Leica M11 charging issue

[Rassy]

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Hi all, 

I just pulled the trigger on a Leica M11. It arrived Christmas eve. I’m UK-based and the sealed unit from an AD came with only European and US interchangeable prongs (is this normal?). Included in the shipping carton (but not the original sealed box) was a UK 3 pin plug. However it had an 8 pin connector, so was presumably included by mistake and is for the M10. I had a UK adaptor to hand so promptly placed that on the European plug but the green light blinked three times, followed by the orange 80% light then they both went solid. I read that this means the unit it fully charged. It was not, it wouldn’t even power on. I charged it again and the same thing happened with the lights so I left it for an hour or so. 15% charge seems to be the maximum it will reach. I tried a different charger/cable (Samsung 25w and 2020 Macbook pro cable) but the same thing seems to be happening. I don’t want to leave it in for a long time or keep repeating this process for fear of damaging the battery. I can’t quite see any topics covering this precise problem (though others have mentioned it with no real solution. I’m of course going to contact the store when they re-open but I want to (safely) play with my beautiful new toy 😄. What are my options here? I’m nervous to try in-camera charging as there seem to be wildly different stats on what you can and can’t use.

Thank you all in advance. Happy holidays!

Ras

[DenverSteve]

I would contact the authorized Dealer and try to secure a replacement battery.  Batteries can be, and are, defective from the factory.  Frequently it appears.  Have you tried charging directly through the USB-C port? 

Edited December 27, 2022 by DenverSteve

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[Rassy]

31 minutes ago, DenverSteve said:

I would contact the authorized Dealer and try to secure a replacement battery.  Batteries can be, and are, defective from the factory.  Frequently it appears.  Have you tried charging directly through the USB-C port? 

I have not tried that. I’m reticent to do so until I can find out all of the information about what I can and can’t use. A topic which seems to be under-discussed from my cursory research.

[Rassy]

5 minutes ago, Musky said:

DONT! 

YMMV

Bring it to the nearest store and show them. 

My nearest store is some 200 miles away, so that won’t be possible for some time. Good to know that my caution was valid though, thank you.

[LeicaR10]

Rassy,  First, welcome to the forum.  Second, both Musky and Denver Steve are correct.  Take the camera and battery to the authorized Leica dealer and let them work the issue.  You don't want to negate the warranty by jumping the gun so to speak.  I know you want to get the camera working, but you might damage it otherwise.  Let the store do it.  r/ Mark

[DenverSteve]

11 minutes ago, Rassy said:

I have not tried that. I’m reticent to do so until I can find out all of the information about what I can and can’t use. A topic which seems to be under-discussed from my cursory research.

I'm not a battery expert, but I am a M11 shooter.  I've charged mine via USB port, as the factory has provided for that purpose, since new.  It works fine.  Again, not as a battery expert, but maybe the battery needs a push for a full charge.  I guess your options are don't use the M11 until you can get to your dealer, or try the charge to see if it works.  Good luck either way.  I guess the third option is to order a second battery and see if it does the job. My guess, it will. 

[Rassy]

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3 minutes ago, DenverSteve said:

I'm not a battery expert, but I am a M11 shooter.  I've charged mine via USB port, as the factory has provided for that purpose, since new.  It works fine.  Again, not as a battery expert, but maybe the battery needs a push for a full charge.  I guess your options are don't use the M11 until you can get to your dealer, or try the charge to see if it works.  Good luck either way.  I guess the third option is to order a second battery and see if it does the job. My guess, it will. 

Thanks for the insight. It might be an obvious question but how exactly do you personally charge it directly via the USB port? Mains? Or via a laptop?

[Rassy]

14 minutes ago, LeicaR10 said:

Rassy,  First, welcome to the forum.  Second, both Musky and Denver Steve are correct.  Take the camera and battery to the authorized Leica dealer and let them work the issue.  You don't want to negate the warranty by jumping the gun so to speak.  I know you want to get the camera working, but you might damage it otherwise.  Let the store do it.  r/ Mark

Thanks for the warm welcome! I’ve lurked here for years (I used to shoot an M8 when they came out) but never posted. Thought I’d bring my dilemma to this wealth of knowledge. There will be no gun-jumping for sure. I also can’t take it into the store, or any store for a while sadly..but I will be giving them a call ASAP. Good to hear other people’s experiences.

[Rassy]

To add - I know the built-in port is designed to include direct charging. If the battery is faulty, are there any known risks for trying it? The supplied cable is USB-A to USB-C so I would have to use a different cable if I were to charge it via my 2020 Macbook pro (presumably the included Macbook pro wall charger would be OK if going through the computer’s USBC. I’m just learning that it might also be cable-specific….

[LeicaR10]

Rassy,  I just sent you a PM so not to derail the thread.  r/ Mark

[DenverSteve]

15 minutes ago, Rassy said:

To add - I know the built-in port is designed to include direct charging. If the battery is faulty, are there any known risks for trying it? The supplied cable is USB-A to USB-C so I would have to use a different cable if I were to charge it via my 2020 Macbook pro (presumably the included Macbook pro wall charger would be OK if going through the computer’s USBC. I’m just learning that it might also be cable-specific….

I can't see that it could hurt anything as the voltage coming from the computer is not 120/220, it's lower.  However, already noted, that's what the port is for.  I haven't used the supplied cable as my charging station is already established with USB-C cables.  However, there wouldn't be any harm in using the Leica supplied cable. 

Edited December 27, 2022 by DenverSteve

[CDodkin]

I charge mine via USB using a Power Bank - it charges every time, fully, and quickly. I can do 4-5 charges from the power bank before it itself needs a recharge. Great for being out and about and on vacation. No need to carry adapters and rechargers.

AmazonUK Anker Power Bank

[Rassy]

4 minutes ago, CDodkin said:

I charge mine via USB using a Power Bank - it charges every time, fully, and quickly. I can do 4-5 charges from the power bank before it itself needs a recharge. Great for being out and about and on vacation. No need to carry adapters and rechargers.

AmazonUK Anker Power Bank

Interesting. Just to clarify; you mean you charge the camera directly or plug that power bank into the external battery dock? Did you do this from the beginning, or use the included accessories initially?

Thanks!

Ras

[CDodkin]

30 minutes ago, Rassy said:

Interesting. Just to clarify; you mean you charge the camera directly or plug that power bank into the external battery dock? Did you do this from the beginning, or use the included accessories initially?

Thanks!

Ras

I charge the battery in the camera by plugging the power bank directly into the camera via a USB charging cable. I've always used this method. The Leica charger is still in its box! 

[jakontil]

The first six months, i never charge using in camera, but after some time, i just use the usb c, what im trying to say, it is safe

[elmars]

It is. I only charge the battery via the USB-C port and my Apple power adapter. 

[Ricard0]

It sounds like the USB charger and EU / UK adapter may be your problem.  I just charge the battery (in the charge cradle) using the same USB-C to USB-C cable and an Anker charger I use for my phone and iPad. 

[Farkle-Mpls]

Already a wealth of info presented but I'll add my discovery from yesterday ... I used a generic USB-A -> USB-C cable plugged into a multi-port USB charger.  Max 2.4A/port.

The cable which I use to successfully charge my Macbook Air and iPad DID NOT work to charge my M11 battery (plugged directly into the bottom of the camera).  No LED indicators glowed at all.  I re-seated the cable and waited a couple times.  Nothing.  So I used the Leica-supplied USB-A -> USB-C cable and it worked ... so, in case I'm overlooking some other piece of data, the cable DOES matter.  

[Rassy]

25 minutes ago, Farkle-Mpls said:

Already a wealth of info presented but I'll add my discovery from yesterday ... I used a generic USB-A -> USB-C cable plugged into a multi-port USB charger.  Max 2.4A/port.

The cable which I use to successfully charge my Macbook Air and iPad DID NOT work to charge my M11 battery (plugged directly into the bottom of the camera).  No LED indicators glowed at all.  I re-seated the cable and waited a couple times.  Nothing.  So I used the Leica-supplied USB-A -> USB-C cable and it worked ... so, in case I'm overlooking some other piece of data, the cable DOES matter.  

A wealth of info indeed, thank you all so much for the replies and DMs. To your point @Farkle-Mpls I thought most USB-Cs were created equally. I’m quickly learning that is not the case. USB-C PD is a thing and perhaps something which is necessary to successfully charge newer devices. I’m a luddite in that regard but I certainly have a lot of reading material. Thanks again!

Ras

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[Rassy]

A quick update for those perhaps in a similar situation.

I called the only Leica supplier open in the UK today and explained the situation. He said that modern batteries sometimes go into a ‘hibernation’ after their initial factory charge, if they have not been used for a while. He then suggested to let the battery completely run out and to try charging again. This did alter the LED light behaviour on the external charger. Instead of both being solid, the orange 80% was solid but the green continued to blink for over an hour. I thought this might have done the trick, but sadly no charge was gained whatsoever.

Maybe this will be the ticket for others?

I used a power-bank to test both the charger and in-camera USB. While off, the light on the camera’s underside flashed erratically and while on it showed a charging status on the screen’s LED and a more (but not perfectly) syncopated green glow. 

Nothing has yet to yield any charge, so a replacement battery was ordered until I can contact the store in the new year.

Fingers crossed….again

 

Ras

Edited December 28, 2022 by Rassy