K10D battery management

Olrocker · 07-09-2007, 06:02 PM

I have a K10D with the battery grip; set battery management to "auto". As I was shooting, the camera quit and showed a depleted battery on the top display. I removed the grip, put the body battery in the charger, and put the grip battery into the body. When I powered up (without grip attached), the battery display showed a full battery. Shouldn't the camera have detected the full grip battery and switched over to it?

Or should I set battery management to "grip first?"

Plus, it didn't give much (if any) warning on the depleted battery.

Frogroast · 07-09-2007, 08:54 PM

I had a similar issue during a photoshoot, and I was truly perplexed. Both batteries were at full power when I started, and after about 200 photos, the camera simply shut off on me.

I too removed the grip battery, set it on the charger, and out of curiousity turned on the camera again. The battery was full. I went on to shoot another 300 shots without a problem. Battery never even show anything less than 100%. The battery I put on the charger registered a full charge within 20 minutes or so.

Olrocker · 07-10-2007, 05:24 AM

I just thought of something..

I only turn the grip on if I'm shooting vertical format. I know the camera can "see" the battery (the battery managemant menu item shows the grip attached) but I wonder if the grip's turned off if that battery is being accessed..

RodConn · 07-17-2007, 05:17 AM

I have had the grip for quite a while now - probably 5,000+ images at least and though I do not use it in auto the behaviour looks very similar to that for my personal setting of "Grip First".

I normally just charge my grip battery every evening after use as I rarely flatten the battery until I am up near 800+ exposures. Thus I rarely call upon the body battery but this is OK as the batteries have a very low self discharge rate and the body battery is always there as a backup. I charge the body battery if I use it or otherwise every month or so.

The behaviour of the system with "Grip First" is obviously to use the battery grip first and then if it flattens while you are shooting the camera simply locks - shutter button doesn't work. At this point you simply turn the camera off and then on again and the body battery takes over. Obviously if I spot the grip battery indicator at low level I just remove the battery and turn the camera on again and the body battery takes over or, if I have the time, I put in a charged battery and continue using the grip for power.

For me this setup means the working battery is always accessible and I rarely have to remove the grip from the body.

Hope these notes help to meet your problems

Rod

stewart_photo · 07-17-2007, 09:42 AM

I use my camera with a battery in the grip only. This eliminates the hassle of constantly removing the grip to access the camera battery. Since the battery in the grip is changed so quickly and easily, I'm not worried about reduced usage time available from only a single battery.

In my case, the battery management option set to the default ("auto") and the power button on the grip either off or on (no apparent difference to the camera when it comes to using a battery in the grip).

By the way, this is addressed to nobody in particular, just general comments on the overall subject.

stewart

*WMBP* · 07-17-2007, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by stewart_photo

I use my camera with a battery in the grip only. This eliminates the hassle of constantly removing the grip to access the camera battery. Since the battery in the grip is changed so quickly and easily, I'm not worried about reduced usage time available from only a single battery.

Stewart,

I'm embarrassed that I didn't think of that myself. Thanks for the tip. ;^)

Will

c.r.brown · 07-17-2007, 11:49 AM

I have mine set to Grip first. When you turn the grip dial to on, that just means that the grip controls are actaully being turned on. The battery can still be used by the body.

I also numbered my batteries so I know which one is which when recharging and i can see approximate recharge time and battery life.

Olrocker · 07-17-2007, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by RodConn

if it flattens while you are shooting the camera simply locks - shutter button doesn't work. At this point you simply turn the camera off and then on again and the body battery takes over.

I was hoping the camera would sense that one of the batteries is dead and automatically switch to the other one...

Peacekeeper · 07-17-2007, 05:42 PM

I have heard that the camera doesn't automatically switch batteries when one is depleted. It will only switches over when you turn off and on again.

I have mine set and operate the same as Ron and had this occur to me the other day in the middle of a shoot. Just turned it off and on again and it came up full battery (Camera Body battery).

RodConn · 07-17-2007, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by Olrocker

I was hoping the camera would sense that one of the batteries is dead and automatically switch to the other one...

Yes, I was a little surprised that they did not do that in the Auto mode.

The reason I use Grip First mode is to get the same effect as a battery only in the grip. But, I do have the capability to change to a backup battery with a quick switch flip rather than watching the shot opportunity disappear while I am opening and closing the battery tray and finding the spare battery.

Rod

c.r.brown · 07-17-2007, 08:23 PM

Does anyone know if charging through the camera will charge both the grip and the body batteries?

RodConn · 07-18-2007, 12:52 AM

Originally Posted by c.r.brown

Does anyone know if charging through the camera will charge both the grip and the body batteries?

Can you charge a K10D's battery through the camera?? I thought not, but will be happy to be corrected

Rod

guy oliver · 07-18-2007, 04:33 PM

I never have a battery problem as I always carry a spare fully charged pack at all times. Much easier to just slip a freshly charged battery in than mess with the attached gizmo.

stewart_photo · 07-19-2007, 07:56 AM

Originally Posted by WMBP

I'm embarrassed that I didn't think of that myself. Thanks for the tip. ;^)

I didn't think of it myself, Will. The idea came from the manufacturer of my previous camera. The manual for that camera said to remove the battery from the camera and place it in the grip (for the reasons stated). Since that worked so well, it only seemed logical to try the same with the K10D.

Actually, I think that may have been Pentax's original intent (camera battery moved to grip), but somehow the two battery notion caught on and eventually dominated instead.

stewart

*m8o* · 07-19-2007, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by c.r.brown

I have mine set to Grip first.

Yep, works the best I think.

Yes, it Is annoying having to turn the camera off & on when it gets depleted to use the other, in-camera battery. However, it's pretty neat that you can use the in-camera battery almost as a back-up reserve, and just swap out the depleted grip battery. Then whenever you're ready turn off & back on again, and you're back to using the Grip; keeping the battery in the body charged until that one in the grip is depleted next. ...Rinse & Repeat...

I toggle through 4 batteries this way, though you really only need 3 to use this technique effectively. (even buying two more for the Tanzania trip, as they get depleted fast if you preview & delete in-camera ... too fast! about 100 shots.)