"Check Battery Age"

[jto555]

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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 

[Schrödinger's cat]

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.

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[edwardkaraa]

Your battery may need a reset. Leica recommends one every 50 charge cycles or so.

[Schrödinger's cat]

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 ?

[edwardkaraa]

How is that done, other than just using the battery to depletion ?

Yes, that's right.

Edited October 8, 2015 by edwardkaraa

[algrove]

That's a new one. I must be due too.

[jto555]

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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...

 

 

[Peter Kilmister]

That video will probably be better than most stuff at cinemas.

[bocaburger]

OK, I am shooting video of my inside of my lens cap

Film Noir in it's truest essence

[jto555]

No, I am afraid that did not work. I am still getting the warning message.

[algrove]

Then just return it to your dealer for a replace. I had to do that a year or more ago.

[jamesbf]

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! 

[ncc1701]

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.

[Mornnb]

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'.

[jamesbf]

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.

[Salander]

I've also just had the same error.  I've attached a screenshot

 

 

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[jto555]

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!

[Steve Ricoh]

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

[Mornnb]

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.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Steve Ricoh]

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).