Q - losing date/time setting

bluefoam · 01-21-2016, 01:00 AM

Every time I turn on the camera it asks me to set the time & date... This has been happening for a couple of years, but I realised that it is actually stopping me from using the camera.

Is there an internal battery that is drained or is it a software issue? Should I try a firmware change? is it down to how the memory cards are formatted? I'm really lost & I'd appreciate any advice...

Sandy Hancock · 01-21-2016, 01:23 AM - **2 Likes**

It happens with my Q7 every time I change the battery. Irritating, but not terminal.

Simen1 · 01-21-2016, 02:35 AM - **1 Like**

Its probably an internal button cell battery that is empty. I don't know if its easily replaceable.

bluefoam · 01-21-2016, 03:41 AM

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I agree that it might be a cell battery. I've found a repair shop that will be cheap, so I'll drop it in over the weekend and let you know how I get on.

www.repairingcamera.com does exactly what it says on the tin...

tromboads · 01-21-2016, 05:11 AM

Yeah mine does that. Every time I change the battery. annoying, but no super big deal.

Unregistered User · 01-21-2016, 05:36 AM

The problem described isn't the result of changing the camera function battery - there's another battery inside somewhere that's responsible for maintaining settings regardless of camera function battery changes. The memory used for retaining those settings is contained in CMOS low-voltage semiconductors, same as the BIOS in your computer. When that internal battery loses its oomph, you'll start noticing symptoms analogous to Alzheimer's. Make sure when you have the internal battery replaced you don't do anything to screw up your camera warranty, and that the people who do the surgery know what they're doing with respect to the brand of camera you're getting fixed.

bluefoam · 01-21-2016, 05:54 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by dlh

The problem described isn't the result of changing the camera function battery - there's another battery inside somewhere that's responsible for maintaining settings regardless of camera function battery changes. The memory used for retaining those settings is contained in CMOS low-voltage semiconductors, same as the BIOS in your computer. When that internal battery loses its oomph, you'll start noticing symptoms analogous to Alzheimer's. Make sure when you have the internal battery replaced you don't do anything to screw up your camera warranty, and that the people who do the surgery know what they're doing with respect to the brand of camera you're getting fixed.

These guys are old school Indian repair people. They are low tech, but actually generally do a very good job. They work on much more complex equoipment than my Q. Even if they do it up, they'll find a way to make it right... It comes from a culture of repair & value... they aren't highly sophisticated, but neither are they bound by silly union rules... I'm almost 23% sure they'll do a great job

**monochrome** · 01-21-2016, 07:22 AM

All of mine too. I just bypass it and ignore the EXIF.

lytrytyr · 01-21-2016, 08:57 AM

I have two of the Q and three of the Q7.
All but two of the Q7 now make me reset the time.
As a result, the clocks on these Q's are the most accurate of all my camera clocks,
since the other ones drift off over the months,
and I can't be bothered to correct them.

TedW · 01-21-2016, 11:03 AM

This happens to my sisters Q10 and keeps her from using it too. It hasn't happened to mine yet. I never could figure out what the issue was but now I know. Really unfortunate this problem hasn't been addressed.

reh321 · 01-21-2016, 12:07 PM

Originally posted by TedW

This happens to my sisters Q10 and keeps her from using it too. It hasn't happened to mine yet. I never could figure out what the issue was but now I know. Really unfortunate this problem hasn't been addressed.

My Q-7 and K-30 have exactly the same problem - if I leave the main battery out for several hours (I don't have an exact measurement), the camera forgets the current date/time.

bluefoam · 01-22-2016, 04:53 AM

Originally posted by keithlester

This will always happen if you don't use your camera much and have to charge the battery before every use. The simple solution is to have spare batteries and swap in a newly charged one before you use the camera. There is no faulty internal battery in your Q. There is no point in dismantling your Q to fix the problem. Get out and use your Q every day. It's meant to be an every day fun camera and is super small and compact o it truly will go just out anywhere. If you do that, you will stop having this minor irritation. How do I know all this? It used to happen to me, but now it doesn't. I've taken my own advice.

... Eh no... Thanks for putting in all the effort to type that. But no, you are wrong. Shame.

**Heinrich Lohmann** · 01-22-2016, 07:28 AM

We have an original Q, Q10, Q7 and a Q S1, none of them loose their date when changing batteries. We make sure that there is always a charged battery in the camera (we have about 6 spares) My understanding is that there is NO secondary battery in the camera but a sort of capacitor that keeps things going while one change the battery. If you leave the battery out too long the capacitor looses it's charge and you will have to reset things.

reh321 · 01-22-2016, 09:22 AM

Originally posted by Heinrich Lohmann

We have an original Q, Q10, Q7 and a Q S1, none of them lose their date when changing batteries. We make sure that there is always a charged battery in the camera (we have about 6 spares) My understanding is that there is NO secondary battery in the camera but a sort of capacitor that keeps things going while one change the battery. If you leave the battery out too long the capacitor loses it's charge and you will have to reset things.

That fits my experience. With each of my K-30 and Q-7, I was interrupted by something in the middle of switching batteries (in one case, I took the battery out of the Q-7 before fetching the replacement from my camera bag ... and then my wife called me to dinner). By the time I remembered what I had been doing, and came back to the camera, it had forgotten the time. I don't consider this to be a big deal, but if I don't want to have to reset the clock, I have to make switching batteries an uninterpretable task; in particular, I need to have the replacement next to me before I take the current batter out).

**keithlester** · 01-22-2016, 01:44 PM

Ok, I stand corrected.

01-21-2016, 01:00 AM	#1
bluefoam Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 115	Q - losing date/time setting Every time I turn on the camera it asks me to set the time & date... This has been happening for a couple of years, but I realised that it is actually stopping me from using the camera. Is there an internal battery that is drained or is it a software issue? Should I try a firmware change? is it down to how the memory cards are formatted? I'm really lost & I'd appreciate any advice...

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01-21-2016, 01:23 AM - 2 Likes	#2
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,272	It happens with my Q7 every time I change the battery. Irritating, but not terminal.

01-21-2016, 02:35 AM - 1 Like	#3
Simen1 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Tromsø, Norway Photos: Albums Posts: 1,031	Its probably an internal button cell battery that is empty. I don't know if its easily replaceable.

01-21-2016, 03:41 AM	#4
bluefoam Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 115 Original Poster	Thanks for the feedback guys. I agree that it might be a cell battery. I've found a repair shop that will be cheap, so I'll drop it in over the weekend and let you know how I get on. www.repairingcamera.com does exactly what it says on the tin...

01-21-2016, 05:11 AM	#5
tromboads Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Melbs Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,240	Yeah mine does that. Every time I change the battery. annoying, but no super big deal.

01-21-2016, 05:36 AM	#6
Unregistered User Guest	The problem described isn't the result of changing the camera function battery - there's another battery inside somewhere that's responsible for maintaining settings regardless of camera function battery changes. The memory used for retaining those settings is contained in CMOS low-voltage semiconductors, same as the BIOS in your computer. When that internal battery loses its oomph, you'll start noticing symptoms analogous to Alzheimer's. Make sure when you have the internal battery replaced you don't do anything to screw up your camera warranty, and that the people who do the surgery know what they're doing with respect to the brand of camera you're getting fixed.

01-21-2016, 05:54 AM - 1 Like	#7
bluefoam Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 115 Original Poster	Originally posted by dlh The problem described isn't the result of changing the camera function battery - there's another battery inside somewhere that's responsible for maintaining settings regardless of camera function battery changes. The memory used for retaining those settings is contained in CMOS low-voltage semiconductors, same as the BIOS in your computer. When that internal battery loses its oomph, you'll start noticing symptoms analogous to Alzheimer's. Make sure when you have the internal battery replaced you don't do anything to screw up your camera warranty, and that the people who do the surgery know what they're doing with respect to the brand of camera you're getting fixed. These guys are old school Indian repair people. They are low tech, but actually generally do a very good job. They work on much more complex equoipment than my Q. Even if they do it up, they'll find a way to make it right... It comes from a culture of repair & value... they aren't highly sophisticated, but neither are they bound by silly union rules... I'm almost 23% sure they'll do a great job

01-21-2016, 07:22 AM	#8
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	All of mine too. I just bypass it and ignore the EXIF.

01-21-2016, 08:57 AM	#9
lytrytyr Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,310	I have two of the Q and three of the Q7. All but two of the Q7 now make me reset the time. As a result, the clocks on these Q's are the most accurate of all my camera clocks, since the other ones drift off over the months, and I can't be bothered to correct them.

01-21-2016, 11:03 AM	#10
TedW Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 241	This happens to my sisters Q10 and keeps her from using it too. It hasn't happened to mine yet. I never could figure out what the issue was but now I know. Really unfortunate this problem hasn't been addressed.

01-21-2016, 12:07 PM	#11
reh321 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: South Bend, IN, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,178	Originally posted by TedW This happens to my sisters Q10 and keeps her from using it too. It hasn't happened to mine yet. I never could figure out what the issue was but now I know. Really unfortunate this problem hasn't been addressed. My Q-7 and K-30 have exactly the same problem - if I leave the main battery out for several hours (I don't have an exact measurement), the camera forgets the current date/time.

01-22-2016, 01:44 PM	#15
keithlester Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Carradale, Scotland Posts: 301	Ok, I stand corrected.

01-22-2016, 04:53 AM	#12
bluefoam Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 115 Original Poster	Originally posted by keithlester This will always happen if you don't use your camera much and have to charge the battery before every use. The simple solution is to have spare batteries and swap in a newly charged one before you use the camera. There is no faulty internal battery in your Q. There is no point in dismantling your Q to fix the problem. Get out and use your Q every day. It's meant to be an every day fun camera and is super small and compact o it truly will go just out anywhere. If you do that, you will stop having this minor irritation. How do I know all this? It used to happen to me, but now it doesn't. I've taken my own advice. ... Eh no... Thanks for putting in all the effort to type that. But no, you are wrong. Shame.

01-22-2016, 07:28 AM	#13
Heinrich Lohmann Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Airdrie, Alberta Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,097	We have an original Q, Q10, Q7 and a Q S1, none of them loose their date when changing batteries. We make sure that there is always a charged battery in the camera (we have about 6 spares) My understanding is that there is NO secondary battery in the camera but a sort of capacitor that keeps things going while one change the battery. If you leave the battery out too long the capacitor looses it's charge and you will have to reset things.

01-22-2016, 09:22 AM	#14
reh321 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: South Bend, IN, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,178	Originally posted by Heinrich Lohmann We have an original Q, Q10, Q7 and a Q S1, none of them lose their date when changing batteries. We make sure that there is always a charged battery in the camera (we have about 6 spares) My understanding is that there is NO secondary battery in the camera but a sort of capacitor that keeps things going while one change the battery. If you leave the battery out too long the capacitor loses it's charge and you will have to reset things. That fits my experience. With each of my K-30 and Q-7, I was interrupted by something in the middle of switching batteries (in one case, I took the battery out of the Q-7 before fetching the replacement from my camera bag ... and then my wife called me to dinner). By the time I remembered what I had been doing, and came back to the camera, it had forgotten the time. I don't consider this to be a big deal, but if I don't want to have to reset the clock, I have to make switching batteries an uninterpretable task; in particular, I need to have the replacement next to me before I take the current batter out).