2015 (edited) How is that done, other than just using the battery to depletion ? Yes, that's right. Edited October 8, 2015 by edwardkaraa Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted October 8, 2015 Share #6 Posted October 8, 2015 That's a new one. I must be due too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jto555 Posted October 9, 2015 Author Share #7 Posted October 9, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) OK, I am shooting video of my inside of my lens cap ( ) just to fully deplete the battery, and then to fully charge the battery. To be continued... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kilmister Posted October 9, 2015 Share #8 Posted October 9, 2015 That video will probably be better than most stuff at cinemas. 9 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bocaburger Posted October 9, 2015 Share #9 Posted October 9, 2015 OK, I am shooting video of my inside of my lens cap Film Noir in it's truest essence 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jto555 Posted October 10, 2015 Author Share #10 Posted October 10, 2015 No, I am afraid that did not work. I am still getting the warning message. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted October 10, 2015 Share #11 Posted October 10, 2015 Then just return it to your dealer for a replace. I had to do that a year or more ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesbf Posted October 10, 2015 Share #12 Posted October 10, 2015 Same message just popped up on my M240. Did a google search and came across this post... Let me know if you have any luck! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncc1701 Posted October 15, 2015 Share #13 Posted October 15, 2015 I had the same warning with a battery I purchased from someone on ebay.Leica NJ claimed defective. Although it seemed to work fine, I sent it back. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mornnb Posted October 16, 2015 Share #14 Posted October 16, 2015 No, I am afraid that did not work. I am still getting the warning message. Lithium ion batteries fail all the time, what's unusual is the message 'Check battery age'. Most devices will simply say 'check battery'. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesbf Posted October 16, 2015 Share #15 Posted October 16, 2015 I'm still using my M with my battery giving me that message but the battery life bar doesn't seem to be going down at all. It just stays at 100 %.. I guess its time to purchase a new battery and keep this one as backup. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salander Posted October 16, 2015 Share #16 Posted October 16, 2015 I've also just had the same error. I've attached a screenshot Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/251111-check-battery-age/?do=findComment&comment=2905856'>More sharing options...
jto555 Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share #17 Posted October 18, 2015 I've also just had the same error. I've attached a screenshot I wonder was there a bad batch? I also use a Godox Ving flashgun (a great flash for the money) and they had a bad batch of batteries. With Godox there is no recall, just dump the 'bad' battery and buy a new one. I hope Leica is not in the same boat! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Ricoh Posted October 26, 2015 Share #18 Posted October 26, 2015 (edited) The manual (and the leaflet accompanying the spare battery purchased recently) recommends deep cycling every 25 normal cycles, where normal means recharging whenever you wish. What concerns me is the age of the battery and the state of charge when the camera is purchased, or when a spare battery is purchased. Leica sales for some dealers might be slow, so by the time you purchase the battery it could already be quite old, and the residual charge might be dangerously low. As mentioned, I've just bought a spare and it took an age to charge as compared with the battery that came with the camera. I think it's age and more importantly the residual charge when you acquire the device. Too low and the battery will be hard to recover. Edited October 26, 2015 by Steve Ricoh 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mornnb Posted October 26, 2015 Share #19 Posted October 26, 2015 Disuse is fatal to lithium ion batteries. There is no better way to kill a battery than to leave it discharged for a year on a store shelf. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Ricoh Posted October 27, 2015 Share #20 Posted October 27, 2015 Indeed, so where should one purchase to ensure the sell by date is ok? I've had a look but can't see an obvious date of manufacture. Leica isn't the biggest seller at some stores on the high street. Anyway, no point in fretting, the battery has 12 months warranty. Plenty of time to determine whether the spare I purchased is ok. I'm still using the original battery with first time charge out of the box (that accompanied the camera) and still has 25% after 3 days of RF shooting (no live view for me). Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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