Jump to content

Any sign of the Hahnel twin charger yet?

wlaidlaw

By wlaidlaw
in Leica M8 / Leica M8.2

 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 187
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Speenth

Speenth

Posted
Posted
Any seen or managed to purchase one of the Hahnel made M8 twin travel chargers yet or has it joined Bigfoot and the Abominable Snowman as a mythical beast?

 

Hello Wilson,

 

I'm rather hoping that Leica have taken note of the negative forum postings on this topic and returned to the drawing board. I can already buy this very same charger in 'Saturn' (an electrical outlet chain in Austria) for less than 20 Euros. In the flesh it looks worth 20 Euros and no more. Its cheap and plasticky - just like the existing brick. Definitely not worthy of Leica and in my opinion, not what is required.

 

I would love to have a small, pocketable charger, built to Leica standards comparable with the tiny charger supplied with my cheap and cheerful Nikon 5700 P&S. The little Nikon charger is flat, highly portable and measures less than 7cm in any plane, yet accommodates an M8-sized battery. Its beautifully made and accepts any power cable having the international standard two pin female connector. So no silly extra plug adaptors to carry. Surely Leica can source something similar?

Link to post
Share on other sites
EricC

EricC

Posted
Posted
[i would love to have a small, pocketable charger, built to Leica standards comparable with the tiny charger supplied with my cheap and cheerful Nikon 5700 P&S. The little Nikon charger is flat, highly portable and measures less than 7cm in any plane, yet accommodates an M8-sized battery. Its beautifully made and accepts any power cable having the international standard two pin female connector. So no silly extra plug adaptors to carry. Surely Leica can source something similar?

 

Absolutely spot on. My daughters Canon Digital Ixus cameras come with a charger similar to the Nikon you describe above, and if Leica could make one similar then i would be first in the queue. :D

 

Regards

Eric

Link to post
Share on other sites
wlaidlaw

wlaidlaw

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Perhaps we should name the original charger "The Frankencharger" to go along with my "Frankenfinder". If Hahnel decided to market one of the twin chargers for the M8 under their own name, like they do for other Leica models and it was only €20-30, I would still buy one, even if it is plasticky. It would save having to get up in the middle of the night to change batteries like one does at present on the current charger.

 

Wilson

Link to post
Share on other sites
jaapv

jaapv

Posted
Posted
Any seen or managed to purchase one of the Hahnel made M8 twin travel chargers yet or has it joined Bigfoot and the Abominable Snowman as a mythical beast?

 

Hello Wilson,

 

I'm rather hoping that Leica have taken note of the negative forum postings on this topic and returned to the drawing board.

 

They don't need a drawing board, just a quick talk with one of the (chinese?) companies supplying decent chargers.

Link to post
Share on other sites
gwelland

gwelland

Posted
Posted

My beautiful MacBookPro is made in China too ... the difference is that it was designed by a company with a strong design aesthetic as opposed to the FrankenCharger which appears to have been designed & built at a 1970's communist era tractor factory. :eek: The only thing missing is that it isn't made from bakelite.

Link to post
Share on other sites
wlaidlaw

wlaidlaw

Posted
  • Author
Posted

OK so nobody likes the Frankencharger. We have a design guru with good contacts in China - Tim Isaac, who is making the Thumbs-Up and Coder kits for us. I will email him and see if he would be interested in making a neat new charger for us. Maybe even two models, a single and a double charger. I will post again when I get a response. I could be interested in investing in this if it looks like a good proposition.

 

Wilson

Link to post
Share on other sites
Speenth

Speenth

Posted
Posted
OK so nobody likes the Frankencharger. We have a design guru with good contacts in China - Tim Isaac, who is making the Thumbs-Up and Coder kits for us. I will email him and see if he would be interested in making a neat new charger for us. Maybe even two models, a single and a double charger. I will post again when I get a response. I could be interested in investing in this if it looks like a good proposition.

 

Wilson

 

Hi' Wilson,

 

Now that IS a good idea! Tim is just the man for this job. Give him a few months and in his wonderful way of involving us all in the specification, design and development process, he'll come up with the solution.

 

I love the potential of this and I'm looking forward to the exciting developments to follow - this is what this forum is all about!

 

Incidentally, attached is a picture of my little Nikon charger - I know its only for a single battery so doesn't meet your requirement - but it stands as an example of good design, well executed to the same extent that the Frankencharger demonstrates the opposite.

 

(You'll note too, that I have a Tim Isaac invention permanently attached to my M8 - his famous 'Thumbs Up'. It's neat, superbly made and 'does what it says on the tin' - what more could we ask).

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Link to post
Share on other sites
EricC

EricC

Posted
Posted
Incidentally, attached is a picture of my little Nikon charger.

 

Hi Stephen,

 

If something similar to the charger in your photo could be made for the M8 battery then sign me up for two. :D

 

Eric

Link to post
Share on other sites
wlaidlaw

wlaidlaw

Posted
  • Author
Posted

OK guys - Tim Isaac and I are in touch with each other and bouncing ideas backwards and forwards. I personally feel the major hurdle is not getting the charger made but getting regulatory approval, both CE and CSA. After all, look what the new TATA car for the Indian market costs, when it does not have to meet EU and US regulations - about €1500.

 

Some of your thoughts please: single battery, dual battery or two models. If two models, the unit cost will inevitably be a bit higher. Does anyone use the 12v car charging facility. Would a solar panel option be bought by many - it would cost about £50/$100 extra. Flying mains lead with figure 8 socket on the charger or built in changeable plugs. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

 

Wilson

Link to post
Share on other sites
EricC

EricC

Posted
Posted
Some of your thoughts please: single battery, dual battery or two models. If two models, the unit cost will inevitably be a bit higher. Does anyone use the 12v car charging facility. Would a solar panel option be bought by many - it would cost about £50/$100 extra. Flying mains lead with figure 8 socket on the charger or built in changeable plugs. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

 

Wilson

 

Single battery please, mains only, along with the flying mains lead with figure 8 socket on the charger. Please, please, please.

 

Eric

Link to post
Share on other sites
dennersten

dennersten

Posted
Posted

Some of your thoughts please: single battery, dual battery or two models. If two models, the unit cost will inevitably be a bit higher. Does anyone use the 12v car charging facility. Would a solar panel option be bought by many - it would cost about £50/$100 extra. Flying mains lead with figure 8 socket on the charger or built in changeable plugs. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

 

Wilson

 

I would pay quite much for a slim version.

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.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...