The $6995 Leica SL3: Battery Charger $Extra, Can’t Charge Camera As-Supplied!
Related: botched design, color space and gamut, imcompetence crisis, Leica, Leica M, Leica SL3, please fix this, please fix this camera, please fix this Leica, USB, USB-C
re: Leica SL3 vs Sony A7R V: In-Depth Value Comparison
Real system cost and buyer fleecing should be called out for the shitty behavior that it is.
The Leica SL3 does not include a battery charger.
The Leica SL3 does not even include an AC power brick to power the supplied USB-C cable.
You literally cannot charge the camera unless you already own gear to do so. Yeah, most of us do, but that’s not true for everyone. And even if you do, it might not be a port that can charge at full speed. Or you might be somewhere where there is no such port.
Leica, you have to be kidding me... seriously? A $6995 camera which doesn’t even have feature parity with the about $3849 Sony A7R V, let alone a high-value low-cost Pro services offering. Or any pro support at all.
Spend another $220 for the Leica BC-SCL6 USB-C Dual Charger, which brings the effective camera price (with one $200 spare Leica BP-SCL6 battery) to $7415 = +$420 more. Even more retrograde, this $220 Leica charger cannot us 12V DC input (eg in a vehicle) as with chargers Leica used to make. I've made heavy use of 12V charging in the past. Very useful, very convenient. With this Leica charger, I need to power up my 2000W power inverter for its A/C power brick. Or buy something that can do high-power USB-C, which I did. But that is rather awkward when driving (can’t leave camera sitting out).
Versus Sony for just $78 for one spare battery (charger supplied with camera).
This is not a class act or premium product; that would imply a 1st-class user experience in which there are no left out pieces to frustrate with make-work efforts required to get to the starting line.
It’s not an option to have no charger and no spare battery:
- Especially on the road, it is unacceptable to have a camera sitting around charging on a USB-C cable—it could get tossed-about. Or exposed to prying eyes. At best, it forces the camera into a bag strapped-down or heaped somewhere (to avoid damage), in an awkward place, as well as having to come up with a USB-C port will not charge at full power with many ports.
- Even at home, having to dedicate a USB-C port on is a hassle and a headache with limited ports on some computers (no power brock supplied!). It also means a clunky brick (the camera) in just the wrong place on my desk since USB-C cables are short.
- I need to keep shooting while a battery is charging. That’s impossible if the camera does the charging
- Wear and tear from constant plug/unplug of the USB-C port. This WILL result in problems sooner or later.
Leica, this is messed-up!
Stefan D writes:
I am pretty sure this has to do with the new EU directive on reducing electronic waste.
I did some googling and found the link below just FYI.
https://www.dxomark.com/eu-device-charging-legislations/
DIGLLOYD: interesting possibility. Gives Japanese camera vendors a leg up.
- Would those regs apply here in USA? After all, it has a USA warranty card, so the contents vary already in at least one respect for the US market.
- A coupon for a free charger upon request would address it, if no other solution could be found.
- I don’t see a price drop for lack of the $220 charger. And why is it $220?
- If true, it needlessly generates ill will (very poor brand management!) to not include a little tag or small flyer saying that “due to EU regulations, a charger is not included...”.
OTOH, it works in Leica’s favor (profit) to NOT include a charger. So regardless of rreason(s), the same shitty end result accrues to customers. And not to Fujifilm or Sony or Nikon or Canon or Sigma customers!
