p.2 #1 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
crf59 wrote:
Hi folks,
While recent Leica batteries like the BP-SCL6 are easy to find (if too expensive), I cannot find the BP-SCL5 for my M10s or BP-SCL2 for my M240. Fortunately I have a few for my M11s.
I called Leica and was told that there were "supply issues".
I know there was mention several months ago about a shortage of M10 batteries, but evidently the situation has only gotten worse. Anyone hearing anything more about this?
It REALLY annoys me that Leica touts a "lifetime" of use from their cameras and yet cannot manage to keep the lifeblood of the cameras in production. Completely unacceptable....Show more →
Apparently the shortage is only in the USA for some reason.
p.2 #2 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
Fred Miranda wrote:
Apparently the shortage is only in the USA for some reason.
Seems like that’s been the case for a while. When I bought my M10M early last fall it was the same deal—available here in Europe but saw lots of posts from Americans on the forums about it. Just checked and they are in stock at retailers here.
p.2 #3 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
This is not surprising, but still disappointing to hear. I was going to mention that reddotcameras in London ships to the USA, but it looks like they don't ship batteries due to customs restrictions.
p.2 #5 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
This has been an ongoing problem, for a while. I ordered at least four BP-SCL2 batteries in 2024, from multiple sources in the USA, and only one was actually in-stock and actually shipped to me. B&H did recently change the status of the BP-SCL2 from “Discontinued” to something a bit more optimistic, “Back-Ordered,” except that unlike most other back-ordered items, I was unable to click to request e-mail notification when the item became available.
BP-SCL5 batteries, for the M10-series cameras, have been sporadically available, more recently, but have usually been snapped-up quickly.
Leica Store Miami shows out-of-stock status on both, and will allow one to “Pre-Order.”
My personal near-term situation, with Leica batteries, is not bad, because I ordered extras, of both, when they were still readily available, but, I am deeply concerned about the long-term situation. It is simply unrealistic for me to think that I can continue to buy new M-series camera bodies, with each new generation. I still occasionally use a Nikon D2hs camera, so, know that a gently-used camera can endure for 20 years.
p.2 #6 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
I currently own three BP-SCL5 batteries for my M10-R and rotate them regularly. I made sure to buy them all brand new and take every precaution to extend their lifespan. For lithium batteries, it’s best to charge them up to 80% and avoid letting them drop below 20%. While this method means carrying spares is necessary, the payoff is that the batteries maintain their capacity much longer.
The shortage has been ongoing in the US for a while, but I occasionally see them at PopFlash (no affiliation).
p.2 #7 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
Fred Miranda wrote:
I currently own three BP-SCL5 batteries for my M10-R and rotate them regularly. I made sure to buy them all brand new and take every precaution to extend their lifespan. For lithium batteries, it’s best to charge them up to 80% and avoid letting them drop below 20%. While this method means carrying spares is necessary, the payoff is that the batteries maintain their capacity much longer.
The shortage has been ongoing in the US for a while, but I occasionally see them at PopFlash (no affiliation).
And don't keep them sitting at 100%, if you're not going to shoot them within the next couple of days, charge them up to 80% like Fred does or don't fully charge them until you are planning on using them. If they are going to sit longer than a week, I keep mine at ~50% charge. Same for longer term storage.
p.2 #10 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
Tariq Gibran wrote:
how do you stop charging at 80%? Never mind, I see the Leica charges have that indication!
If you'd rather not watch, get this smart plug outlet and set a timer for about 55 minutes. This is roughly the time it takes to charge the battery to 80%. The plug will turn off automatically when it it finalizes the countdown.
p.2 #11 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
Fred Miranda wrote:
If you'd rather not watch, get this smart plug outlet and set a timer for about 55 minutes. This is roughly the time it takes to charge the battery to 80%. The plug will turn off automatically when it it finalizes the countdown.
p.2 #12 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
I just received a new BP-SCL6 to use in an SL2. In regards to the discussion regarding preserving lithium battery health and longevity, I was surprised to read the following in the included instructions (bold added by me). I thought lithium batteries never needed to be fully depleted as they did not suffer from memory issues. The below would seem to suggest this is not fully the case. Does anyone have any insight as to the requirement to fully deplete lithium batteries every so often? I have read that with lithium batteries (much larger ones as in a solar system), it is important to fully charge them every so often so that the BMS stays accurate but was unaware of the need to fully discharge so often.
From the Leica (Panasonic) BP-SCL6 instructions:
A new battery only reaches its full capacity after it has been fully charged and - by using it in the camera - depleted 2 to 3 times.This depletion process should be repeated roughly every 25 cycles
p.2 #13 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
My inlaws live in Vienna. Wife is visiting in March. I wonder if I should have her pickup some SCL5 spares from Leica Vienna. I just don’t know if it’s necessary to pay MSRP for them. I have 3 for M10R. Keeping that puppy forever at least until M12 comes out.
p.2 #14 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
If/When I finally manage to fly to Europe or Asia, which could happen within the next year or two, visiting any nearby Leica stores will be on the agenda, and I will, most certainly, budget for acquiring several, each, of the BP-SCL2 and BP-SCL5. I am glad that I bought a few extra batteries, when they were generally available, in the USA, so, am well-supplied, for now, but, no battery endures forever.
p.2 #15 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
The M10 batteries last a while. There's not much to power on these camera unless you use live-view a lot or full metering. I always rangefinder focus and use the center-weighted and rarely use a 2nd battery. You should be ok without a third
newyork wrote:
I jut received an m10 with 2 batteries. Glad it wasn’t 1 but I feel I should find a 3rd as I want it to be my edc camera.
p.2 #16 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
FWIW, I sent an email to Leica Miami last week inquiring about the battery situation. This was their response:
“Thank you for reaching out. The BP-SCL5 for the Leica M10, M10-P, M10-R, M10-D, and M10 Monochrom is still being manufactured and sold, but only in limited production runs a few times a year. This will make it seem like they’re unavailable but that’s just due to the long periods of time in between deliveries. That long lead time also means that by the time we do eventually get a delivery, what we’ve received is already pre-sold.”
p.2 #17 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
Mark Sisco wrote:
FWIW, I sent an email to Leica Miami last week inquiring about the battery situation. This was their response:
“Thank you for reaching out. The BP-SCL5 for the Leica M10, M10-P, M10-R, M10-D, and M10 Monochrom is still being manufactured and sold, but only in limited production runs a few times a year. This will make it seem like they’re unavailable but that’s just due to the long periods of time in between deliveries. That long lead time also means that by the time we do eventually get a delivery, what we’ve received is already pre-sold.”
Thanks for the info. I plan to pick up an extra battery for my M10 when I am in Europe this year.
p.2 #18 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
Just received email from Leica Miami. My BP-SCL2 for my M262 just became available, preordered back in Sept. I already have two, one OEM and the other aftermarket. This new oem gives me a bit of comfort for the foreseeable future. I’m considering keeping it boxed for now until I see signs of failure on my current ones. Not sure if this is the best approach, but if it’s a recent manufacture date, I would think its shelf life would be good for awhile.
It appears things may be opening up a bit. Good luck to the M10, Q and others experiencing the delay
p.2 #19 · Leica M10 BP-SCL5 battery impossible to find in the US!
TR3B wrote:
Just received email from Leica Miami. My BP-SCL2 for my M262 just became available, preordered back in Sept. I already have two, one OEM and the other aftermarket. This new oem gives me a bit of comfort for the foreseeable future. I’m considering keeping it boxed for now until I see signs of failure on my current ones. Not sure if this is the best approach, but if it’s a recent manufacture date, I would think its shelf life would be good for awhile.
It appears things may be opening up a bit. Good luck to the M10, Q and others experiencing the delay ...Show more →
This is good to know, as it shows that slow progress is being made. I may well pre-order some spare batteries, some time later this year.
