Jump to content

How many Spared batteries?


Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I have an m 262 with 2 batteries but i almost never take the spare with me as its not required.

I really love the old school type battery life on the 262 and have no interest in the m 10 partly because of that.

Link to post
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, marchyman said:

I'd think it would make more sense to rely on your actual battery use.  If you have an M240 and make frequent use of live view or the external EVF you may get much less than 350-400 shots.  If you never use live view, have automatic review off, and rarely hit the play button (or own an M 262) than 350-400 shots may be half of what you actually get.

I'm still using the battery that came with my M 262.   I do not have a second battery, yet.   At some time I will.   For MY use case -- yours may well be different -- a fully charged battery will shoot 5-10 time more pictures than I take on a day where I use the M 262 a lot.

Using 0.5x-2x of Leica recommended reference number is very reasonable for people who do not have a firm usage habit.

Exactly how much margin is right should be derived case by case. There is no point to argue about that.

Use common sense!

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, steve 1959 said:

I have an m 262 with 2 batteries but i almost never take the spare with me as its not required.

I really love the old school type battery life on the 262 and have no interest in the m 10 partly because of that.

The original discussion here is not about how many batteries for each session, but how many to keep the camera alive.

Link to post
Share on other sites

For every camera I purchase I have one spare battery, maybe two spares if the battery life is notoriously poor (think early sony MILCs). What I've learnt is that two healthy batteries stored properly and used evenly in rotation is better than a stockpile of 4 or 5 (or more) batteries which are unused. I've purchased cameras used with up to 6 batteries "free", but the extra batteries count for nothing if they are all dead. I shot my M240 rather heavily for almost 5 years and two batteries served me fine (over 30-40k frames?) with no discernible drop in battery life.

Anyway, the camera will likely die before the original two batteries (one with the camera and spare) truly go kaput, if the batteries maintained through the lifetime (rotated for use, stored properly, not dropped). Now Leica product cycles are 4 to 5 years, so at the tail end of those cycles you may wish to pick up another couple of batteries lest the new model uses a newer battery type. I do recall camera companies generally extending serviceability of a camera 5 to 10 years after the camera is discontinued (depending on manufacturer), in which case even if a new model is released with new batteries, the older model's batteries should continue to be sold until the camera is no longer serviceable. If the new model uses the same batteries, then you're in luck.

Now I myself have overthought this. Basically 2 batteries for me. Another 1 or 2 every 5 years if I stick with that camera.

Link to post
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Einst_Stein said:

The original discussion here is not about how many batteries for each session, but how many to keep the camera alive.

If you buy extra batteries for the camera in fear of them no longer being manufactured will they still deteriorate even if they are left boxed?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

10 hours ago, chasdfg said:

For every camera I purchase I have one spare battery, maybe two spares if the battery life is notoriously poor (think early sony MILCs). What I've learnt is that two healthy batteries stored properly and used evenly in rotation is better than a stockpile of 4 or 5 (or more) batteries which are unused. I've purchased cameras used with up to 6 batteries "free", but the extra batteries count for nothing if they are all dead. I shot my M240 rather heavily for almost 5 years and two batteries served me fine (over 30-40k frames?) with no discernible drop in battery life.

Anyway, the camera will likely die before the original two batteries (one with the camera and spare) truly go kaput, if the batteries maintained through the lifetime (rotated for use, stored properly, not dropped). Now Leica product cycles are 4 to 5 years, so at the tail end of those cycles you may wish to pick up another couple of batteries lest the new model uses a newer battery type. I do recall camera companies generally extending serviceability of a camera 5 to 10 years after the camera is discontinued (depending on manufacturer), in which case even if a new model is released with new batteries, the older model's batteries should continue to be sold until the camera is no longer serviceable. If the new model uses the same batteries, then you're in luck.

Now I myself have overthought this. Basically 2 batteries for me. Another 1 or 2 every 5 years if I stick with that camera.

The moderator JAAP posted in this thread saying all batteries are made of battery cells (and control circuits), and it's possible to buy the cell and replace them DIY. 

Better yet, it may be possible to buy the most up to date technology (remember the battery memory in the old technology?). I have not found the source of replace/refill cell yet, but that would be a good choice. Perhaps solve the problem once and forever.

Link to post
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, steve 1959 said:

If you buy extra batteries for the camera in fear of them no longer being manufactured will they still deteriorate even if they are left boxed?

It is very likely. An unused or overtrained battery is as bad as an overused.

Many posters suggest to number the battery and make sure to rotate them properly. That should be a required practice. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, chasdfg said:

Now I myself have overthought this. Basically 2 batteries for me. Another 1 or 2 every 5 years if I stick with that camera.

I am used to think Leica is counted by generations, not by years, or they should never die.

It is sad that may no longer be the case.  Maybe they have never been. Many old electronic-rich film models had faded out.

Why should I worried a LEICA become unusable after 5 or 10 years, while it's perfect OK when a $3K computer becomes useless after 3 or 5 years, and I even have to pay to junk it!

Maybe that is the strategy what all camera companies should adopt, be it to discontinue the battery, the memory card, or upgrade and stop supporting the old file format, etc.  

Link to post
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, steve 1959 said:

If you buy extra batteries for the camera in fear of them no longer being manufactured will they still deteriorate even if they are left boxed?

Yes.   Ideally, for maximum life you'd bring them to the 40% ~ 50%  charge level once a year.  In practice using them (putting a load on them) and charging them at least once a year will help them last longer.  See, for example, https://batteryuniversity.com/index.php/learn/article/how_to_store_batteries

Link to post
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Einst_Stein said:

The moderator JAAP posted in this thread saying all batteries are made of battery cells (and control circuits), and it's possible to buy the cell and replace them DIY. 

Better yet, it may be possible to buy the most up to date technology (remember the battery memory in the old technology?). I have not found the source of replace/refill cell yet, but that would be a good choice. Perhaps solve the problem once and forever.

Sounds like a lot of trouble for a $100 battery. 

I explored swapping batteries out of my electric toothbrush, but swapping cells out of a camera battery...I'd say its safer to buy a used one (of which you do not know the provenance i.e. may have been dropped or charged improperly) than to muck about like that and brick a camera. It isn't impossible and it may be a simple job if you know what you're doing but most of us don't in this respect. In any case if you do find out where Varta Indonesia gets the cells and circuits of this battery and decide to embark on this project I'd follow with interest..

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...