Leica Q2 Monochrome: Technical Specifications

[piran]

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6 minutes ago, Leica Guy said:

I wonder. I exclusively use the Nitecore charger. Have two batteries and it works great. Is there any evidence or experience that the Leica charger actually brings the batteries to a higher level of charge? Thanks. 

Observational deductions only so far. The content of my earlier post was in brief ...I thought it was all that was necessary.

TBH I have only used the NITECORE for ...about a minute and the LEICA charger for a scant few hours. IOW the original battery is still running on my initial charge... I have not yet purchased a second battery. 

[ expanded ]

After the LEICA charger had illuminated its 80% LED I swapped the battery over to the NITECORE. The latter took less than a minute to declare a 'full' charge or showed (IIRC) a 'good' state & also 'end'. I also took its 0 mA readout to mean that the NITECORE was prepared to do NO FURTHER WORK on the battery. IOW it felt that its job was done.

Transferring the battery back to the LEICA charger saw the latter once again showing its 80% LED. Note that it continued to show an flashing charging LED. I took this to indicate further charging work being perpetrated on the battery.

Very roughly an hour later the flashing of the charging LED stopped. Sorry but I forget whether its quiescent state was then off or on.  I took the additional duration and warmth to indicate further 'charging work' had actually been performed on the battery by the LEICA charger.

It seemed irrelevant to fit the '?additionally charged?' battery back into the NITECORE as it had earlier indicated it was not going to attempt any more charging work on the battery. AFAIK that shows good 'over-cooking' protection. I note also it has some sort of battery temperature readout - metering source unknown (?ambient or internal thermistor?).

It would be largely pointless my getting a meter out until the battery was properly commissioned - by dint of several discharge/charge cycles. Ditto any observations of whatever hours use or frames taken - particularly with heavy loads like the LCD and eyepiece viewfinder varying so much from person to person and in real life situations.

I believe that I have read my own situation adequately. 🙂 

YMMV

[Leica Guy]

7 hours ago, piran said:

Observational deductions only so far. The content of my earlier post was in brief ...I thought it was all that was necessary.

TBH I have only used the NITECORE for ...about a minute and the LEICA charger for a scant few hours. IOW the original battery is still running on my initial charge... I have not yet purchased a second battery. 

[ expanded ]

After the LEICA charger had illuminated its 80% LED I swapped the battery over to the NITECORE. The latter took less than a minute to declare a 'full' charge or showed (IIRC) a 'good' state & also 'end'. I also took its 0 mA readout to mean that the NITECORE was prepared to do NO FURTHER WORK on the battery. IOW it felt that its job was done.

Transferring the battery back to the LEICA charger saw the latter once again showing its 80% LED. Note that it continued to show an flashing charging LED. I took this to indicate further charging work being perpetrated on the battery.

Very roughly an hour later the flashing of the charging LED stopped. Sorry but I forget whether its quiescent state was then off or on.  I took the additional duration and warmth to indicate further 'charging work' had actually been performed on the battery by the LEICA charger.

It seemed irrelevant to fit the '?additionally charged?' battery back into the NITECORE as it had earlier indicated it was not going to attempt any more charging work on the battery. AFAIK that shows good 'over-cooking' protection. I note also it has some sort of battery temperature readout - metering source unknown (?ambient or internal thermistor?).

It would be largely pointless my getting a meter out until the battery was properly commissioned - by dint of several discharge/charge cycles. Ditto any observations of whatever hours use or frames taken - particularly with heavy loads like the LCD and eyepiece viewfinder varying so much from person to person and in real life situations.

I believe that I have read my own situation adequately. 🙂 

YMMV

Thanks. I’m going to repeat your experiment with my well used batteries. Nitecore then Leica charger and see if further heating of the battery takes place indicating additional charging. I’ll report back. I’m not dissatisfied with using the Nitecore. I’m just wondering if I’m seeing the full capacity of the battery. 
 

Results of my experiment. The Nitecore fully charged two batteries to 8.26V as measured by a digital voltmeter between the two outer contacts of the battery. Placing them in the Leica Q2 charger did NOT add any additional charge even after 4 hours. The Nitecore is fully charging the battery. Good to know. 

Edited December 5, 2020 by Leica Guy

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[piran]

26 minutes ago, Leica Guy said:

Thanks. I’m going to repeat your experiment with my well used batteries. Nitecore then Leica charger and see if further heating of the battery takes place indicating additional charging. I’ll report back. I’m not dissatisfied with using the Nitecore. I’m just wondering if I’m seeing the full capacity of the battery. 

Interested to hear your results IDC. Back in the old days your 'well used' batteries would by now be certainly exhibiting 'memory effect'. Nowadays this is not so relevant or important. The good news is that I would guess that your NITECORE has been taking good care of your batteries. The bad news is likely at the expense of a less than full capacity. Just a guess mind 🙂 YMMV

Not knocking NITECORE in any way or form, truly grateful for their 80% in-the-field capability and in such a tiny form factor too. Mine is now sitting in the false bottom padded section of my tech bag along with a powerbank JIC.

FWIW I have already lodged a wishlist/feedback/complaint with Leica UK who have promised to feed same back to Leica R&D. What are the chances, eh?

Edited December 5, 2020 by piran
PostEdit: monitor the heating of the charger not just the battery

[nwphil]

I don't have the nitcore charger yet, but Leica Foto app, does provide a better battery  meter - for all the things it should be doing right, at leas this one seems to be useful and at full capacity.

Once I have the charger I will be able to test it, but don't wait for me if you can do it already - a nice experiment would be to charge one battery in each charger and then use the app to see waht each one displays....or just grab a voltage multimeter, which actually I have too

[Jeff S]

I don’t know if it’s relevant to the Q battery, but Leica Miami stopped carrying the Nitecore for certain M batteries as a result of recurring problems.  If anyone needs details, I suggest contacting them directly, as I’m going off general recollection.

Jeff

[Cheesehead]

Interesting discussion.  I have a Nitecore charger which lives with a spare battery in my case.  I use a pretty minimal case, but it is just big enough to hold an extra battery (inside the Nitcore), a filter, a lens cloth and an extra USB.

I generally charge the battery with the Leica charger, but every once in a while I am rescued by having a charger with me.

The Nitecore alternates a set of numbers as it charges.  I couldn't figure out what they were from the instructions.  Is there any key information I should be getting from the Nitecore when I use it, or is enough to see the good, and that the battery is "fully" charged?

[piran]

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11 hours ago, Cheesehead said:

I use a pretty minimal case, but it is just big enough to hold an extra battery (inside the Nitcore), a filter, a lens cloth and an extra USB.

[ abundance of caution mode ]
Long term storage of the battery inside the NITECORE relies on the effectiveness of design precluding no loading of the battery whilst the NITECORE was de-powered.
[ /abundance of caution mode ]

Back in the old days (ahem!) chargers 'could ' actually form a slight load albeit of high impedance. Potentially (hah!) this could dissipate a still-connected battery thus adding to the then execrable self-dissipation rates of rechargeable batteries. Things have improved somewhat. Consider storing them apart eg side by side (my choice in my tech bag) or isolating the contacts with a very thin sliver of insulating paper/cellophane/plastic ...whatever. YMMV

Can't help with your other questions yet (1 minute of use).

[piran]

17 hours ago, Jeff S said:

I don’t know if it’s relevant to the Q battery, but Leica Miami stopped carrying the Nitecore for certain M batteries as a result of recurring problems.  If anyone needs details, I suggest contacting them directly, as I’m going off general recollection.

Jeff

Noted. Assumed typo and that you meant the Q2M battery (different design from that of the Q or Q2). Out of curiosity I had a quick look on Google searching for 'issue M battery Miami Leica' but I couldn't immediately see anything dire.

[Jeff S]

1 minute ago, piran said:

Noted. Assumed typo and that you meant the Q2M battery (different design from that of the Q or Q2). Out of curiosity I had a quick look on Google searching for 'issue M battery Miami Leica' but I couldn't immediately see anything dire.

If you look at listings for Nitecore M battery charger on the Leica Miami site, you’ll see it as no longer available. David Farkas, the owner, talked about the recurring problems on one of his Red Dot Forum Camera Talk episodes.  
 

Jeff

[piran]

30 minutes ago, Jeff S said:

If you look at listings for Nitecore M battery charger on the Leica Miami site, you’ll see it as no longer available. David Farkas, the owner, talked about the recurring problems on one of his Red Dot Forum Camera Talk episodes.  
 

Jeff

Thank you, obliged. Never frequented Leica Miami (UK-located). Found a local forum reference here - long thread - still reading. Technology circa 2018 though... Could've been addressed meanwhile? 

Edited December 6, 2020 by piran
PostEdit: summary of referenced thread: beware low voltage/amperage power source(s) - beware double battery charger logistics - use GEN2 kit - maybe Leica DE leaned on Leica Miami

[piran]

To shoehorn the thread back to the technical specifications of the Q2M...

Leica needs to manufacture/supply an in-the-field charger so as NOT to FORCE its customers into the hands of 3rd party suppliers. Even after forcing said customers into the necessary purchase of a spare battery pack or few, all of which may STILL need recharging in-the-field. It's not rocket science Leica R&D 😉 

[nwphil]

Piran, thanks for the link about  the nitcore changer.

Still looking for the reddot forum discussion mentioned by Jeff S - will take a while to dig it out.

From what! I read,  seems that it was mostly about s gen1 dual charger for the M10 batteries, and powey supply voltage issues - like using a laptop usb to charge them 

The fact that they might not change to 100%, to me it's an acceptable trade-off  if they reach 85% and there is no damage to batteries. But I agree, Leica should supply usb chargers, that would allow users to use them on the go - and more efficient than 3rd party.

How much interest is there from users to have such charger? Enough willing to voice up to, in such number that will make Leica listen and act?

 

Edited December 6, 2020 by nwphil

[piran]

Have just run out of juice on the Leica battery ...for the first time.

The NITECORE shows 34C. Internal thermistor not ambient? Ambient (my lounge) is barely 17C though I've just reloaded the stove. Some 3C outside. Also shows 6.6v and one flashing blob. Alongside is a gratuitous readout of 0mAh  (?so, no available charge?). Oscillating with an equally nonsensical readout of 0mA (?so, no current per se?). Whether this is  being drawn from the highest current delivering USB socket of my workstation or some sort of current drawn by the charger to do work I have no idea.

Mystery deepens... I could be in for a long wait if the implication of zero current drawn is actually meaningfully true. Not overly happy at this point. Lots of eye-candy never impresses me, particularly if it is just style-over-substance. I need to have confidence in what my tools are apparently telling me...

Disconnected the NITECORE and hooked up (in series) an odd USB TEST gizmo from my old toolbox. This shows 4.96v source USB from my workstation and similarly some 1.76A being supplied to the NITECORE.

Co-incidentally or not, after that disconnection and reconnection, the NITECORE is now showing 'differently'. Lowest blob (?charger conditioning?) is solid but now the next blob up is flashing. The weird 34C now shows as 22C. Battery volts readout shows as 6.9v (from 6.6v). Finally some ACTUAL sense from the mA/mAh pair:- 992mA charging the battery and a forecast of some 162mAh available charge. What shows as 'current' must be that supplied TO the battery by the charger. The gizmo shows double that being drawn from my workstation's USB socket BY the charger (to do its work). Noticed (?now?) the word 'Good' being shown (?battery health?).

About an hour later. My workstation's USB (high current socket) is supplying to the NITECORE about 4.93v and some 1.90A of current. The latter displays 7.2v & 41C (well, the stove is now warmer but not THAT warm so the reading must be an internal thermistor or similar), 984mA of current (so, a 'constant' current charger) from the charger to the battery, which is apparently forecasting as equating to some 525mAh of charge capacity. Display shows the word 'Good'. The plastic casing of the NITECORE is very slightly warm to the touch, similarly the battery, but hardly 'warm' in any serious sense.

An immediate observation is that a 2A capable USB source for the NITECORE is MANDATORY (cf the previous tales of woe). Occasional glances to the gizmo showed OVER 2A being drawn by the NITECORE

The NITECORE charges the battery at a 'constant-ish' current of 1A.

About 65mins into the charge the NITECORE prognostication was of 1024mAh being available. The readouts were of 968mA supplied to the battery at a potential of 7.6v and that the kit's temperature (measuring source unknown) was apparently 46C. The third (up from the bottom) blob was flashing and that something unspecified was deemed to be 'Good'. At these later stages of charging the gizmo was showing the overall current being drawn by the NITECORE to do its work was occasionally 2.10A whereas much earlier that figure was more hovering around 1.90A.

After some 65mins 7.9v 47C 992mA 1395mAh 3rd blob up flashing & 'Good'. Gizmo: 4.90v and occasionally 2.15A was being drawn by the NITECORE to do its stuff. Battery warmish to the touch.

Missed the actual end point of the charge (setting up for His Dark Materials in BBC iPlayer's finest 4k/UHD quality ...sorry).

At around 70mins the NITECORE was done:- 8.4v 44C 1490mAH 'Good' and 'End' with all five blobs steadily lit. Gizmo with the NITECORE offload 5.19v 0.01A. The temperature is dropping ...now 36C. Battery warmish to the touch.

A few minutes later put the battery straight into the Leica charger. Initially it failed to 'start' - perhaps the battery was still 'cooking' from its full NITECORE charge?

Another minute or two later I put it to the Leica charger once again. This time it showed a steady orange 80% and a flashing green charge LED. Still looks like only the Leica charger takes the battery all the way. YMMV

I've left the gizmo in situ. After the Leica charger has done its work I'll put the battery back to the gizmo-linked NITECORE to see what happens. After H.D.M has run...

[Jeff S]

3 hours ago, nwphil said:

Piran, thanks for the link about  the nitcore changer.

Still looking for the reddot forum discussion mentioned by Jeff S - will take a while to dig it out.

From what! I read,  seems that it was mostly about s gen1 dual charger for the M10 batteries, and powey supply voltage issues - like using a laptop usb to charge them 

The fact that they might not change to 100%, to me it's an acceptable trade-off  if they reach 85% and there is no damage to batteries. But I agree, Leica should supply usb chargers, that would allow users to use them on the go - and more efficient than 3rd party.

How much interest is there from users to have such charger? Enough willing to voice up to, in such number that will make Leica listen and act?

 

I can’t be sure about the particular model; it could well have been for the SL battery.  Which is why I suggested contacting Leica Miami for details...a lot quicker than searching through many hours of video (over 40 now).  They can also give suggestions on best solutions given their extensive experience with many different products and accessories.

Jeff

[piran]

1 hour ago, piran said:

Have just run out of juice on the Leica battery ...for the first time.

The NITECORE shows 34C. Internal thermistor not ambient? Ambient (my lounge) is barely 17C though I've just reloaded the stove. Some 3C outside. Also shows 6.6v and one flashing blob. Alongside is a gratuitous readout of 0mAh  (?so, no available charge?). Oscillating with an equally nonsensical readout of 0mA (?so, no current per se?). Whether this is  being drawn from the highest current delivering USB socket of my workstation or some sort of current drawn by the charger to do work I have no idea.

Mystery deepens... I could be in for a long wait if the implication of zero current drawn is actually meaningfully true. Not overly happy at this point. Lots of eye-candy never impresses me, particularly if it is just style-over-substance. I need to have confidence in what my tools are apparently telling me...

Disconnected the NITECORE and hooked up (in series) an odd USB TEST gizmo from my old toolbox. This shows 4.96v source USB from my workstation and similarly some 1.76A being supplied to the NITECORE.

Co-incidentally or not, after that disconnection and reconnection, the NITECORE is now showing 'differently'. Lowest blob (?charger conditioning?) is solid but now the next blob up is flashing. The weird 34C now shows as 22C. Battery volts readout shows as 6.9v (from 6.6v). Finally some ACTUAL sense from the mA/mAh pair:- 992mA charging the battery and a forecast of some 162mAh available charge. What shows as 'current' must be that supplied TO the battery by the charger. The gizmo shows double that being drawn from my workstation's USB socket BY the charger (to do its work). Noticed (?now?) the word 'Good' being shown (?battery health?).

About an hour later. My workstation's USB (high current socket) is supplying to the NITECORE about 4.93v and some 1.90A of current. The latter displays 7.2v & 41C (well, the stove is now warmer but not THAT warm so the reading must be an internal thermistor or similar), 984mA of current (so, a 'constant' current charger) from the charger to the battery, which is apparently forecasting as equating to some 525mAh of charge capacity. Display shows the word 'Good'. The plastic casing of the NITECORE is very slightly warm to the touch, similarly the battery, but hardly 'warm' in any serious sense.

An immediate observation is that a 2A capable USB source for the NITECORE is MANDATORY (cf the previous tales of woe). Occasional glances to the gizmo showed OVER 2A being drawn by the NITECORE

The NITECORE charges the battery at a 'constant-ish' current of 1A.

About 65mins into the charge the NITECORE prognostication was of 1024mAh being available. The readouts were of 968mA supplied to the battery at a potential of 7.6v and that the kit's temperature (measuring source unknown) was apparently 46C. The third (up from the bottom) blob was flashing and that something unspecified was deemed to be 'Good'. At these later stages of charging the gizmo was showing the overall current being drawn by the NITECORE to do its work was occasionally 2.10A whereas much earlier that figure was more hovering around 1.90A.

After some 65mins 7.9v 47C 992mA 1395mAh 3rd blob up flashing & 'Good'. Gizmo: 4.90v and occasionally 2.15A was being drawn by the NITECORE to do its stuff. Battery warmish to the touch.

Missed the actual end point of the charge (setting up for His Dark Materials in BBC iPlayer's finest 4k/UHD quality ...sorry).

At around 70mins the NITECORE was done:- 8.4v 44C 1490mAH 'Good' and 'End' with all five blobs steadily lit. Gizmo with the NITECORE offload 5.19v 0.01A. The temperature is dropping ...now 36C. Battery warmish to the touch.

A few minutes later put the battery straight into the Leica charger. Initially it failed to 'start' - perhaps the battery was still 'cooking' from its full NITECORE charge?

Another minute or two later I put it to the Leica charger once again. This time it showed a steady orange 80% and a flashing green charge LED. Still looks like only the Leica charger takes the battery all the way. YMMV

I've left the gizmo in situ. After the Leica charger has done its work I'll put the battery back to the gizmo-linked NITECORE to see what happens. After H.D.M has run...

The Leica charger finished, the battery is effectively/implicitly now 100% charged - according to the Leica design.

Put the battery back into the NITECORE. My gizmo reports continued quiescence 5.19v 0.01A indicating that the NITECORE is not attempting to charge the battery any further or even at all.

The NITECORE charger continues to show all 5 blobs steadily lit. The other readings are at 21C 8.4v 'Good' & 'End. My interpretation of the weird 0mAh charge capacity displayed is that its algorithm cannot or is not allowed to show the new and increased capacity (if any). The default programme might be bound to show a generic zero value. In computing terms akin to a 'buffer overflow' error.

Whether the Leica charger put 'any more' capacity into the battery cannot be specifically identified simply using the NITECORE. Time-in-use and/or frames-taken trials would probably be needed. I'm not prepared to risk putting an static inverter into any of my cars and, glibly, it's not for a tech bag. My workaround, in the absence of something better from Leica, is to use the Leica charger when mains is available and the highly portable 3rd party NITECORE charger when not. 

Don't think I can add anymore to my impromptu investigation other than to say to Leica R&D... any time soon please. Just send me spare batteries and the alpha hardware - NDA if necessary. I'll user field test it out for you on behalf of all Leica users everywhere. After producing the magnificent Q2M then an in-the-field travel charger is SURELY just a 'walk in the park'? You know where to find me. 👀

[nwphil]

lol....yeah, I did a quick look at, and indeed it's not like they dedicated a whole session to it. Might as well ask them directly if there is a direct way. I doubt either Leica or Nitecore can provide an answer due to liability issues even if they know...

I will bug Leica too asking them, when are they gong to make and sell usb chargers

[nwphil]

12 hours ago, nwphil said:

lol....yeah, I did a quick look at, and indeed it's not like they dedicated a whole session to it. Might as well ask them directly if there is a direct way. I doubt either Leica or Nitecore can provide an answer due to liability issues even if they know...

 I will DID bug Leica too asking them, when are they gong to make and sell usb chargers. Mentioned too the need to improve the app, as far as allowing faster connection, integration with LR and ON1 for android, allowing to register two devices of same os although not simultaneously, and a sneak peak mode for shots while connected thru app, not a remote mode, downloading multiple files in full size dgn or jpeg - just for focus and framing check, so not tethering either

Mentioned the need for a reliable usb charger and matched charger pack for Leica batteries, as Nitecore might have issues and mistrusted at the moment

Now it's time to voice up the need for improvements - will they do anything? maybe...if enough people show interest 📷

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by nwphil

[marchyman]

On 12/6/2020 at 12:02 PM, piran said:

the NITECORE prognostication was of 1024mAh being available.

I think you are reading that number wrong.  Or perhaps I'm not understanding what you wrote.

That number is the amount of charge given to the battery for this charge cycle.   If you plug an empty battery rated at 1200 mAh and fully charge it the number should read close to 1200 mAh -- assuming the battery was fully empty and the Nitecore was able to charge it to 100% which may not be true.   If you plug in a battery that was 1/2 full that number would read 600 mAh once fully charged.  600 mAh being the amount of energy delivered to the battery during the charge cycle.

When you plug in a full battery that number will stay zero as the charger won't try to charge a fully charged battery.

[nwphil]

23 hours ago, piran said:

The Leica charger finished, the battery is effectively/implicitly now 100% charged - according to the Leica design.

Put the battery back into the NITECORE. My gizmo reports continued quiescence 5.19v 0.01A indicating that the NITECORE is not attempting to charge the battery any further or even at all.

The NITECORE charger continues to show all 5 blobs steadily lit. The other readings are at 21C 8.4v 'Good' & 'End. My interpretation of the weird 0mAh charge capacity displayed is that its algorithm cannot or is not allowed to show the new and increased capacity (if any). The default programme might be bound to show a generic zero value. In computing terms akin to a 'buffer overflow' error.

Whether the Leica charger put 'any more' capacity into the battery cannot be specifically identified simply using the NITECORE. Time-in-use and/or frames-taken trials would probably be needed. I'm not prepared to risk putting an static inverter into any of my cars and, glibly, it's not for a tech bag. My workaround, in the absence of something better from Leica, is to use the Leica charger when mains is available and the highly portable 3rd party NITECORE charger when not. 

Don't think I can add anymore to my impromptu investigation other than to say to Leica R&D... any time soon please. Just send me spare batteries and the alpha hardware - NDA if necessary. I'll user field test it out for you on behalf of all Leica users everywhere. After producing the magnificent Q2M then an in-the-field travel charger is SURELY just a 'walk in the park'? You know where to find me. 👀

Hi Piran,

Thanks for your investigation and sharing.

If you feel willing and have the time, Leica might be interested in hear your findings....also to keep in mind, if you don't know this already, the new battery is not fully operational yet - according to Leica it will take no less than 3 full charging cycles ( from depleted in camera to full in wall, charger) in order to achieve optimal performance.

hope it helps

Phil

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[piran]

2 hours ago, marchyman said:

I think you are reading that number wrong.  Or perhaps I'm not understanding what you wrote.

That number is the amount of charge given to the battery for this charge cycle.   If you plug an empty battery rated at 1200 mAh and fully charge it the number should read close to 1200 mAh -- assuming the battery was fully empty and the Nitecore was able to charge it to 100% which may not be true.   If you plug in a battery that was 1/2 full that number would read 600 mAh once fully charged.  600 mAh being the amount of energy delivered to the battery during the charge cycle.

When you plug in a full battery that number will stay zero as the charger won't try to charge a fully charged battery.

Possibly.

The 'prognostication' is (at best) an assessment by NITECORE of the amount of charge available for use if the charging were to be terminated at that point. A forecast or estimate ...nothing more really. TBH it's just an eye-candy hope, suck & see, educated guess without any decent provenance or written guarantee ...sorry.

I'm a dinosaur and come from the days when NiCd battery technology was utterly bleeding edge with an eye-watering price tag ...nowadays you probably couldn't pay anybody to take up its use;-/ Huh, portable lead acid batteries were all the rage back then (eg my old METZ hammerhead press flash) and for installations it had to be large refrigerator-sized lead acid screw topped wet cells (those were the days).  IAC portable battery charge analysis is a awkward trick to bring off - even in-house - let alone with another company's product! 

Was out and about this afternoon for a few hours and took just over a hundred frames down at Kynance Cove. With an overly luxurious 5mins standby optioned I probably had the LCD and/or the eyeviewer on continuously. Also it was cool out of the sunshine (5C so the car told me). Necessarily returned to base - thanks Leica R&D - I have to bluntly move my camera back to base JUST to charge it up. Modern WAY TO GO to take photographs, huh? Yes, I do have to buy another battery dreckly. The Q2M LCD reported that it was just a single blob of battery off max. No, I haven't fully commissioned this battery yet but all the same that's ...well, fair, not brilliant but fair. What I should've done is top up the battery during the drive home...

Put the one-blob-depleted (according to the Q2M LCD readout) battery into the Leica charger... no 80% beacon, so less than 80% for sure. Put the battery into the NITECORE... funky things happened (?conditioning/reset?) but I did see something like 9xx mAh (wasn't steady) and between 0mA or 10mA (very low) charging current while it was presumably thinking about it all. The previously referenced gizmo was back in the bottom of the toolbox. I will re-assess more fully next time but what I really wanted was to recharge the battery and make some really good coffee (mandatory). 

My takeaway thought (to be confirmed at next discharge/charge iteration) is that, of the two ways the NITECORE could assess or give any prognostication of anticipated or actual charge available, it seems more likely that it is a load dependent analysis (?on board the battery itself or possibly within the NITECORE circuitry?) rather than a stored register of any total amount of measured actual current flow delivered during its own charging interval (in this case less than 10secs). The Leica battery box is thoughtfully stamped < - D T + >.  Now, T might be temperature, D might be duration but would that all be in english or german or chinese?

>> When you plug in a full battery that number will stay zero as the charger won't try to charge a fully charged battery.
Not exactly... it may not be that simple. 'full/fully charged' by whose terms or definition (80%/100%)? 'stay zero' true value or buffer overflow error? Yes, I believe that the NITECORE is unlikely to try to 'overcharge' or otherwise 'cook the battery'.

 

3 hours ago, nwphil said:

Hi Piran,

Thanks for your investigation and sharing.

If you feel willing and have the time, Leica might be interested in hear your findings....also to keep in mind, if you don't know this already, the new battery is not fully operational yet - according to Leica it will take no less than 3 full charging cycles ( from depleted in camera to full in wall, charger) in order to achieve optimal performance.

hope it helps

Phil

Thank you. If they are interested then they are likely to already know of them. If they are not then their apparent market ignorance won't matter a jot in this case. My impromptu investigation's findings, time and thoughts are written up here because I wanted to and in case it helps other users. It was the sort of thing I wanted to find a time ago while still in 'decision mode'. Also just in case some Leica R&D manager needed a timely heads-up and general boot in the right direction ...as it were. 🙂 

My inclination is that it amounts to politics and finance. Do Leica want to snub NITECORE's existing 3rd party support product development by manufacturing one of their own design - albeit at a (probable) price point some three times higher? Do Leica want to fund the development of such awkward DC/DC converting tech (that headroom leading to a charge available above 80% is not so easily achieved in a mobile/travel product using 12vDC or USB). Oh and for just two people (in the forum)? Mmmm YMMV

>> new battery is not fully operational yet
Yes, thank you, I am aware how to commission batteries - see further above. 

Apropos and on-thread (tech spec) ...none of this would be moot if Leica R&D had originally manufactured an out-and-about in-the-field mobile charger supplied with or for the Q2M. Ball is in your court Leica R&D ...I think the term is "boo yah"😎