K-3 and K-3 ii batteries
Posted 02/12/2017 - 12:54
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GPS will drink up the power very quickly, but also the batteries will not build up to full capacity until they have had a few charge cycles.
So I'd suggest turning off the GPS and after a while see if things haven't substantially improved. Batteries in my K-3 II seem to last as long as they ever did, but I don't have GPS switched on.
So I'd suggest turning off the GPS and after a while see if things haven't substantially improved. Batteries in my K-3 II seem to last as long as they ever did, but I don't have GPS switched on.
Best regards, John
Posted 02/12/2017 - 13:00
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GPS is pretty power hungry so only turn it on when it is useful to do so. Smartphones are no different.
John K
Posted 03/12/2017 - 09:22
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Same here. Turn GPS on when you need it.
K-3II - HD DA20-40 Limited, HD DA55-300PLM, SMC DA10-17 Fishy, AF201FG Flashy
Posted 03/12/2017 - 20:57
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microlight2010 wrote:
Same here. Turn GPS on when you need it.
Same here. Turn GPS on when you need it.
K-3 II, K-3 and a K-70 from SRS (having now relegated the K-30 /"K-50" to a backup body), & some Sigma and Pentax lenses (and a lot of old 35mm gear!)
Posted 03/12/2017 - 20:59
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Ditto
First thing I did when I got the (s/h) K-3 II was to turn off the GPS as I don't need it. Battery life is then quite "reasonable"
First thing I did when I got the (s/h) K-3 II was to turn off the GPS as I don't need it. Battery life is then quite "reasonable"
K-3 II, K-3 and a K-70 from SRS (having now relegated the K-30 /"K-50" to a backup body), & some Sigma and Pentax lenses (and a lot of old 35mm gear!)
Posted 04/12/2017 - 13:09
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Cheers will try that. My son keeps laughing because his old canon 550d batteries last ages but no GPS.
Posted 04/12/2017 - 18:53
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i have had that a couple off times when you put the k3ii away you sometimes just catch the gps button it is a pain in the butt
its just a shame that you cant disable that bloody button
its just a shame that you cant disable that bloody button
Posted 04/12/2017 - 19:24
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In fairness to the K3ii when I used mine all around New Zealand I used the GPS for every shot, and even used the tracking feature on a 4 hour walk and I never found that it hammered the battery. OK I depleted the battery more than I am used to on the K-5 but overall it was a non-issue.
K3iii, K3ii, K-5, K-x, DA150-450mm, DA16-85WR, DA16-45, DA18-55WR, DA18-135WR, DA35 F2.4, M100mm F4 Macro, DA55-300mm, FA50mm 1.4, AF360 Flash, AF540 Flash
Posted 02/04/2018 - 12:06
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Hello again. Further to this post. I have turned off GPS but it keeps switching back on which is draining batteries constantly. I also recently fully charged batteries left the camera in bag fully switched off without any use at all and when I switched it on the batteries where nearly flat. I,m beginning to hate this camera. Has anyone else had similar issues?
Posted 02/04/2018 - 14:10
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stu62 wrote:
i have had that a couple off times when you put the k3ii away you sometimes just catch the gps button it is a pain in the butt
its just a shame that you cant disable that bloody button
i have had that a couple off times when you put the k3ii away you sometimes just catch the gps button it is a pain in the butt
its just a shame that you cant disable that bloody button
Is it possible the above is happening ? quoted from earlier in this thread
Chris
www.chrismillsphotography.co.uk
" A Hangover is something that occupies the Head you neglected to use the night before".
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K1 - Sigma 85mm F1.4, Pentax DFA 150 -450 F4.5 / 5.6, Pentax DFA* 24 - 70 F2.8
Samyang 14mm F2.8, Pentax DFA* 70-200 F2.8, Pentax A 50mm F1.2
K3iii + K3ii + K5iis converted to IR, Sigma 17 - 70 F2.8, Pentax 55 - 300 F4.5 / F5.6 PLM
www.chrismillsphotography.co.uk
" A Hangover is something that occupies the Head you neglected to use the night before".
-------------------------------------------------------------
K1 - Sigma 85mm F1.4, Pentax DFA 150 -450 F4.5 / 5.6, Pentax DFA* 24 - 70 F2.8
Samyang 14mm F2.8, Pentax DFA* 70-200 F2.8, Pentax A 50mm F1.2
K3iii + K3ii + K5iis converted to IR, Sigma 17 - 70 F2.8, Pentax 55 - 300 F4.5 / F5.6 PLM
Posted 02/04/2018 - 14:23
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phillipjclay wrote:
Hello again. Further to this post. I have turned off GPS but it keeps switching back on which is draining batteries constantly. I also recently fully charged batteries left the camera in bag fully switched off without any use at all and when I switched it on the batteries where nearly flat. I,m beginning to hate this camera. Has anyone else had similar issues?
Hello again. Further to this post. I have turned off GPS but it keeps switching back on which is draining batteries constantly. I also recently fully charged batteries left the camera in bag fully switched off without any use at all and when I switched it on the batteries where nearly flat. I,m beginning to hate this camera. Has anyone else had similar issues?
Is the GPS button getting operated in your bag?
Or, are you assuming that if you switch off the camera that GPS will switch off too if it was on before you powered the camera down?
I've found you have to switch off GPS before powering the camera down.
Take a look at this earlier thread on the same topic> https://www.pentaxuser.com/forum/topic/k3ii-battery-drains-flat-57214/p-0
Posted 02/04/2018 - 16:51
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Hi Phil.
On my K-3II, it doesn't matter which shooting mode the camera is in, or whether or not you've got a USER mode set, GPS on/off is only set by the pushbutton on the pentaprism, and it's only visibly active (in other words, the little orange light is on and the 'GPS' indicator is visible on the top display) when the camera is switched on and the top display is showing the shooting parameters.
If GPS is enabled when the camera is switched on but sleeping (the top plate display has timed out), the orange light goes out too - but the GPS is still using the battery; it has to do this or else the GPS logging feature wouldn't work. This logging feature also continues to work when the camera is switched completely off. If the camera is switched off and the logging is off, the GPS continues to use the battery and pressing the GPS button doesn't do anything. But if you switch the camera off with GPS enabled and the logging feature active, then the GPS light flashes every three seconds or so, to tell you that logging is still happening.
I had my GPS turned permanently on during my recent NZ trip for location and logging, so I turned the warning lamp off in the menus - but then I was rotating four batteries, so battery power was never an issue. Now I'm home, the lamp is turned on again, and the GPS routinely off. So as JohnX said, you need to make sure that the GPS is off before switching the camera off (I'd recommend not deactivating the GPS indicator lamp), and making sure that 'GPS' no longer appears in the top display; if you do this then it should turn back on with the GPS (and its indicator lamp) still off.
It's possible that it's being turned on accidentally in your bag, but if the camera is asleep when you put it in there then it would need the shutter button accidentally half-depressing to turn the meter on, followed by the GPS button being pressed, which seems like a complex sequence to happen accidentally each time. If the camera is switched off while the GPS light and display indicator are both off, then no amount of button pressing in the bag will turn the GPS on.
Hope this helps.
On my K-3II, it doesn't matter which shooting mode the camera is in, or whether or not you've got a USER mode set, GPS on/off is only set by the pushbutton on the pentaprism, and it's only visibly active (in other words, the little orange light is on and the 'GPS' indicator is visible on the top display) when the camera is switched on and the top display is showing the shooting parameters.
If GPS is enabled when the camera is switched on but sleeping (the top plate display has timed out), the orange light goes out too - but the GPS is still using the battery; it has to do this or else the GPS logging feature wouldn't work. This logging feature also continues to work when the camera is switched completely off. If the camera is switched off and the logging is off, the GPS continues to use the battery and pressing the GPS button doesn't do anything. But if you switch the camera off with GPS enabled and the logging feature active, then the GPS light flashes every three seconds or so, to tell you that logging is still happening.
I had my GPS turned permanently on during my recent NZ trip for location and logging, so I turned the warning lamp off in the menus - but then I was rotating four batteries, so battery power was never an issue. Now I'm home, the lamp is turned on again, and the GPS routinely off. So as JohnX said, you need to make sure that the GPS is off before switching the camera off (I'd recommend not deactivating the GPS indicator lamp), and making sure that 'GPS' no longer appears in the top display; if you do this then it should turn back on with the GPS (and its indicator lamp) still off.
It's possible that it's being turned on accidentally in your bag, but if the camera is asleep when you put it in there then it would need the shutter button accidentally half-depressing to turn the meter on, followed by the GPS button being pressed, which seems like a complex sequence to happen accidentally each time. If the camera is switched off while the GPS light and display indicator are both off, then no amount of button pressing in the bag will turn the GPS on.
Hope this helps.
K-3II - HD DA20-40 Limited, HD DA55-300PLM, SMC DA10-17 Fishy, AF201FG Flashy
Posted 04/04/2018 - 18:14
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That could be it but why would the power drain when the camera is switched off. I use a grip so that`s 2 genuine pentax batteries. I have heard that some k3ii had issue with off not being off so checked serial on there site and it was outside of it. I,ll keep and eye on the gps button and see if that cures it. Cheers
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49 posts
7 years
The North
Are these batteries crap or is it the GPS in the camera using all the power??
Cheers Phil.