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Depleted battery in Kx

davidstorm
Posted 31/10/2017 - 12:14 Link
Hi Joats

It strikes me that you may be 'flogging a dead horse' so to speak and that an alternative solution should be sought? As mentioned earlier in the thread, I've had four Pentax K-x's, none of which had the issue with false battery readings or power shut-down. You may be better served by sourcing another second hand K-x, they should be cheap and readily available. If you had a backup camera, it wouldn't be a disaster if you attempted a firmware update on your existing one and it failed, as you would have a backup camera you could use. Someone on this Forum recently sold a used K-x with only 1,607 shutter actuation, for £85.00. That's probably about the price that a decent intelligent charger would cost you, and less than a Pentax Battery Adaptor for the K-x. Neither of these options is guaranteed to work.

I know this isn't a solution to your current questions, but it's probably more practical.

Regards
David
Flickr

Nicola's Apartments, Kassiopi, Corfu

Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs
barkin
Posted 01/11/2017 - 17:45 Link
davidstorm wrote:
Hi Joats
Someone on this Forum recently sold a used K-x with only 1,607 shutter actuation, for £85.00. That's probably about the price that a decent intelligent charger would cost you

ERM...no. See the links posted earlier...up there ^^^^

Who pays that much for a smart charger, when a 10 quid dumb one from eBay works much better...?
JAK
Posted 01/11/2017 - 18:09 Link
barkin wrote:
Who pays that much for a smart charger

Smart people. Until you've tried both you won't appreciate the difference.

Getting a new camera, a K-x or something else might seem a sensible option rather than possibly throwing good money after bad, even if just a tenner. But hadn't the OP reported it as being OK now?

To me it would make sense to try the update and if it fails replace the camera. Can't see there's much to lose. If it were me, though, I may be tempted by the DIY battery adapter solution. If the OP has lost confidence in the K-x getting something newer would make a lot of sense in any event.
John K
Edited by JAK: 01/11/2017 - 18:20
davidstorm
Posted 01/11/2017 - 19:50 Link
barkin wrote:
[quote:3496ace15f="davidstorm"]
ERM...no. See the links posted earlier...up there ^^^^

Who pays that much for a smart charger, when a 10 quid dumb one from eBay works much better...?

Sorry, missed that post, the 7 Day Shop charger looks to be a bargain. However, that might not make any difference and it's not really satisfactory having to run the camera permanently on Duracells. It wouldn't take long to mount up a battery cost in excess of what it would cost to replace the camera.

I think the suggestion of trying the firmware update and getting a backup camera is the most viable route, just my opinion of course.

Regards
David
Flickr

Nicola's Apartments, Kassiopi, Corfu

Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs
barkin
Posted 01/11/2017 - 20:50 Link
JAK wrote:
barkin wrote:
Who pays that much for a smart charger

Smart people. Until you've tried both you won't appreciate the difference.

You know that. I know that...
Joats
Posted 05/11/2017 - 15:58 Link
Update on the battery situation. Used the camera powered by Duracells to photograph cycles for a website. Batteries lasted about a dozen shots before battery indicator showed batteries half depleted. Turned the camera off for a minute and then back on again. Full battery green indicator comes on, so I take another half dozen or so shots again before the same thing happened. Good job I didn't use these batteries to power a firmware update!
JAK
Edited by JAK: 05/11/2017 - 17:52
Pentaxke
Posted 06/11/2017 - 08:04 Link
davidstorm wrote:
Hi Joats

It strikes me that you may be 'flogging a dead horse' so to speak and that an alternative solution should be sought? As mentioned earlier in the thread, I've had four Pentax K-x's, none of which had the issue with false battery readings or power shut-down. You may be better served by sourcing another second hand K-x, they should be cheap and readily available. If you had a backup camera, it wouldn't be a disaster if you attempted a firmware update on your existing one and it failed, as you would have a backup camera you could use. Someone on this Forum recently sold a used K-x with only 1,607 shutter actuation, for £85.00. That's probably about the price that a decent intelligent charger would cost you, and less than a Pentax Battery Adaptor for the K-x. Neither of these options is guaranteed to work.

I know this isn't a solution to your current questions, but it's probably more practical.

Regards
David

Sorry to come late to the game. That person selling the Kx would have been me. I am sure tat the new owner is happy with his purchase (it worked flawlessly.)

I have to concur: I would go for a nice second hand as well. If the problem is anything like the *ist D ed all had then the only batteries to be guaranteed o work are non rechargeable Lithium AA's (with all the rest I had mixed results at best.) Anyway, there are lot of cheap and good second hand bodies out there, that would be the road I'd go...
Cheers! Marc

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droopsnoot
Posted 07/11/2017 - 13:10 Link
I'm also late to this thread. I've had a Kx for some time, and I have also had no battery issues. I had the same experience as someone (John?) posted above, in that the supplied lithium batteries lasted for ages, had a brief test with some standard Duracell AAs to find they only last for a small number of shots (to be fair the manual does say they're only really for emergencies) and then, on reading this forum, I bought a set of Eneloops and the "genuine" Eneloop charger. Since then, that's all I use. I'm frustrated that it takes 11-12 hours to do the charge, but it works for me.

The motherboard thing is a common issue with upgrading firmware, and only really goes away on a device where there can be base firmware in ROM, and a secondary set in EPROM or flash memory, and your upgrade goes into the latter. That way, if the upgrade fails part-way through, the device can detect the failure on next boot, and use the earlier but permanent version. The only trouble is, there isn't really enough room in a camera for this extra level.

One question that I might have missed someone asking or mentioning - what's the "battery type" set to in the camera menu, in setup 3?
Real name: Mike Edwards. My homage to seventies Vauxhalls: www.firenza.net

Camera - Pentax Kx, 18-55 kit lens, 18-200 Sigma, 50-500 Sigma, 500mm Tamron mirror
Joats
Posted 07/11/2017 - 14:21 Link
droopsnoot wrote:
I'm also late to this thread. I've had a Kx for some time, and I have also had no battery issues. I had the same experience as someone (John?) posted above, in that the supplied lithium batteries lasted for ages, had a brief test with some standard Duracell AAs to find they only last for a small number of shots (to be fair the manual does say they're only really for emergencies) and then, on reading this forum, I bought a set of Eneloops and the "genuine" Eneloop charger. Since then, that's all I use. I'm frustrated that it takes 11-12 hours to do the charge, but it works for me.

The motherboard thing is a common issue with upgrading firmware, and only really goes away on a device where there can be base firmware in ROM, and a secondary set in EPROM or flash memory, and your upgrade goes into the latter. That way, if the upgrade fails part-way through, the device can detect the failure on next boot, and use the earlier but permanent version. The only trouble is, there isn't really enough room in a camera for this extra level.

One question that I might have missed someone asking or mentioning - what's the "battery type" set to in the camera menu, in setup 3?

Hi
At the moment its set at Auto Detect.
droopsnoot
Posted 08/11/2017 - 10:50 Link
Ah, OK. I couldn't remember what mine was set to (with Eneloops) and that's set to auto-detect as well. I can't remember what firmware I'm on, though.
Real name: Mike Edwards. My homage to seventies Vauxhalls: www.firenza.net

Camera - Pentax Kx, 18-55 kit lens, 18-200 Sigma, 50-500 Sigma, 500mm Tamron mirror
co049
Posted 30/11/2017 - 17:56 Link
I've got a PENTAX K-M which is very fussy about which batteries I use in it I have tried variuous types and brands and the only ones which are a real success are the Panasonic eneloop BK-3MCCE/4BE Nickel Metal Hydride AA Batteries


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-eneloop-BK-3MCCE-4BE-Batteries-white/dp/B00IW...
Chris,

Pentax K1ii, K3, K-m & MX-1.
Pentax LX, MX, ME Super & MV.
"Old Skool" with the new!

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