A new Leica SCL-6 battery arrived at the studio yesterday. Part of my long term plan to continually upgrade system batteries to the most current models. The fact that my 2015 era Leica SLs are able to use the newest 2200 mAh batteries means I'll probably get years more service out of those cameras while the new batteries also mean I'll get higher performance for a longer time during each charge with power hungry, video hybrid models like the SL2 and SL2-S.
One thing that's clearly stated on the information papers that come packed with each battery is the fact that these Li-ion batteries operate best after three complete charge and discharge cycles. Not my opinion; it says so right in the instructions!
I'm impatient by nature so as soon as I get a new battery I mark it with a label that tells me when it went into service and then I charge it on the appropriate Leica charger. Then I stick it into a camera and head out to look around for fun things to photograph. But before I start clicking away I go to the camera's power saving settings and turn off all the automatic shut down parameters. There's no "display off in X seconds" and no overall camera shut down enabled. Then I shoot everything using the EVF since it's a higher drain on the battery than the rear panel (still not clear why that is but that what it says in the camera instructions...).
Set up this way my battery in an SL2 went from 100% full down to the last (in red!) indicator in the space of a bit less than two hours. Once the battery was nearly spent I traded it out with a back-up battery I'd kept in my pocket, changed the power saving settings back to my usual choices and continued shooting and having fun until it was time to head home for dinner.
Both the batteries went directly onto chargers and the new battery got inserted back into the camera for another tranche of battery draining visual experiences that might happen today. And the pattern will repeat at least one more time. What does this buy me?
The assurance that I've set up the battery for longterm success. That the battery will provide, over time, the maximum output it's capable of. That I'll get the most shots or the longest video clips possible with this set up. It's worth it to me to take a bit of extra time to "welcome" each battery into the fold.
After all, at $200 a pop who wouldn't want the best performance?
The Mannequin Army agrees.
Additional and faster battery draining protocol: Stick the battery in an SL2, switch to 4K or 5K video, aim and start rolling. Should take about an hour to an hour and a half to drain a fully charged SCL-6 battery. Let the battery cool off before initiating recharge.... KT
ChatGPT respectfully disagrees with the Mannequin Army:
ReplyDeleteWhy the Myth Exists
1. Carryover from Older Battery Chemistries
In the days of nickel-cadmium (NiCd) and nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, “priming” or “conditioning” cycles were often recommended to help reach full capacity and to mitigate the so-called “memory effect.” This practice involved fully charging and then fully discharging the battery a few times. That advice does not carry over to lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells, which do not suffer from the same memory effect.
2. Calibration Confusion
Some devices (laptops, phones) have a built-in “battery gauge” that estimates the remaining charge based on voltage and other metrics. Occasionally performing a full discharge–charge cycle helps calibrate the device’s battery gauge, ensuring the percentage reading is accurate. That’s a calibration issue for the software, not a requirement for the battery chemistry itself.
3. Factory Conditioning
Lithium-ion batteries go through a formation process at the factory. By the time they reach the user, they are already close to peak capacity. Minor variations can occur in the first few cycles, but nothing close to the old practice of “three cycles to full.”
However, before I had consulted the AI Oracle, I confess that I observed Leica's magic incantation with the batteries I acquired for my Q3 and D-Lux 8 cameras. Because there's no point in tempting fate.
Hi Chris, as usual ChatGPT has it wrong and the mannequin army is victorious. Their information comes directly from the printed paper insert delivered with the Leica SCL-6 batteries, published by Leica, and referencing technology know how from their battery partner and a world leader in Li-ion battery technology; Panasonic. ChatGPT is, according to a spokes mannequin from the Mannequin World Order, "A tool of Satan."
DeleteAs far as I know ChatGBT has never successfully made their own Li-ion batteries......
ReplyDeleteBy way of FYI for everyone reading this, this is very useful site wrt batteries "https://batteryuniversity.com/". There's a lot there, nest not to try to read it all in one go.
ReplyDeleteThanks Robert, there's a lot of interesting information on that site.
DeleteI'm currently discharging/recharging a new SCL6 (thought I'd pick one up before they get hit with new tariffs) for the second time. Nearly every lithium-ion batt I buy these days (cell phones, power banks, etc.) has the same recommendation for doing the three-cycle business after purchase, and I give the manufacturers some credit for knowing how their products work.
ReplyDelete