GarethC Posted June 12, 2007 Share #1 Posted June 12, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I was going to buy a Leica but seeing hte price differential I'm wondering if the aftermarket ebay specials are any good. I rarely get as far as a second battery so I'm not looking for stellar battery life but I am looking for reliability. Can anybody point me to an adequate source? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 12, 2007 Posted June 12, 2007 Hi GarethC, Take a look here Aftermarket Batteries any Good?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
stephengilbert Posted June 12, 2007 Share #2 Posted June 12, 2007 There was a fairly long thread about this. One or two people have used them with success, but the consensus was that the risk wasn't worth the savings. Use the search button above. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveB Posted June 12, 2007 Share #3 Posted June 12, 2007 If there's going to be trouble with those aftermarket batteries from Hong Kong, then I'll be the one who finds out. I have six aftermarket batteries armed and loaded in my Pelican box right now. http://i17.tinypic.com/6fhvh9e.jpg I need battery power for a 22 day canoe trip and couldn't stomach buying the OEM ones. If I live to regret it, I'll be performing an Act of Contrition right here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted June 12, 2007 Share #4 Posted June 12, 2007 I'm still puzzled. A 30$ savings on the battery on a 5000$ camera?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted June 12, 2007 Share #5 Posted June 12, 2007 If there's going to be trouble with those aftermarket batteries from Hong Kong, then I'll be the one who finds out. I have six aftermarket batteries armed and loaded in my Pelican box right now. http://i17.tinypic.com/6fhvh9e.jpg I need battery power for a 22 day canoe trip and couldn't stomach buying the OEM ones. If I live to regret it, I'll be performing an Act of Contrition right here. Well, with that number of batteries I can begin to understand the ratio behind buying the cheaper ones. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted June 12, 2007 Share #6 Posted June 12, 2007 I'm still puzzled. A 30$ savings on the battery on a 5000$ camera?? Actually Jaapv the ones from Hong Kong are about $15 or $20 for a savings of about +/-$100 each. I myself bought one from B&H at $79 + shipping and it has worked everytime I have put it in the camera just like the ones that have the Leica name on them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveB Posted June 12, 2007 Share #7 Posted June 12, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Actually Jaapv the ones from Hong Kong are about $15 or $20 for a savings of about +/-$100 each.I myself bought one from B&H at $79 + shipping and it has worked everytime I have put it in the camera just like the ones that have the Leica name on them. I just checked what I paid when I got 5 from Hong Kong. This was the price delivered to New Hampshire. Conversion From: -$69.14 USD Conversion To: £33.80 GBP Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted June 12, 2007 Share #8 Posted June 12, 2007 Actually Jaapv the ones from Hong Kong are about $15 or $20 for a savings of about +/-$100 each.I myself bought one from B&H at $79 + shipping and it has worked everytime I have put it in the camera just like the ones that have the Leica name on them. Well I pay 79 Euro here and if I buy aftermarket ones on the Internet I would have to pay, including shipping and tax about 50 Euro, so it clearly does not pay to buy them from where I am sitting.... If I had to save 100$ per battery I would have to get them for free, as 79 Euro equals just over 100 $. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted June 12, 2007 Share #9 Posted June 12, 2007 I need battery power for a 22 day canoe trip and couldn't stomach buying the OEM ones. I'm sure we'll be interested to know whether you manage to keep the camera dry when you capsize... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff Posted June 28, 2007 Share #10 Posted June 28, 2007 Some aftermarket batteries may come from reliable well established manufacturers, while others are only a thin line away from being cheaply made, high profit counterfeit knockoffs. Unfortunately, the market is rife with the later and talking in general, unspecific make and model terms is misleading. Many harmful affects of poorly designed batteries do not manifest themselves in immediate and obvious ways. Slightly over, under or fluctuating voltage output can place a strain on electrical circuitry, causing failure to result only after some duration of use. Would you use cheap gas in a Porsche and expect it to run perfectly and the engine to hold up over time, or would you state that you tried it, it runs, and therefore recommend to others to do the same? Would you make the claim that your home is hurricane-proof simply because it has never been destroyed in such a storm? To reiterate what has been repeatedly stated before. Why contradict the merits of a $5000 Leica camera purchase, based on quality and workmanship, only to risk it’s functionality and warranty by cutting corners on cheap, poorly designed batteries? I don’t get it. Geoff myspace.com/geoffotos Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timswan Posted June 28, 2007 Share #11 Posted June 28, 2007 I bought an aftermarket battery from B&H and it's great. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was made by the manufacturer of the "official" Leica battery, and I figure B&H wouldn't sell me a less-than-reputable battery. BW, the B&H page says that the aftermarket battery is "1150mAh", but the delivered battery is 1900mAh, just like Leica's. I can see paying the Leica tax on their lenses and on the M8 (though that's a close call) but not on a battery that's made by someone else. That "tax" in this case is 100%, or about $60, which I'll put into my lens fund. Then again, I'd likely stay away from some of the eBay batteries. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest malland Posted June 28, 2007 Share #12 Posted June 28, 2007 Absolutely, an aftermarket battery from a relaible dealer is likely either to have been produced by the maker of the OEM battery for Leica or another one that is as good. Some people wil go for anything with a Leica badge: I remember a posting on one of the Leica forums where one twit wrote that he would deifinitely starting printing digitally if Leica produced a scanner, because then he "would know it would be good." There is one born every minute. —Mitch/Potomac, MD Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted June 28, 2007 Share #13 Posted June 28, 2007 I bought a impact brand from B&H and it seems to be working fine. It was not as inexpensive as the one's from Hong Kong but it was local, USA, and does come with a 1 year warranty. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry Posted June 28, 2007 Share #14 Posted June 28, 2007 I've had excellent luck with B&H's Impact brand batteries for several cameras, including Nikon, Canon and Panasonic. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one for the M8. Larry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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