Hi
I have owned a Pentax Kx for many years but has been largely unused for the last 6 years due to battery or software issues. I joined a debate some years ago about a possible remedy but then, no-one seemed to have found a universal solution. The problem is one of AA batteries used in The Kx and prior to that my older K100D Super. Both cameras had the same issue. When new, both cameras worked with reputable brand batteries such as Duracell etc. After a year or so that stopped. The Battery Depleted sign came on when new batteries were inserted, even when they tested on a voltmeter. They were always over 1.6v each and some measured 1.74 volts (not under load). The usual things were suggested, Cleaning of contacts, Ensure good contact of all batteries. Then the suggestions migrated to different battery chemistry and I should try the Energizer Ultimate Lithiums. I did that. That worked for a while, then they stopped. Someone said there was a known issue that Pentax refused to acknowledge, but then the latest firmware had a partial remedy that addressed the poor power supply and that the problem should be fixed for some cameras. Not for mine I had the latest firmware. Then someone said Eneloops worked better than any other, even though they were 1.25v volts each and the camera requires about 6v. Eneloops do work, but even to this day a freshly charged set of them will give me approx one hour of use, say, thirty or fourty shots, before the battery sign looks halfway to empty. Another ten minutes and the camera shows the Battery Depleted sign before shutting down. When I test the Eneloops on a voltmeter they show them still to be full. This is an old issue and an extremely annoying one that Pentax refused to acknowledge (at the time). Is there a remedy now? Has anyone tinkered about with home-made power supplies like inserting two 3v batteries? The camera, when operating works well, its just that it can't read the power level in the batteries, or the software has a communication glitch somewhere.
Anyone have any modern remedies?
Thanks
Joats

P.S. This topic was mentioned by me in the body of a seperate thread but someone suggested I may want to start a new thread for this. So I have.

Yes. Only use Green button in manul (M) mode.

Could be,

Hi
I was using the method similar to the procedure in my older Kx. Put the manual lens on, set aperture on the ring dial on the lens, focus, press Green button for shutter speed direction, take the picture. On this K70, it worked like that some of the time. With the Tamron 70-210 it didn't at all. One thing I didn't mention before was that I have three old film era Pentax K SMC lenses - a 50mm f1.7, a 28mm SMC, an SMC 35-105 f/3.5, and a couple of Russian M42 lenses with a Pentax K adapter ring. When this problem started, a friend who is more experienced suggested I place the 50mm f/1.7 on the camera and hold it against a window glass so it points at exactly the right spot, set the aperure, focus and press the green button. The results should be consistent providing the light didn't change outside. I also did this with the 35-105 at different focal lengths and apertures. The 50mm suggested 1/1000th for the f/5.6 setting. Pressing again it dropped to 1/250th and then again it came down to 1/60th. The 35-105 was also variable. The camera appeared to have trouble metering. On another day it was more consistent, then on another day it would have trouble again. I took the camera outside and tripod mounted it and focused on a brick wall. North facing and out of sunlight. Same issues, with non-consistent metering each time the green button was pressed. Turned the camera off, and back on again. Battery level was good. This time results were more consistent. Can't explain why it does it. Anyway, SRS Microsystems have picked the camera up and I am awaiting their response.
Are electrical issues a known issue with the K70? I seem to have been very unlucky with Pentax dSLRs. My original K100D Super developed a battery issue where it would only work with certain types of 1.5v AAs. my Kx which I still have, developed the same issue, but even worse. It won't come on at all unless I use fully charged Eneloops. I admit to losing faith in Pentax cameras.
We will see what happens.
Joats

Sorry, forgot to answer your first point. I only have one modern lens, a Pentax 15mm f/4 ED. Seems to work fine with that. Just wondering whether there are known issues with manual film lenses causing electrical or software issues with the camera?

Joats

Hi. Should the contacts require cleaning? The camera is two weeks old. Unless my camera is not as new as I was lead to believe! There is no electrical connection with the Tamron Adaptall and the camera body, just a mechanical connection via a bayonet lug that connects with the camera body that opens the iris during exposure in Manual mode.

No I never change lenses in Live View nor when the camera is switched on. Don't think I made myself clear. When I said the Playback/View button I meant the Playback button, not Live View. Live View is the button top left. Playback or View button is for viewing the image taken and is centre-right on the camera. Issue one is concerned with the Playback/View button, issue two is concerned with Live View.

Hi.
Purchased a new K70 recently and experiencing some software issues. Pehaps someone who has this camera or who has experienced something similar can shed some light on this.
I am using legacy lenses on it in Manual mode. When I place my Tamron 90mm f/2.5 on the camera, I set the focal length on the screen to 85mm (closest available). Set the aperture ring to, say, f/5.6, focus on something, the viewfinder is bright. I press the Green button, it suggests a shutter speed. I take a picture, it is roughly correct exposure. I press the Playback or View button, and the image appears on the screen.
Now I place my Tamron 70-210 f/3.5 on the camera. I set the focal length on the screen to 200mm. Immediately there is a clunk. The mirror has gone up and come down. I focus on something and take a meter by pressing the Green button. I take an image. I press the Playback button and there is another clunk as the mirror gets raised and drops again. The image shows on the screen. When I press the Playback button again to go back to the standard info display on the screen, the mirror goes off again. Every time I press the Playback button, the mirror gets activated. Also, when I take an exposure, there is a double clunk.

Second issue. Quite often when I operate the Live View button, it comes on, then a second or two later goes back to main screen info. Occasionally, it goes back to main screen info and then back to Live View. It flicks between the two. Another time the Live View comes on and stays on without a problem.
There appears to an issue with the workings of this camera.
Have a just bought a lemon or are these simple issues that can easily be sorted?

Thanks for your input.
Joats

Yes, I kind-of decided to use the lenses I have and see if there is a glaring hole that becomes apparent. Its the "New camera with a greater number of pixels, therefore I need a new modern lens aswell" illness.
One of the aspects of me considering the 35mm f/2.8 Macro was the two-lenses-in-one thing. Its a good standard lens for my camera and it has Macro 1:1, although to get 1:1 you have to push that lens into the face of the butterfly. One lens I forgot to mention I had is a Tamron SP 90mm f/2.5 Macro. That produces excellent images close up and I don't have be as close to the subject. So again, I am talking myself out of it. My main concern was this idea of modern lens coatings producing superior high contrast images over film lenses, particularly as I love images that are razor sharp, over images that are artistic and have "character".
Thanks to all who contributed. All useful info that I needed.
Joats

Hi
Just bought myself a Pentax K70. Virually all my lenses are from the film era with only one, a Pentax 15mm f/4 ED as a modern lens. I have been looking for a lens I can use as a standard. A focal length of 35mm would seem about right as that would be about 52mm on the APS-C sensor. I have looked at a Pentax 35 f/2, another Pentax 35 f/2.4 and the current one is the 35mm HD f/2.8. Apart from its 1:1 Macro, is the HD f/2.8 lens going to provide better image quality than the other two?
The other question is just how inferior are the film era lenses to modern equivalents. For example, I have a Tamrom 70-210 SP Constant f3.5, I have the Pentax 35-105 Constant f3.5 Macro, a Pentax SMC M 50mm f/1.7, a Pentax SMC M 28mm f/3.5, and a few Russian lenses - Helios 44-m, Zenitar 50mm f/1.7 and a quirky 37mm MIR 1B. I have 35mm covered in the Pentax 35-105, but will I see a clear difference in sharpness, contrast and colours with the modern HD 35mm f/2.8 over the older Pentax zoom? I am informed that modern lenses just give better image quality than the older lenses do on digital sensors. Is this the case?

Thanks for your input.
Joats