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11-02-2010, 02:01 PM   #1
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K-5 battery problem? camera problem? user problem?

With the grip, i happened to have 2 after market cheapo batteries in the camera. The clones worked quite well in K20D so I tried 3 for the K-5. When the grip battery dies, if menu setting is for battery is "Grip" then the camera should stop, and only display a battery depleted message. Turn it off, back on, and you are supposed to now be using the Body battery. Just now as the battery was almost dead, I took a shot and the camera froze, shutter still open, top lcd displaying usual numbers, but nothing could restart it short of removing both batteries then all seems fine with 2 new batteries. According to the camera, the Body battery still had a partial charge, not near depletion.

My worry now is either the clone batteries lack something required to power the camera through a clean shutdown, or the camera itself has issues doing what the K20D never failed at.

If anyone has seen this before or has suggestions (besides stocking up on Pentax brand batteries which is a last resort) I am listening. For now I will keep the Pentax battery in the body always and see if the lock-up happens next time the grip battery dies.

thanks.

11-02-2010, 02:11 PM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by imtheguy Quote
With the grip, i happened to have 2 after market cheapo batteries in the camera. The clones worked quite well in K20D so I tried 3 for the K-5. When the grip battery dies, if menu setting is for battery is "Grip" then the camera should stop, and only display a battery depleted message. Turn it off, back on, and you are supposed to now be using the Body battery. Just now as the battery was almost dead, I took a shot and the camera froze, shutter still open, top lcd displaying usual numbers, but nothing could restart it short of removing both batteries then all seems fine with 2 new batteries. According to the camera, the Body battery still had a partial charge, not near depletion.

My worry now is either the clone batteries lack something required to power the camera through a clean shutdown, or the camera itself has issues doing what the K20D never failed at.

If anyone has seen this before or has suggestions (besides stocking up on Pentax brand batteries which is a last resort) I am listening. For now I will keep the Pentax battery in the body always and see if the lock-up happens next time the grip battery dies.

thanks.
Someone mentioned a similar problem in another thread, I recall. They also said the camera 'freezes' when the battery is almost depleted. Can't give you the solution but interestingly the blurb on DP Review about the soon to be released firmware update mentions improvement in stability - could they mean this?
I am waiting and watching.
Cheers.
11-02-2010, 02:55 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by Naim Khan Quote
Someone mentioned a similar problem in another thread, I recall. They also said the camera 'freezes' when the battery is almost depleted. Can't give you the solution but interestingly the blurb on DP Review about the soon to be released firmware update mentions improvement in stability - could they mean this?
I am waiting and watching.
Cheers.
Thanks for the mention of another thread, I missed it the first time around. Obviously a freeze every 600 shots is not an immediate show stopper, especially since this is the 4th grip battery I have depleted. Guess I should put an "X" on the one I was using to see if it happens again with that one.
11-02-2010, 03:01 PM   #4
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Sure hope Pentax debugs that battery issue.

Possibly more than just an increase in buffer coming (stability).

Pentax announces firmware update for K-5: Digital Photography Review
PENTAX K-5? ?????????????????PENTAX

11-02-2010, 03:08 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rite Quote
Sure hope Pentax debugs that battery issue.
Thats a big part of my quest for help and answers on this. If the clone batteries I picked up don't have all the smarts or exact specs as the originals, its not a stability problem.
11-02-2010, 03:14 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by imtheguy Quote
T If the clone batteries I picked up don't have all the smarts or exact specs as the originals, its not a stability problem.
===========================

Agreed (technically).

But they DID work on the K20D.
11-02-2010, 03:16 PM   #7
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Not the same batteries - as the K10D/K20D and the K-7/K-5 uses different formats.

11-02-2010, 03:28 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Kunzite Quote
Not the same batteries - as the K10D/K20D and the K-7/K-5 uses different formats.
=============================

See post #1. imtheguy is talking about the grip batteries that worked with the K20D.

K20d uses the DL150 battery. The K7 and K5 both use the DL190.

Not sure what's going on here ..

QuoteQuote:
imtheguy With the grip, i happened to have 2 after market cheapo batteries in the camera. The clones worked quite well in K20D so I tried 3 for the K-5. When the grip battery dies, if menu setting is for battery is "Grip" then the camera should stop, and only display a battery depleted message. Turn it off, back on, and you are supposed to now be using the Body battery. Just now as the battery was almost dead, I took a shot and the camera froze, shutter still open, top lcd displaying usual numbers, but nothing could restart it short of removing both batteries then all seems fine with 2 new batteries. According to the camera, the Body battery still had a partial charge, not near depletion.

My worry now is either the clone batteries lack something required to power the camera through a clean shutdown, or the camera itself has issues doing what the K20D never failed at.
Pentax D-BG4 Battery Grip f/ Pentax K-7 39846 B&H Photo Video

Last edited by Rite; 11-02-2010 at 03:40 PM.
11-02-2010, 03:32 PM   #9
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OFF TOPIC: What lens did you use for this?

K20J5777 - imtheguy's Album: small stuff - PentaxForums.com
11-02-2010, 03:36 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rite Quote
===========================

Agreed (technically).

But they DID work on the K20D.
Not only different batteries but the K20D has just 2 contacts whereas the K-5 battery has 3 contacts. Thus I wondered if it was a "smart" battery. My multimeter is on the fritz so I have not been able to reverse engineer one yet.
11-02-2010, 03:42 PM   #11
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imtheguy

Hey, how does your Metz flash work with the K-5?
11-02-2010, 03:54 PM   #12
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Honestly I've had enough bad experiences with clone batteries that I do not take the chance anymore. Especially to save what, 15 bucks per battery?
11-02-2010, 03:54 PM   #13
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BTW, here are the clones I am using. They LOOKED decent, nice labels, specs, no misspelled words . If they work, its the best deal I know of, $8.95 per, plus a couple bucks shipping. Buy 3 for less than one pentax brand.

BestBatt.com - Pentax D-LI90 Li-Ion Rechargeable Camera Battery for K-7 Digital SLR

I have never had a problem with BestBatt before but (wow, 4 "B" words) new camera may work differently than the K-7. I will stop blaming the battery until I know more though.
11-02-2010, 04:01 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rite Quote
imtheguy

Hey, how does your Metz flash work with the K-5?
Overall, I find the K-5 meters brighter than my k20D by about 0.5 stops w/o flash. With the Metz48 indoors, it seems more spot-on such that I have not used any EV changes. But, have not done any hard testing with the flash, just shots of the cat using bounce. I like what I see so far indoors. Outdoors I use it often with a Better Beamer to help with shadows on birds with the a*400/2.8. Because that is usually in HSS mode I would not know if my inability to start each session off with proper exposure is due to conditions or a difference between the K20D and K-5.

If you have something specific you want me to test for you I can do that if its simple enough for Pentax simpleton like me.
11-02-2010, 04:13 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by 65535 Quote
Honestly I've had enough bad experiences with clone batteries that I do not take the chance anymore. Especially to save what, 15 bucks per battery?
Which batteries (or cameras) have you had problems with and what kind of problems? I have been lucky so far and never had an issue until today. Thats why I am looking for others' experiences.

Cost difference is $8.95 vs $35. Thought it was worth checking out for 3.

thanks.
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