M11 Batteries

[KPB]

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Leica could brick these simply by stopping selling the batteries for these. I bought a second M11 battery for $200 and that was about $100 too much but now they sell them for $380??? 
I did buy a sliver battery to tell the two apart. I say it still looks cool on the black Leica M11-P
So if I want a safari m 240 or something can I still buy the batteries for these older cameras from somewhere if not from Leica?

[jakontil]

59 minutes ago, KPB said:

Leica could brick these simply by stopping selling the batteries for these. I bought a second M11 battery for $200 and that was about $100 too much but now they sell them for $380??? 
I did buy a sliver battery to tell the two apart. I say it still looks cool on the black Leica M11-P
So if I want a safari m 240 or something can I still buy the batteries for these older cameras from somewhere if not from Leica?

M240 batteries only from leica, rumors has it that they are still trying to make it available soon

[maxpower]

I feel like people are spreading fear just because there is/was a temporary manufacturing issue, and possibly other issues with deliveries outside of EU I suppose. Ah well, it's become so popular to complain about it that it's impossible to stop now.

Anyway, just wanted to say great to have a spare battery, remember to use it because if you keep the battery unused for a long time it might be bad for the battery. So just keep it in rotation ideally. 

[pedaes]

2 hours ago, maxpower said:

remember to use it because if you keep the battery unused for a long time it might be bad for the battery.

You are correct, and the M11 is the first camera I have not purchased a spare battery for because of this, as I just do not see when I would need it with the capacity of the M11 battery and my use of the camera.. If you have a 'power pack' or a connection in the car the ability to charge the battery in the camera is there.

[Tseg]

I have 2 batteries for my M11-D.  I try to stop a charge by 80%-90% and recharge around 30%.  Depending on use, this is a recharge every 2-4 weeks.  And I rotate between the two.   Between the 2 batteries, I figure each will be recharged about 9 times a year… and really recharging not more than 50%-60% of its total capacity.   I have a similar process with my Q3 43, which consumes power more quickly, but I use that camera less.   I’m hoping this can get me 1-2 decades of use.  Hopefully by then we can 3D print new batteries, or even a better solution for charging older battery equipment.  One would think advancing technology will eventually overcome this hurdle, invented by some college dropout.

[LeicaGuyUK]

I have four batteries now for my M11, probably overkill but i did pay £70 each for them so grabbed whilst cheap...

[dante]

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I ended up with three. One spare I got cheaply and one new, both right before tariffs made them stupidly expensive.

Do you need a spare? Maybe. It's more of a function of where you are charging the batteries. If you do empty the battery in the field, charging it in the camera is very awkward.

Actually, charging it in the camera is awkward, period, unless you are ok with the heat it generates and are willing to risk running it to 100%% charge.

D

[jaapv]

100% charge is no risk. What your charger  or camera charging circuit reports as 100% is in reality never more than 80% to preserve battery life. If you then -belts and braces- cut off charging at 80% again you are charging the battery up to just over 60% which is pointless. The reason that some chargers report 80%AKA 60% is that this is the point that the charger cuts down the charging rate to avoid overheating. You can then decide to take the battery out if you are in a hurry. 

[jaapv]

 

let’s be up to date and ask if your camera would be bricked if your battery dies  The answer is no…

https://letmegpt.com/search?q=are there refurbishing services for small batteries

[jaapv]

5 hours ago, Tseg said:

I have 2 batteries for my M11-D.  I try to stop a charge by 80%-90% and recharge around 30%.  Depending on use, this is a recharge every 2-4 weeks.  And I rotate between the two.   Between the 2 batteries, I figure each will be recharged about 9 times a year… and really recharging not more than 50%-60% of its total capacity.   I have a similar process with my Q3 43, which consumes power more quickly, but I use that camera less.   I’m hoping this can get me 1-2 decades of use.  Hopefully by then we can 3D print new batteries, or even a better solution for charging older battery equipment.  One would think advancing technology will eventually overcome this hurdle, invented by some college dropout.

My M8/M9 batteries, used sloppily,are still OK after up to two decades. 

[KPB]

12 hours ago, maxpower said:

I feel like people are spreading fear just because there is/was a temporary manufacturing issue, and possibly other issues with deliveries outside of EU I suppose. Ah well, it's become so popular to complain about it that it's impossible to stop now.

Anyway, just wanted to say great to have a spare battery, remember to use it because if you keep the battery unused for a long time it might be bad for the battery. So just keep it in rotation ideally. 

Yes I always have my spare on me and when I swap them out I put the dead one in the charger. It’s been going well so far. 

[KPB]

57 minutes ago, jaapv said:

 

let’s be up to date and ask if your camera would be bricked if your battery dies  The answer is no…

https://letmegpt.com/search?q=are there refurbishing services for small batteries

I meant if there were no new batteries and the ones I have died then what. Thank you for your comment though. 

[jaapv]

I had my DMR batteries refurbished when they died  without replacement. Worked perfectly. 

[tpf1952]

21 hours ago, jaapv said:

100% charge is no risk. What your charger  or camera charging circuit reports as 100% is in reality never more than 80% to preserve battery life. If you then -belts and braces- cut off charging at 80% again you are charging the battery up to just over 60% which is pointless. The reason that some chargers report 80%AKA 60% is that this is the point that the charger cuts down the charging rate to avoid overheating. You can then decide to take the battery out if you are in a hurry. 

Jaapv: I did not realize that a charge indicating 100% is only 80%. How do we know this? Not being argumentative, but welcome this news. I won’t have to hover over my charger any more. 
 

Tom

[jdlaing]

7 minutes ago, tpf1952 said:

Jaapv: I did not realize that a charge indicating 100% is only 80%. How do we know this? Not being argumentative, but welcome this news. I won’t have to hover over my charger any more. 
 

Tom

The Leica batteries are chipped and set up to not let the charger go all the way to 100% and the top out level is somewhere around 95% and not 80%. There is an 80% light on the charger that will light up when the battery hits 80% as a guide that the battery is ready to use.

[KPB]

1 hour ago, jdlaing said:

The Leica batteries are chipped and set up to not let the charger go all the way to 100% and the top out level is somewhere around 95% and not 80%. There is an 80% light on the charger that will light up when the battery hits 80% as a guide that the battery is ready to use.

I think I may have read that in the manual. The funny thing is you have to go and order a manual for a $10,000 camera, that just blows my mind. I hate how apple started this no charging brick which I believe bled to other things like this. I didn’t get a really interesting open boxing experience either. There was no experience. My M11-P was just a camera in a baggie. I mean when I am paying this much I expect something much more Elaborate but it is what it is. 
 

[jaapv]

7 hours ago, tpf1952 said:

Jaapv: I did not realize that a charge indicating 100% is only 80%. How do we know this? Not being argumentative, but welcome this news. I won’t have to hover over my charger any more. 
 

Tom

This is common practice for any Li battery from camera to electric car. 
 

https://batteryuniversity.com/

[Jeff S]

On 5/16/2025 at 1:53 PM, jaapv said:

100% charge is no risk. What your charger  or camera charging circuit reports as 100% is in reality never more than 80% to preserve battery life. If you then -belts and braces- cut off charging at 80% again you are charging the battery up to just over 60% which is pointless. The reason that some chargers report 80%AKA 60% is that this is the point that the charger cuts down the charging rate to avoid overheating. You can then decide to take the battery out if you are in a hurry. 

The cameras must be in on the ‘scam’ as they show 100% after ‘full’ charge. 😁

[username]

On 5/16/2025 at 2:35 AM, KPB said:

now they sell them for $380??? 

It's not Leica selling them for $380, it's the tariffs in the US making them expensive like that.
They're still €175 (close to $200) here in Germany 💁‍♂️

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[Kiwimac]

It is a fact of life in the modern age that any device using a unique battery will - eventually - become scrap. 
 

I suppose someone might invent a battery tech so advanced that such a battery can last 50 years and still retain full charge but for now, I wish that cameras just ran on two AA rechargeable batteries!