KX eating batteries

Hi All,

Have been using the KX for about a year, (and love it) however today at Brands Hatch the camera sudenly started using lots of battery power. New set of Litium as I always use and getting about 30-40 shots then low battery displayed on the screen. Is this because of the S/W update? I am using Version 1.00. If just a S/W update does this mean my batteries are not actually low and I can continue using the camera.
Not sure about updating the S/W myself as I'm a bit of a numpty with these techie sort of things.

Cheers

delS1

S/W update?

The camera look at the voltage of the battery if that drops low it can give a false reading, in the KX menu you've the option to select battery type, using that will also help.
The 1.01 update of the firmware should help, the update is very simple but be sure to use new batteries because if the camera turns off or lose power during updating you basically brick it.

To update it all you do is copy the file to the SD-card root and then turn the camera on while holding the preview button, you will then get a comment asking if you want to update to version 1.01 or something like that and you simply press OK and that's it, you've updated the camera when it's done.

Here is a guide from Samsung on how to update, Pentax works in the same way.
link

My brother-in-law bought a new K-x and didn't change batteries all week when we were all on holiday recently.

He was using the set that was supplied with the camera and they happily did more than 800 shots and were still going strong.

Del,

If the only thing that has changed is the batteries, it may be that this is an old or perhaps defective set of Lithiums?

Hi Guy's

Thanks for the responses. I have used 3 sets of brand new batteries (lithium and Alkaline) and taken about 200 shots in total before the batteries are flat.

I read that the s/w update corrects the battery level indicator as well as improving 2 other aspects so it's worth doing anyway. I find it strange that the camera has worked fine for a year I could understand if it did this straight from the box.

I believe the pentax service/repair centre is in Langley Slough which is about 20 mins from me. I will give them a call tomorrow and see if I can deliver to them and let them look at it.

Cheers

delS1

Do you use live-view a lot, that drains the battery quite a bit from what I've seen.

I'm on my second set of batteries - Lithiums and the first set did well over 800 shots .

I successfully managed to do the firmware update when I got my K-x last December and my original name here was technoidiot

Now if I can manage it I'm sure you can .

Be brave - have another shot at the update BUT before you do put a brand new , unopened set of Lithiums into your camera and immediately do the update .