K-3 Battery discussion Generic/Original

kadajawi · 08-18-2015, 05:32 PM

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If your AF is giving you trouble (especially if only certain AF points are giving you trouble) perhaps the AF sensor is dirty. I cleaned the window down to the AF sensor and now my K-5 focuses better again. Just be very, very careful.

Zafar Iqbal · 08-19-2015, 08:17 AM

The cameras are just few months old. I don't think dirt on AF sensor is the problem.

But the ones on my older K-30's might be. where exactly is the AF sensor?

stevebrot · 08-19-2015, 10:43 AM

Originally posted by Zafar Iqbal

where exactly is the AF sensor?

Bottom of the mirror box, facing towards the shutter curtains. It is accessible when the camera is in sensor clean mode. Use care and a dental mirror.

Steve

Zafar Iqbal · 08-19-2015, 01:26 PM

Thanks, I'll have a look once I feel adventurous

redcat · 09-04-2015, 05:29 AM

finally bought a cheap battery on ebay 2000mAh for my K3, it's very good, I charge it for the first time and use it for an entire shoot, my two 16GB cards were full before the battery empty.
Link for pentaxian in Europe :
7 2V 2000 MAH D LI90 Batterie LI ION Pour Pentax K5 K7 645D Appareil Photo DSLR | eBay

Zafar Iqbal · 10-20-2016, 02:42 PM - **1 Like**

So, it's be more than a year since I bough a bunch og Hähnel batteries and Patona chargers.

The batteries have been performing outstanding, and still do. The chargers however are a bit on the flimsy side. The first charger that showed odd behavior is now also the first one that not charging. The light stays green and does not go red at all.

It started with the charger being sensitive about how the battery was placed, abut it's not like I could do much about it. Cleaning the contacts and re-attaching the plate didn't change anything. Now, two more chargers behave the same way.

They were cheap and lasted long enough that I *could* replace them with the same, but I'd prefer something more reliable - but something cheaper than the original Pentax chargers :P

Suggestions?

Zafar Iqbal · 10-22-2016, 06:52 PM

Originally posted by Zafar Iqbal

It started with the charger being sensitive about how the battery was placed, abut it's not like I could do much about it.

Today I noticed a gap between the D-LI90 plate and the charger, on the one that "died". Upon further inspection I conclude, that the heat generated combined with the chargers not resting on a flat surface has over time caused them to deform - some more than others. The ones that work best are the least deformed.

The deformation increases the gap between the plate contacts and the charger, so that's what I've been noticing.

Zafar Iqbal · 11-01-2016, 03:39 PM

I wasn't able to find any dealer willing to ship, as if I live in a bad country

However I found a link on a previous page here, to Patona and bought a bunch of chargers directly from them. I went for the new (yellow) model.

These chargers have a much more serious feel to them. The old ones felt hollow and cheap and the batteries never locked in position well enough, leading me to develop the paranoid habit of always checking if the batteries were placed properly. With the new ones (new plate) they do. The contacts are raised and have a harder and more springy feel to them. Overall they feel like a proper upgrade. A quiet neat surprise, I must say.

The older ones are noticeably cheaper and I'm not really complaining. If I had them sitting on a flat surface, like any other normal being, they probably would still be working just fine.

I haven't had the new ones plugged in yet but the first thing I wanted to check, was how well the batteries would fit and noticed, that the LCD would show battery power status. I do not know how reliable the readout is, but i Like it. I never liked the red/green lights on the old ones.

Here's my new army of patona synchron chargers - ready to roll...

dr_Fell · 07-06-2017, 04:21 AM

Hello. I am just testing one of the two DSTE D-li90 batteries that came few days ago. So far so good - over 500 photos before indicator shown 2/3 capacity, then over 300 before it went down to 1/3 and now over 400 and I still can't kill it. (No flash, no top lcd light but I used lcd screen to preview photos quite often. Lens - Sigma A 30 1.4).

Therefore I have a question - what is Your experience with K-3 battery indicator? In my old K20D it was like 400-500 with full indicator, then +/- 100 photos with 2/3 and only 40-50 with 1/3. This one seems to be different. Just tell me, how many photos are You getting with every indicator level?

stevebrot · 07-06-2017, 08:53 AM

Originally posted by dr_Fell

what is Your experience with K-3 battery indicator?

When it starts to drop, then is the time to start thinking about swapping in a fresh battery. That is particularly true if using Live View or video.

Steve

dr_Fell · 07-06-2017, 10:10 PM

Originally posted by stevebrot

When it starts to drop, then is the time to start thinking about swapping in a fresh battery. That is particularly true if using Live View or video.
Steve

Oh, that's unfortunate. I hoped that my experience is more common (more photos after drop than when full). Maybe it works like that with DSTE batteries...

Theov39 · 07-12-2017, 03:14 AM

Originally posted by PePe

I have been using both Pentax original and Hähnel batteries with my K 7, K 5 and K 3 bodies. The cold-temperature behaviour you described is typical for Li-batteries, and I don´t think there is much you can do about it. SDM AF seems to momentarily draw a rather hight peak current, which draws the voltage down and brings the power indicator down for a while.
Generic batteries are a mixed bag, some of them are outright rubbish while some provide good value for the money. My understanding is that Hähnel is among the better brands in this category. None of them have let me down so far. However, their lifetime is still shorter than that of OEM batteries. Considering the price, i think it is still a viable option. The capacity of the battery reduces gradually. Once it has come down to about half of its original capacity, I ususally replace it, as the remainder often drops rather quickly.

Typically how long does the original and Hahnel battery last before it will only hold half half of its original capacity?

PePe · 07-12-2017, 06:40 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Theov39

Typically how long does the original and Hahnel battery last before it will only hold half half of its original capacity?

Quite a long time. I do not have charge-recharge cycle numbers, but in terms of time must have been something like a year to year and a half. This has included several weeks of very active shooting sessions where the batteries have been recharged almost daily. I think this is quite OK, although original Pentax ones have lasted longer. With a factor of something like1,5 x.
On the other hand, some cheapo batteries have died within a couple of months under similar conditions.

Theov39 · 07-13-2017, 01:36 AM

Thanks for that. Good to now. My original Pentax battery that came with my K-7 is STILL going strong. They seem to be very good quality.

siegbert · 09-11-2018, 09:45 AM - **1 Like**

Several weeks ago I've checked my batteries with K3 and the internal flash on full power.

Every 20s I took a picture until the camera turned off. Focus, flashpower, time and aperture were set to manual, no livewiew.

Result:
* With the three batteries of Pentax (1860 mAh) I got the most shots. The number of shots were similar, even though using time was very different.
* With the two batteries of DSTE (2800mAh) I got less shots, even though they are only one year in use and should have more capacity.
* With the three VHBW batteries (1300mAh) I got fewest shots, but they are much older than the DSTE.

Manufacturer_ _ _ _ In use since _ _ Shots with full internal flash

Pentax _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 01.2018 _ _ _ _ 808
Pentax _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 09.2014 _ _ _ _ 768
Pentax _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 11.2011 _ _ _ _ 752

DSTE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 03.2017 _ _ _ _ 540
DSTE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 03.2017 _ _ _ _ 544

VHBW _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 08.2013 _ _ _ _ 302
VHBW _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 08.2013 _ _ _ _ 337
VHBW _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12.2012 _ _ _ _ 453

07-06-2017, 10:10 PM	#56
dr_Fell Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 40	Originally posted by stevebrot When it starts to drop, then is the time to start thinking about swapping in a fresh battery. That is particularly true if using Live View or video. Steve Oh, that's unfortunate. I hoped that my experience is more common (more photos after drop than when full). Maybe it works like that with DSTE batteries... Last edited by dr_Fell; 07-06-2017 at 11:52 PM.

07-12-2017, 06:40 AM - 1 Like	#58
PePe Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Helsinki, Finland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 597	Originally posted by Theov39 Typically how long does the original and Hahnel battery last before it will only hold half half of its original capacity? Quite a long time. I do not have charge-recharge cycle numbers, but in terms of time must have been something like a year to year and a half. This has included several weeks of very active shooting sessions where the batteries have been recharged almost daily. I think this is quite OK, although original Pentax ones have lasted longer. With a factor of something like1,5 x. On the other hand, some cheapo batteries have died within a couple of months under similar conditions. Last edited by PePe; 07-13-2017 at 01:07 AM.

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08-18-2015, 05:32 PM	#46
kadajawi Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 2,799	Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. If your AF is giving you trouble (especially if only certain AF points are giving you trouble) perhaps the AF sensor is dirty. I cleaned the window down to the AF sensor and now my K-5 focuses better again. Just be very, very careful.

08-19-2015, 08:17 AM	#47
Zafar Iqbal Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,229	The cameras are just few months old. I don't think dirt on AF sensor is the problem. But the ones on my older K-30's might be. where exactly is the AF sensor?

08-19-2015, 10:43 AM	#48
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by Zafar Iqbal where exactly is the AF sensor? Bottom of the mirror box, facing towards the shutter curtains. It is accessible when the camera is in sensor clean mode. Use care and a dental mirror. Steve

08-19-2015, 01:26 PM	#49
Zafar Iqbal Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,229	Thanks, I'll have a look once I feel adventurous

09-04-2015, 05:29 AM	#50
redcat Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Paris Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,939	finally bought a cheap battery on ebay 2000mAh for my K3, it's very good, I charge it for the first time and use it for an entire shoot, my two 16GB cards were full before the battery empty. Link for pentaxian in Europe : 7 2V 2000 MAH D LI90 Batterie LI ION Pour Pentax K5 K7 645D Appareil Photo DSLR \| eBay

10-20-2016, 02:42 PM - 1 Like	#51
Zafar Iqbal Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,229	So, it's be more than a year since I bough a bunch og Hähnel batteries and Patona chargers. The batteries have been performing outstanding, and still do. The chargers however are a bit on the flimsy side. The first charger that showed odd behavior is now also the first one that not charging. The light stays green and does not go red at all. It started with the charger being sensitive about how the battery was placed, abut it's not like I could do much about it. Cleaning the contacts and re-attaching the plate didn't change anything. Now, two more chargers behave the same way. They were cheap and lasted long enough that I could replace them with the same, but I'd prefer something more reliable - but something cheaper than the original Pentax chargers :P Suggestions?

10-22-2016, 06:52 PM	#52
Zafar Iqbal Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,229	Originally posted by Zafar Iqbal It started with the charger being sensitive about how the battery was placed, abut it's not like I could do much about it. Today I noticed a gap between the D-LI90 plate and the charger, on the one that "died". Upon further inspection I conclude, that the heat generated combined with the chargers not resting on a flat surface has over time caused them to deform - some more than others. The ones that work best are the least deformed. The deformation increases the gap between the plate contacts and the charger, so that's what I've been noticing.

11-01-2016, 03:39 PM	#53
Zafar Iqbal Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,229	I wasn't able to find any dealer willing to ship, as if I live in a bad country However I found a link on a previous page here, to Patona and bought a bunch of chargers directly from them. I went for the new (yellow) model. These chargers have a much more serious feel to them. The old ones felt hollow and cheap and the batteries never locked in position well enough, leading me to develop the paranoid habit of always checking if the batteries were placed properly. With the new ones (new plate) they do. The contacts are raised and have a harder and more springy feel to them. Overall they feel like a proper upgrade. A quiet neat surprise, I must say. The older ones are noticeably cheaper and I'm not really complaining. If I had them sitting on a flat surface, like any other normal being, they probably would still be working just fine. I haven't had the new ones plugged in yet but the first thing I wanted to check, was how well the batteries would fit and noticed, that the LCD would show battery power status. I do not know how reliable the readout is, but i Like it. I never liked the red/green lights on the old ones. Here's my new army of patona synchron chargers - ready to roll...

07-06-2017, 04:21 AM	#54
dr_Fell Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 40	Hello. I am just testing one of the two DSTE D-li90 batteries that came few days ago. So far so good - over 500 photos before indicator shown 2/3 capacity, then over 300 before it went down to 1/3 and now over 400 and I still can't kill it. (No flash, no top lcd light but I used lcd screen to preview photos quite often. Lens - Sigma A 30 1.4). Therefore I have a question - what is Your experience with K-3 battery indicator? In my old K20D it was like 400-500 with full indicator, then +/- 100 photos with 2/3 and only 40-50 with 1/3. This one seems to be different. Just tell me, how many photos are You getting with every indicator level?

07-06-2017, 08:53 AM	#55
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by dr_Fell what is Your experience with K-3 battery indicator? When it starts to drop, then is the time to start thinking about swapping in a fresh battery. That is particularly true if using Live View or video. Steve

07-12-2017, 03:14 AM	#57
Theov39 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Sydney Posts: 594	Originally posted by PePe I have been using both Pentax original and Hähnel batteries with my K 7, K 5 and K 3 bodies. The cold-temperature behaviour you described is typical for Li-batteries, and I don´t think there is much you can do about it. SDM AF seems to momentarily draw a rather hight peak current, which draws the voltage down and brings the power indicator down for a while. Generic batteries are a mixed bag, some of them are outright rubbish while some provide good value for the money. My understanding is that Hähnel is among the better brands in this category. None of them have let me down so far. However, their lifetime is still shorter than that of OEM batteries. Considering the price, i think it is still a viable option. The capacity of the battery reduces gradually. Once it has come down to about half of its original capacity, I ususally replace it, as the remainder often drops rather quickly. Typically how long does the original and Hahnel battery last before it will only hold half half of its original capacity?

07-13-2017, 01:36 AM	#59
Theov39 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Sydney Posts: 594	Thanks for that. Good to now. My original Pentax battery that came with my K-7 is STILL going strong. They seem to be very good quality.

09-11-2018, 09:45 AM - 1 Like	#60
siegbert Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 38	Several weeks ago I've checked my batteries with K3 and the internal flash on full power. Every 20s I took a picture until the camera turned off. Focus, flashpower, time and aperture were set to manual, no livewiew. Result: * With the three batteries of Pentax (1860 mAh) I got the most shots. The number of shots were similar, even though using time was very different. * With the two batteries of DSTE (2800mAh) I got less shots, even though they are only one year in use and should have more capacity. * With the three VHBW batteries (1300mAh) I got fewest shots, but they are much older than the DSTE. Manufacturer_ _ _ _ In use since _ _ Shots with full internal flash Pentax _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 01.2018 _ _ _ _ 808 Pentax _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 09.2014 _ _ _ _ 768 Pentax _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 11.2011 _ _ _ _ 752 DSTE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 03.2017 _ _ _ _ 540 DSTE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 03.2017 _ _ _ _ 544 VHBW _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 08.2013 _ _ _ _ 302 VHBW _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 08.2013 _ _ _ _ 337 VHBW _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12.2012 _ _ _ _ 453