Firmware problem

New genuine good Lithiums measure 1.80v with no load. Even my little used (50 shots?) 7yr old backup set measure 1.70v and still work fine on my K100D and K-30. By the way, I've heard a few tales of Lithiums not being as reliable now as when they used to make them several years ago, i.e. dead ones straight out of a new packet.

Sorry if I'm going slightly off topic but my son in law left his K200D with me when he went to Australia. I've tried almost new, fully charged NiMH 2500mAh - offload measuring 1.5V - and a set of new Alkaline - measuring 1.6V - and neither will power the camera. On switch on I simply get the battery icon flashing. I've read elsewhere that the K200D needs eneloops to function. Surely it can't be that intolerant?

Oh yes it can!

Any chance you can expand on that? According to the manual NiMH should work and certainly so if they are freshly charged and almost new. Also if eneloops are needed what capacity (mAh)are required to make it work? The Pentax Support site simply states :-
K200D AA Battery Types

Q: What type of batteries can be used with the K200D

A: The K200D can be powered by four AA lithium batteries, four AA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries or four AA alkaline batteries. Note: Use of AA alkaline batteries is not rcommended except for emergency use or checking the camera's functionality.

Hi Jamie

It appears from my experience this week that as far as Pentax dSLRs are concerned, there are AA batteries and there are AA batteries. The chemistry of the Lithium, NiMH and Alkaline batteries appears to determine whether they are going to be suitable for camera use, or even if they are, how long from new they will last before giving the dreaded Battery Depleted sign or simply not powering the camera up at all.
My experience with a 100D Super and a Kx is that they don't like alkaline AAs, they do like Lithium Energizer AAs - initially, until there is less voltage available after a relatively short term of use, or you are unlucky enough to get lower voltage one new out of a pack. New fully charged Energizer Lithium non-rechargables will be fine. Eneloops appear to be the battery of choice. So far (I am touching wood as I write), they have not let me down. This is particularly strange as they are only 1.3v fully charged! I can only imagine that there is a major drop in voltage and /or current with the Alkaline and other metal batteries once under load, or rather that this drop is severe enough for the sensitive electronics in a dSLR camera to stop functioning properly. The Eneloops appear not to have this loss problem.

Here's a thought - There are power stations available (portable 12v DC lead acid battery types, from Argos, Halfords etc) and some of them have 6v DC outlets. I wonder how these cameras would respond to 6v from a Lead acid battery?

Za

Lithiums work perfectly fine with the K-x, there is no problem with this type of battery, except they are expensive and you don't need to buy them. Get some more Eneloops!

If the previous set of batteries works, this points to one of two things:

1. One or more of the previous set of batteries is not delivering enough current

2. There is something wrong with the camera

There are no issues (as stated earlier) with the K-x and firmware 1.03. I have been using this combination for over a year on three different K-x bodies and no problems with any of them. I think you are making assumptions about Pentax and their hardware / software based on one isolated experience; admittedly this is your experience but it doesn't mean there is a general problem.

Regards
David

These two videos regarding K-x battery issues maybe of interest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBmLxdUlkW8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLPKgoG76bw

John K

John, that video was shot in 2009, approximately 3.5 years ago, so it is very misleading and not relevant today. At that time the camera would have been running firmware 1.0; it is well known that there were issues with the battery indicator / meter with firmware 1.0. These issues were rectified in later firmware releases, as detailed by Pentax on their firmware download page.

I am not aware of issues with batteries in the latest firmware releases and I certainly have not had any problems with 3 K-x bodies. Other K-x owners may wish to comment?

Regards
David

OK, I've never owned a K-x so cannot comment only to say I experienced something similar with a K100D. It's the way it suddenly seems to start working again with a set of batteries that previously seemed dead for no apparent reason.

The issue may have been improved in firmware updates, but that cannot change the electrical components the camera is built from.

John K

To work properly the batteries need plenty of "Welly!" and
"Ooomph!" which can't be measured on a meter. I used to use
Sanyo Cadnica's and Panasonic NiMh (Made in Japan) on a
*istDS without any problems. Sanyo Eneloops are about the
closest nowadays. http://www.vapextech.co.uk/ are also good.

Ricehigh has quite a bit about AA's in a K-x on his site
http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/2011/09/k-x-battery-issue-re-visited-with.html


'

A *lot* more than you ever wanted to know about available batteries.

http://budgetlightforum.com/forum/batteries/rechargeable

I've used Uniross Hybrios in a K200D for some years. They work fine. They also beat Eneloops in the tests I've seen.

Andrew

Folks worry about their batteries more than they do their chargers. You need to buy a decent charger.

Plenty of discussion elsewhere about that. Google away.

Like most things, you get what you pay for.
So expect to pay £30 to £50 for a half-decent one.

having said that the last one I got was http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/320952746632

Batteries seem to get quite hot but all the chargers I've used have too, just at the end of charge. It is very neat and doesn't charge too fast. (i.e. huge current). It can share the same power cable as the Pentax charger

Hi

A *lot* more than you ever wanted to know about available batteries.

http://budgetlightforum.com/forum/batteries/rechargeable[/quote]It always amazes me how people get to find out about websites like these. Every time I search for interesting stuff when I need it I never seem to find it

Za

I do appreciate that a digital SLR will require a significant power supply but as I said my almost new NiMH batteries are 2500mAh and are measuring 1.5V offload. I would have thought that that would have been more than sufficient to power the camera. Judging from the responses here it does seem that Pentax have an issue with their DSLRs that take AAs as standard. On the one hand the manual makes the oblique statement that Alkalines and NiMH can be used but it would appear that that's not the case. Only some Alkalines and some NiMH seem to work. You could spend a small fortune buying batteries/chargers that don't do the job. I'm surprised Pentax haven't qualified their statement in the manual. I'm also surprised that users haven't created more of a stir.