Latest Q3 Shipments No Battery Charger?

[Richard K]

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Just got my Q3 today and was dismayed to see that a battery charger was not included. The first shipments packaged in gray boxes included one but this one came in Q3 43 style packaging and no charger even though it’s advertised as having one. Very stingy of Leica. They could have still included a charger and passed on the cost into the selling price. This way seems so petty.

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[aficionados]

51 minutes ago, Richard K said:

Just got my Q3 today and was dismayed to see that a battery charger was not included. The first shipments packaged in gray boxes included one but this one came in Q3 43 style packaging and no charger even though it’s advertised as having one. Very stingy of Leica. They could have still included a charger and passed on the cost into the selling price. This way seems so petty.

It has been discussed extensively.

No more charger, must have usb-c port, due to some sort of EU rule. It's not about stinginess, it's Leica in compliance with law.

Edited December 13, 2024 by aficionados

[Le Chef]

You don’t need it: just use the USB-C cable and plug it into the connection point in the camera.

[Richard K]

23 minutes ago, Le Chef said:

You don’t need it: just use the USB-C cable and plug it into the connection point in the camera.

Thanks for reply. Yes we can use the port but it would be nice to charge the spare battery while out with the camera. 

[SrMi]

Leica used to include a clumsy charger with 110/220V cable. The new USB-C dual charger is much better and highly recommended (USD 220.-).

[Le Chef]

47 minutes ago, SrMi said:

Leica used to include a clumsy charger with 110/220V cable. The new USB-C dual charger is much better and highly recommended (USD 220.-).

A Nitecore charger is a better bet. Smaller, lighter and does the job.

[RobW0]

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2 hours ago, SrMi said:

Leica used to include a clumsy charger with 110/220V cable. The new USB-C dual charger is much better and highly recommended (USD 220.-).

I agree, other than the price, I love the new dual charger. It is somewhat compact and can charge with my usb hub when traveling. For some reason I have not had good luck with the Nitecore charger for the Q3 batteries. 

[jbdumont]

3 hours ago, RobW0 said:

I agree, other than the price, I love the new dual charger. It is somewhat compact and can charge with my usb hub when traveling. For some reason I have not had good luck with the Nitecore charger for the Q3 batteries. 

Same here. The Nitecore has always been very peculiar about charging my Q2 batteries. I ended up ditching it once and for all and bought the USB-C dual charger. Apart from the size when traveling, it only has advantages.

[LocalHero1953]

My SL2-S and Q3 43 are both heavily used. I sold my Q2 with its charger to help buy the Q3 43, leaving me with just one charger, which makes me nervous of failure. Charging in camera is not a solution when you're using the camera. I shall have to get the double charger or Nitecore as back up.

[HeinzX]

I was in the same situation with my SL3. Finally I bought the double charger kit, where a nadd. battery is included, which makes this kit attractive in price. I am fully satisfied with it. But nevertheless I find this behavior by Leica most embarrassing.

 

[JNK100]

As others have stated, this is an EU directive and Leica do not include the charger as it would be illegal.

 

[Rupert Greenwell]

I bought a Q3 recently and the dealer told me that it was the last Q3 with a charger that they had. They said that it was a legal requirement in Europe and other camera manufacturers were also complying. They said too that the reason was that someone had managed to electrocute themselves with a battery charger. How true that is I don't know.

 

[Tseg]

... the things "they" say to save or make money... especially when they further the perceived "value" of claiming it is a "green" initiative.

Plugging in a USB-C/Thunderbolt cable is easier than popping out the battery anyway... if the battery is capable enough to make it through the day.  When multiple battery use is needed throughout the day, this is a different story.

[Simone_DF]

2 minutes ago, Tseg said:

... the things "they" say to save or make money... especially when they further the perceived "value" of claiming it is a "green" initiative.

It is a green initiative. At home I have something like 10 iPhone chargers. I only need one.

Also, you have to look at big numbers, not just the Leica microbubble. If I produce say 500.000 smartphones per month, it means I no longer have to produce 500.000 battery chargers, so less plastic to begin with. Also packaging is smaller and lighter: less paper, can fit more units in the same parcel for shipping, which in turns consume less petrol per unit shipped, and in the end there's less electronic waste from people, because you tend to use the same battery charger until it breaks, not until you buy a new smartphone.

If you really need a charger, then you can buy one, no one is stopping you. 

 

[jaapv]

It is an EU regulation... In 2025 only the sale of universal chargers with USB-C  will be allowed. Equipment will be sold with an optional charger or no charger all. Given the economic importance of the European market, manufacturers will comply and extend the practice worldwide for efficiency reasons. My guess is that over time cameras will come with a passive USB battery shape adapter.  Up until then you will have to buy a dedicated charger as an extra.

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20220413STO27211/usb-type-c-to-become-eu-s-common-charger-by-end-of-2024

[jaapv]

4 hours ago, Rupert Greenwell said:

They said too that the reason was that someone had managed to electrocute themselves with a battery charger.

That is bollocks - it is about resource saving,  electronic waste, recycling and fire hazard.

[Olaf_ZG]

5 hours ago, Simone_DF said:

It is a green initiative. At home I have something like 10 iPhone chargers. I only need one.

 

Why would you need 10 iphones? I only need one… 🤪

[bobtodrick]

Lots of cameras and other electronic devices have gone this way.

We sell a lot of aftermarket chargers.  It is nice to be able to go out shooting while your second battery is at home or in the hotel room charging.

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[jdlaing]

50 minutes ago, AussieQ said:

An interesting experience on my part. Whilst away overseas a month ago, I had packed my Leica supplied charger and also my USB-C adapter and cable. At night I charged both batteries, one in the Leica charger and the other in camera via usb port. In the morning, the battery in the camera, charging via usb was near empty. It did not charge. I decided to place the battery in the Leica charger and it came up with an error flashing on the leds. The onboard logic of the battery was not right, it was in error mode.

Having experimented since returning, I find charging via usb doesn't yield the same charge results as the desktop charger. I am not saying you all will experience this but for me it did happen. The only way I resolved it overseas was to flatten the battery completely buy putting it into the camera and filming 8K video until it went dead flat. Then the desktop charger accepted the battery without error and successfully charged. Had I relied soley on the USB charge aspect I may have been down one battery.

 

Just my 2 cents of observations.

It’s never really dead flat using the video method or any other using the camera. It is just at the floor of about 3-5%. If it were dead flat the charger wouldn’t recognize or recharge it.

[jdlaing]

1 hour ago, AussieQ said:

true never dead flat but flat to the point that the camera turned off. Unless I did that, the desktop charger would not charge it.

Sometimes that’s what it takes.