Battery Life

[lct]

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[...] And I don't see a battery indicator in the EVF, and nowhere in the menu system to turn it on. 

 

In shooting mode, the battery indicator is at the top right corner if you don't trigger image magnification. If you don't see it then you may wish to press the Center button. 

[Jake]

It's in the same place in the EVF: top right hand corner. Switch the EVF info on.

Color me stupid, dense, or thick, but I've gone through the menu system thrice and haven't found the EVF info toggle. 

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[lawman]

Color me stupid, dense, or thick, but I've gone through the menu system thrice and haven't found the EVF info toggle.

There isn’t one - it comes on with all the other evf info - it’s either all on or all off.

[lawman]

Color me stupid, dense, or thick, but I've gone through the menu system thrice and haven't found the EVF info toggle.

Sorry, I thought you meant the battery symbol - toggle evf info on or off with the centre button on the directional pad.

[Jake]

Sorry, I thought you meant the battery symbol - toggle evf info on or off with the centre button on the directional pad.

Ok. That did it. I guess it's basic and I missed it. Makes sense. Thanks!

Edited March 6, 2018 by Jake

[wlaidlaw]

I bought 2 spare Jupio batteries for my CL and they work fine in regular use, seeming to have about the same life as the original Leica one. However, one negative point on them is that they have a noticeably higher self-discharge rate than the Leica. My batteries were put away all fully charged when I sent my CL and 18-56 off for warranty replacement. When I received the new CL Zoom kit today, while the additional Leica battery that came with the new kit was on charge, I inserted the first battery which came to hand, from my battery carry case. It was a Jupio. It was virtually discharged. I suppose given that they are about one third of the price of Leica original batteries, something had to give. 

 

Wilson

[jaapv]

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It shouldn't do that, Wilson. In your place I would contact: info@jupio.com

[wlaidlaw]

It shouldn't do that, Wilson. In your place I would contact: info@jupio.com

 

Jaap, 

 

I will test it again, now that I have four batteries, to make sure it was not finger trouble (e.g. leaving camera switched on while travelling back from USA). 

 

Wilson

[wlaidlaw]

Definite problem with one of my 2 Jupio batteries. Charged it last night and it was 8.32V. Today after sitting for just 24 hours, it is down to 7.84V. Will contact Jupio. 

 

Wilson

[ramarren]

I've been using the Nitecore chargers for both the CL and the M-D batteries exclusively for a while now. I was kind of noticing that I wasn't getting as high a number of exposures per charge out of the M-D batteries as I expected so I did a test with it: A full charge with the Nitecore charger (to the point where it says "END") reads out 85% in the M-D battery state. Putting that battery into the Leica charger, it indicates ~80% charged. When the Leica charger lights go out, waiting 20 minutes then putting the same battery into the M-D nets 100% charge state readout. 

I don't have a precise way to do the same thing with the CL, but given the frequency with which I charge batteries for it, I am going to take a leap and figure it to be similar.

It seems to me that the Nitecore chargers are stopping a bit early, likely to absolutely prevent any overheating/overcharge situation, and the Leica charger has somewhat more sophisticated control and will push the battery to its full capacity. The Nitecore chargers are vary convenient ... light, small, and USB power connection ... so for travel they work well. But I'd rather give my battery a full charge when I can here at home. 🙂

[scott kirkpatrick]

I agree with your observations -- Nitecore seems to stop a bit sooner than the Leica chargers for the CL/Panasonic batteries.  But the difference seems small.  With CL batteries, I measured their voltages with a DVM and compared this with what the Nitecore chargers show.  They agree when you are charging.  But Nitecore stops and declares 8.4 V when the actual voltage is more like 8.2 volts.  The Leica charger trickles on for 5 to 30 minutes, and then turns its light off, leaving the battery with the same 8.2 volts or sometimes 8.3 volts.  The endpoint is also different, depending on whether you use Leica' batteries or third-party batteries.  I am using some WATSON batteries, that B&H recommends based on experience with Leica and Panasonic products.  Since the CL doesn't have a very precise battery meter, I think the best advice is just to take along one more battery than your usual number.  I used four batteries recently shooting 6 hours a day with two CL's and never got stuck.  The toughest case for a battery charger that is trying to be smart and charge at a varying rate is when you give it a nearly full battery.  That's where Nitecore quits and declares success when it should be doing more.

[ramarren]

Yes, I have been carrying four batteries for the CL and not had any problems with having enough juice for as much shooting as I wanted.

I became interested because the M-D always reports only 85% with the Nitecore charger where the Leica charger amps the batteries up to display 100%. I think that difference in charge state makes a larger difference on the M-D than it does on the CL. 

[scott kirkpatrick]

Continuing to learn what NiteCore is doing, I saw that one of my SL batteries was indicating rather low after sitting for a few days in the camera, switched off.  NC charger indicated 7.6 V. That battery would not charge on the NC, when plugged into a phone charger that only delivered 0.3 amp.   When I gave it power from an iPad charger which supplied 1 amp, it charged it up to about 8.0 volts before shutting off.  A second and third try got it up to 8.1 volts, both with very brief charges. As seen before, it indicates 8.4 V when ever it stops, but that is not a real measurement. Now it is finishing on the Leica charger, with the yellow light on. 

So NC's basic charger seems to be a fast charger with a safety cutoff.  It's nice to have the extra measurement information, but it is also nice to have the Leica charger to fall back on when the NC seems to be doing a hasty job.

 

Edited October 28, 2018 by scott kirkpatrick

[leicamr]

Using Leica branded batteries, I am lucky if I can make them last for 110 images. No picture review on the LCD, only 1 second review in the EVF. Power saving on with all settings to minimum. 
 

Mark

[ramarren]

One of these days I need to do a more rigorous test of battery life in the CL. 

Both my Leica OEM brand (2x) and Wasabi brand (2x) are now three years old and have been through many charge cycles. I haven't changed the basic camera configurations I use since 2018, and I use only M and R mount lenses. My impression is that I'm now getting a little less photos per charge with all of them, and a little less than the with the Wasabis, but the total exposures per charge are, I think, at least in the 150-250 range, and it often seems quite a bit more. 

I have to define some 'test' parameters and then dedicate myself to shooting with the CL regularly for a week or three. I keep swapping back and forth between my different cameras this past year, so it's difficult to say right now whether the CL batteries are getting run down more in shooting, menu/display foolery, or just from sitting on the shelf waiting to be used.

(I have to say: One of the reasons why I tend to like old, meter less, mechanical film cameras is the utter lack of battery management required... Just fire the shutter off a few times a year and they'll last forever if kept in a decent storage cabinet.)

G

Edited September 12, 2021 by ramarren

[tommonego@gmail.com]

I thought I was having battery issues this summer, noticed the problem more with my Wasabi batteries than my Leica. So I thought that after 2+ years on the Wasabi they may be losing their charge. So I bought 2 Sigma BP-51s, same battery made alongside the Leica and Panasonic batteries. Before I got them the camera just died, sent it to Leica, and a circuit board is being replaced, no more information. I have asked them to be more specific, guess I'll find out when the camera comes back next week. 

[jaapv]

On 9/11/2021 at 6:14 PM, leicamr said:

Using Leica branded batteries, I am lucky if I can make them last for 110 images. No picture review on the LCD, only 1 second review in the EVF. Power saving on with all settings to minimum. 
 

Mark

Some lenses use more energy than others.

[wlaidlaw]

43 minutes ago, jaapv said:

Some lenses use more energy than others.

The Panasonic 70-200L is a battery hog, if I have it on the CL with OIS turned on at the lens. I suspect the Leica 90-280 might have been also but I never had it on the CL long enough to find out. I can just manage to hand hold the 70-200 on the CL whereas I really struggled with the 90-280, with my neck and shoulders protesting after a few seconds. 

Wilson

[jaapv]

The 100-400 Sigma is a thirsty lens, the 150-600 even more so. I always have two spare batteries in my pocket. 

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[jaapv]

1. The 100-400 Sigma is a thirsty lens, the 150-600 even more so. I always have two spare batteries in my pocket. The