[Paleo Pete]

Definitely the AA adapter. I have one, it outlasts both lithium batteries with duracell rechargeable batteries...I bought a spare lithium when I got the K 30, should have just ordered a AA adapter, I've been very disappointed with the lithium crap batteries.

[ramseybuckeye]

I have a spare lithium Pearstone (B&H) that works as good as the OEM. I did buy a cheap AA ADAPTER and some Eneloops which definitely outlast the OEMs. However with the cheap AA adapter I had a few times in cold conditions that it lost contact and I had to open the battery door close it, and turn the camera back on. This never happened with the lithiums, and only happened in cold weather on winter hikes with the adapter. Before next winter I need to find some conductive tape and cut to fit the contacts on the adapter, that should be enough to maintain contact when it contracts due to temperature. The quality control on the knockoffs is probably not as strict as on the genuine Pentax, even though they may be made in the same factory, but I would still recommend it with eneloops or lithium AA.

[CP140]

A bit late perhaps, but definitely the AA adapter. I had the local camera store order me a Pentax branded one and while, perhaps, a bit more expensive it has worked flawlessly for me. I have it loaded with a set of Energizer Lithiums and they last forever.

I do have several sets of good NiMH AA cells (for my ham radio stuff) but have yet to use them in the K-30 as the lithiums are still going strong after rescuing me on a few occasions.

As an aside to this, has anyone else found that using a North American configured charger for the stock battery pack doesn't seem to completely charge the stock battery when connected to a voltage converter running off 220 Volts?

I suspect it's a problem with the camera's charger circuitry having an issue with the voltage converter... which are known for providing relatively "dirty" power.

[Adinfinitum]

I can't speak for specific brands, but I have generic branded batteries (x2) and the AA pack. Even though the knock off batteries state 1100mAh compared to the Pentax branded 1050mAh, the Pentax definately lasts longer. Can't give specifics as it depends on LCD use, flash use, how long I spend focusing etc but for the price, I'm glad I have the 2 back-ups. The current knock off in my camera has so far lasted around 200 shots and still going strong (at my current rate that's about 2 weeks). I carry the AA adapter with 4 x eneloops as well in my bag ensuring I have enough battery power. It also gives me the freedom to keep the AA's spare in case I need them for either of my speed lights.

I have always found "normal" AA's twitchy in all my DSLRs (from the *istDS to the K-30) but it is great to have this back up. I also usually find that when a standard AA prematurely displays as low on the camera, turning the camera off then on again gives several more shots and can do for several occasions.

[JimJohnson]

For those using AA batteries.... There is a menu option for the type of AA batteries in use. The default is "Auto". Your battery meter will be a bit more accurate if you change this setting to indicate the specific type of AA battery chemistry you are using.

And Adinfinitum is absolutely correct about turning off the camera. Electricity is created by the battery through a chemical process. Your camera can suck the electrons out of a battery faster than the chemical reaction can create them. By turning the camera off - sometimes for only a few seconds - you give the chemical reaction time to catch up and available energy will increase. Unless the startup time is unacceptable, I always turn my camera off in between shots.

[lister6520]

I don't see an either/or situation here. The AA battery holders cost so little that it makes no sense to not have one in your camera bag. Whether you prefer to use the lithium or AA is another matter but regardless of that choice there is no good reason to not have the AA adapter with you at all times, preferably with a set of Eneloops (or some other low self discharge batteries).

In contrast to what I read on this forum and others I find the lithium pack to perform better than the AAs, lasting a little longer and never behaving funny when getting low. However even so I only have the one Lithium battery that came with the camera and is in it most of the time whereas all my spares are AA eneloops. The other good thing about using AA batteries is that the same batteries can be used for all sorts of other things so the spares for your camera are also good for the flash, the torch, the mobile phone charger and all sorts of other things. You can even 'steal' the AA batteries from the flash if you run out of batteries for the camera.

[ScooterMaxi Jim]

Obviously it is going to matter most what kind of shooting you do. Eneloops are beloved, but you can be quite sure that most any of the AAs made in Japan (for instance the older Duracells with a white cap) are the Eneloops rebranded. As for the Ray-o-vacs - bad for use in a camera, but not a bad battery for general use - including flash. The Ray-o-vacs tend to lose a bit of voltage early and then remain steady with plenty of current remaining. This is not good for cameras as they need every bit of voltage they can get (the OEM battery is 7.4v while the fully charged AAs are already under 5v). However, the Ray-vac is a great general use battery for other applications.

What I have found as a general rule is that the lower capacity (typically 2000ah) AAs that are precharged (often designated as hybrid) work best in the cameras. The higher capacity batteries not designated for long shelf life are more likely to cause trouble, and tend to wear out quicker. All it takes is one battery not reaching full voltage to screw up the pack.

I agree that Pearstone (BH) is the best generic you can buy. My Pearstone for the K-01 (and K5) works just like OEM. Every other generic replacement has either under-performed from day 1, or failed within a year.

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Last edited by ScooterMaxi Jim; 07-11-2013 at 08:35 PM.

[maltfalc]

It's an often heard fable that you cannot get as many shots from AA batteries compared to the lithium-ion battery pack. It's actually the opposite.

D-LI109 (lithium) = 480 shots (no flash)
AA lithium = 1250 .. 1600 shots (no flash).

Just compare the capacity (in mAh) to get the avarage number of shots.

For example, Eneloop XX (Ni-MH) has a capacity of 2450 mAh, and the D-LI109 1050 mAh, for 480 shots.
So, the Eneloop XX gives you (2450/1050)x480=1120 shots.

These are estimations because different types of batteries have different dynamic behavior. You will get other numbers when using a flash. They also react differently when its cold.

you have to multiply the mah by the average voltage of the battery to calculate capacity.

[ScooterMaxi Jim]

At the risk of repeating myself, it is important to consider the voltage roll off to ensure both stability and keeping the higher voltage longer. Capacity has almost nothing to do with how long the batteries will last in camera applications; if anything the correlation is negative. The Eneloop XXs are widely reported to be poor performers in cameras because they 1) do not retain charge as long, 2) voltage rolls off more quickly, and 3) they fail after fewer charges. The standard Eneloops, typically rated at 2000 mAh or 1900 minimum, and sometimes referred to as 1500s (indicating expected number of charges), are known to do much better in cameras and other applications where retention and full voltage are the highest priorities.

[lister6520]

Just beware that standard AA cells won't cut it with the K 30. Need to get high end ones and even then may not get that many shots. Perhaps someone else has experience with a particular type of disposable AA and K 30. DO a search as there was a thread or tow on that.

Disposable lithium batteries work fine. They are expensive but perfect to keep as an emergency supply. I have have only ever used lithium AA cells twice when I had no access to electricity. They seemed to last far longer than the rechargeable eneloops but could be just a mistaken perception. I had the feeling that i would have changed batteries at least twice with the rechargeables for the amount of usage I put the lithiums through - and they weren't even finished yet.

They are of course impractically expensive to use regularly but having one or two sets available for 'emergency' use gives some peace of mind,

[RyanS]

Just ordered the 2000mAh Eneloops and battery holder based off the advice in this thread. Bought some extras for my daughters Glowworm since that thing eats Rayovac batteries.

[SteveB]

Eneloops, as well as other good NiMh, really benefit from a good charger. By good, I mean an individual channel smart charger, i.e. NOT one that has to charge in pairs, preferably one that takes a couple of hours to charge and doesn't get the batteries more than warm. If you're the patient type, a simple trickle charger that takes more than 16hrs is good as well.

[oldsalt19]

I just did an AA battery test on my new K30 and I'm surprised. I used a cheap battery holder from China purchased at Amazon for $6.49 and loaded it with 4 Kirkland alkaline AA batteries from Costco. I Used a manual focus 50-200mm Nettar, no flash, and 3 shot exposure bracketing, with the entire test shoot completed within 1 1/2 hours. All of this probably saved on energy. I started at 0026 and ended up at 0437 for a total of 411 exposures. I haven't done a similar test on the battery pack that came with the camera. I would be interesting to know how much these numbers change with auto-focus and an occasional flash over a couple of days.
Cheers

[ecruz]

I'm also looking for a back up battery. Looks like the adapter, with Eneloops is the way to go. I noticed on Amazon there are 2 different Eneloop models. One was noted as the "newer model". Is one of these preferred over the other?

Amazon.com : eneloop NEW 2000mAh Typical, 1900mAh Minimum, 1500 cycle, 4 Pack AA, Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries : Electronics
Amazon.com: Sanyo Eneloop AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries - 4 Pack: Electronics

Thanks

[ScooterMaxi Jim]

I suspect that they are close, except the newer is rated for 1,500 charges vs. 1,000 for the older version. And, well, batteries certainly aren't like wine. Young is good.