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Re: [OM] Olympus E-M5 Battery replacement

Subject: Re: [OM] Olympus E-M5 Battery replacement
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 07 May 2015 13:39:57 -0400
What Moose says. I have 2 Oly batteries and chargers (E-M5 and E-M1) plus 3 "EZO" batteries plus 2 Progo batteries and a Progo charger. I dislike the Oly chargers. They're bulky and have a long AC cord. I've adapted one of mine to use a collapsing built-in wall plug using an adapter sold for iPhone battery chargers. Gets rid of the bulky cord but not the bulky charger.

I have 3 "EZO" batteries because I had ordered 2, one failed very soon and when I complained to the seller they sent 2 replacement batteries. I don't think that was out of the goodness of their hearts, just an error made by them. The 3 EZOs now seem to work reliably. I've never done any controlled testing on any of my batteries but The 3 EZOs seem to have somwwhat lower capacity in use than either the Progo or Oly batteries.

Again, without any formal testing, I rate the Oly and Progo batteries as about equal in actual usage. But the Progo charger is itself worth buying the charger and the pair of batteries that come with it. The charger (except for its electrical contacts) is the same as I bought on ebay for my Samsung Point & Shoot. It's very light and compact and has a foldable wall plug. Unless I'm charging multiple batteries the Progo charger is the one I want to use. It charges all 3 battery brands with no problems as do the Oly chargers. Mechanically, the Oly chargers are better made but my usage preference is for the Progo charger. Right now I have an abundance of BLN-1 batteries but, when (not if) I need more I'll go for the Progo if it's still around.

Like Moose said, I suspect your batteries are losing their Mojo due to age and possibly to heat damage... although I'm skeptical of that. Rechargable batteries typically have lives measured in a few years. Some can last much longer if properly treated (don't overcharge, don't run the charge level too low) but I doubt that many are treated with kid gloves as to charge level as the manufacturers would like.

Finally thought to look up some expert knowledge.  Wiki says
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Degradation

Over their lifespan batteries degrade progressively, with reduced capacity, cycle life, and safety, due to chemical changes to the electrodes. Capacity loss/fade is expressed as a percentage of initial capacity after a number of cycles (e.g., 30% loss after 1,000 cycles). Fade can be separated into calendar loss and cycling loss. Calendar loss results from the passage of time and is measured from the maximum state of charge. Cycling loss is due to usage and depends on both the maximum state of charge and the depth of discharge.[51][100]

Degradation is strongly temperature-dependent; increasing if stored or used at higher temperatures. High charge levels and elevated temperatures (whether from charging or ambient air) hasten capacity loss.[66] Carbon anodes generate heat when in use. Batteries may be refrigerated to reduce temperature effects.[101]

Pouch and cylindrical cell temperatures depend linearly on the discharge current.[102] Poor internal ventilation may increase temperatures. Loss rates vary by temperature: 6% loss at 0 °C (32 °F), 20% at 25 °C (77 °F), and 35% at 40 °C (104 °F). In contrast, the calendar life of LiFePO
4 cells is not affected by high charge states.[103][104]

The advent of the SEI layer improved performance, but increased vulnerability to thermal degradation. The layer is composed of electrolyte—carbonate reduction products that serve both as an ionic conductor and electronic insulator. It forms on both the anode and cathode and determines many performance parameters. Under typical conditions, such as room temperature and the absence of charge effects and contaminants, after the first charge the layer reaches a fixed thickness, allowing the device can operate for years. However, operation outside such parameters can degrade the device via several reactions.
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Chuck Norcutt


On 5/6/2015 5:54 PM, Moose wrote:
On 5/6/2015 8:23 AM, David Irisarri wrote:
Hi all,

I have to E-M5 cameras, 2 years ago when I bought them there wasn't
Olympus BLN-1 batteries for sale yet so I bought the Premium Tech
batteries with 1500mAh. I have to say that after two years I usually
pick Premium Tech batteries instead of the Olympus ones because they
last longer or it feels like it. A couple of weeks ago I traveled to
South Spain to visit my parents (now I live in NJ :) and it was quite
warm. Batteries were lasting like one to two hours max! even the
Olympus batts sucked! I don't know anything about batts and I wonder
if someone could recommend me high end BLN-1 batts for the E-M5.

These batteries aren't immortal. If you have been using them heavily,
they may have simply lost capacity.

I've never used mine where they were really hot for any length of time.
I have got out to shoot in 105+°F weather, but not for long, before
retreating into AC. :-) Continued use in high temps may also hasten aging.

is there a 2000 mAh battery for the E-M5?

I rather doubt it. Energy density only goes up slowly, if at all, in
mature battery types, so size tends to limit capacity.

Also, I'm not sure the printed ratings are entirely meaningful in terms
of actual usage:

As with you, when I got my E-M5, spare Oly batteries weren't available
(and ridiculously expensive). I bought a couple of Wasabi Power
batteries, rated at 1300 mAh, vs. the 1220 of the Oly BLN-1. When I
sorta kept track of life, there was a fair amount of variation, due to
how I was using the camera, camera settings, temp., etc. But overall, it
was clear that the Wasabis gave significantly fewer shots pics per
charge than the Oly.

I added a Progo to the mix, because, unlike the Wasabis, it could share
the Oly charger, and was supposed to show charge level more accurately
in the camera. It's rated at 1600 mAh, but it didn't seem to me to have
more practical capacity than the Oly.

Then I read a review (reviews?) of the Progos on Amazon asserting a lot
of stuff about voltages, chargers and capacities. The gist of it is that
the Progos get their higher capacity rating in part through a higher
nominal voltage, 7.6v, vs. 7.4 for the Olys. At least one guy claimed to
have confirmed through testing that the Progos didn't reach their full
capacity charged on the Oly charger. (And the reverse, the reason for
which, if I knew it, I've forgotten, was claimed to be true.)

The other factor, impossible to fully verify, is that batteries other
than the Olys don't quite communicate properly with the camera. I
certainly felt this was true of the Wasabis. My assumption, based on
experience with the Wasabis and thought/speculation, is that the camera,
when not getting full info from the battery, takes the safe road, and
shuts down at a certain voltage, rather than risking lost shot(s) and
unexpected shut down from insufficient power. With their own, and well
reverse engineered third party, batteries, they can rely on working
closer to the end of battery power.

The Premium Tech batteries I see on Amazon say that, like the Wasabis,
they can only be charged on their own charger, not the Oly charger.
Which probably means they aren't fully coded to communicate with the
camera and thus may give you unreliable charge remaining indication on
the camera and leave some of their charge unused.

In any case, I wanted interchangeability on the road, so purchased a set
of two more Progos with a Progo charger. Although I match battery and
charger brand when practical, I like that I can mix and match with no
problem but perhaps a few less shots out of a battery one time.

I prefer the third party chargers because they can operate on 12v when
we are on the road in our little RV. So I tend to use the Progos most on
the road.

Later OMDs add a quick sleep (and wake) function that I think will
extend battery life significantly on the E-M5 II.

Fully Powered Moose

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