Improving battery life on K-1

Socrateeze · 09-07-2018, 12:24 AM

Hey all,

Can anyone suggests some tips or suggestions that might extend the battery life on my K-1?

I tend to shoot mostly landscape on a tripod, including long exposures. Some things are obvious, of course: GPS and Astrotracer is off except when needed, I'm not using pixel shift (much), but getting roughly 100 or so shots (raw + jpeg) from a full charge of a battery is not unusual for me. That seems low to me (is it?), even given that longer exposures are not infrequent for me. I'm sometimes several days backcountry between recharges, so any suggestions of settings or changes in workflow (I'd prefer to keep a jpeg copy for backup, before anyone mentions that). For example, does switching off IBIS make much difference? I don't need it much, to be honest, but I keep it on as default. Is contrast detect more or less draining than phase detect? Any other settings I should look at that might deplete the battery more quickly?

Cheers,
Socrateeze

splash_fr · 09-07-2018, 12:34 AM

100 shots per battery seems rather low. Is it usually very cold where you're Shooting?
IBIS should be off by Default when you use MUP or self timer.
You could switch off the display when you don't temporarily don't use it.

More experienced users might have better tips.

Adam · 09-07-2018, 12:37 AM - **1 Like**

100 shots per charge is very low. Are you using a healthy battery? Makes me wonder if there could also be something wrong with the camera...

The biggest power savings comes from using the monitor as little as possible (live view, CDAF, instant review). Be sure to disable the status screen except when you need it, and if shooting outdoors, use the outdoor view setting to temporarily decrease monitor brightness (I have this mapped to Fx2). If you're shooting long exposures, disabling dark frame subtraction (slow shutter speed NR) may help; you'll also same some CPU power by disabling in-camera distortion corrections for your JPEGs.

Disabling SR won't save much if any power, as the system has to be powered up to keep the sensor locked in place regardless. It should always be off when you're on a tripod, however.

biz-engineer · 09-07-2018, 01:03 AM

The K1 is capable of taking up to 1800 shots on a single charge when shooting continuously for a couple of hours or less. However, when the camera is switched on, it drains battery power, even without using the camera at all. 100 shots only on a fully charged battery is a case possible even with a good Pentax D-LI90 battery, depends how long the camera stays switched-on during the photo session. With a full battery and not taking any photographs, when the auto-power off timer is set to OFF, the battery gets drained in about 6 hours (less than a day hiking) or about 2 hours with Live view continuously ON and SR Off. In order to max out the number of shots taken on a single batter charge, the auto-power-off setting should be set to a few minutes depending on typically use time when starting to take a group of images, so that the camera will go in standby mode when not using it. Typical setting for auto-power-off is 3 minutes. If the battery is fully charged, camera powered-off when not used and you are able to get only 100 frames, then you either have a defective battery, defective charger, or defective camera.

Last edited by biz-engineer; 09-07-2018 at 01:14 AM.

rawr · 09-07-2018, 01:40 AM

According to the manual, the rated shots per battery is 760, of course, with a 'playback time' of 360 mins. But under specific camera settings and environmental conditions that mainly cover conventional intermittent view-finder and shutter usage.

The most common scenario in my own experience that eats battery power is using a lot of live view, or shooting video. Little wonder most mirrorless cameras have dreadful battery life.

On the K-1, another item to check is that the camera is set to power-down automatically after a decent period of inactivity, and that all of the indicator lamps are disabled.

Another thing to think about is the lenses or other accessories you may have mounted. Some lenses draw power from the camera to power their own electronics (including their own shake-reduction systems or focus motors). Some flashes and other connected accessories (eg some microphones) may suck power too just by being plugged in.

davidsladek · 09-07-2018, 03:34 AM - **1 Like**

I had my K-1 switched on for two consecutive days and shot with it 10 hours in total... never did it happen that I'd only get 100 shots. My standard for 1 battery would be around 1k+

I never use LiveView (it is by far the main drain)... WiFi always off (remote control via phone is also a massive drain), most of the auto adjustments off, instant preview limited to minimum time, auto power off 1 minute

There is a significant difference between SDM/DC lenses and old style screw drive lenses though. In general the screw drives seem to take up less power than in-lens drives.

biz-engineer · 09-07-2018, 03:37 AM

Originally posted by davidsladek

I never use LiveView (it is by far the main drain)... WiFi always off (remote control via phone is also a massive drain),

GPS tracking also take some of the battery power I noticed, when I use GPS tracking , I get less shots out of the same battery.

splash_fr · 09-07-2018, 04:01 AM

Oh, and the Illumination led's for the Mount etc. should be off, of Course.

**UncleVanya** · 09-07-2018, 05:29 AM

Do you have more than one battery to test with?
You mentioned CDAF, that implies liveview, screen time uses a lot of battery, but 100 shots seems very unusual.

derekkite · 09-07-2018, 06:42 AM

You have some faulty hardware. Either battery or something in the body.

**jatrax** · 09-07-2018, 08:22 AM

Something is wrong with your battery. 100 shots?? Nothing you can do to save battery power is going to make any significant difference compared to figuring out what is wrong with the battery. That is less than 20% of what you should be getting.

I use the K-1 primarily for landscape photography and shoot long exposures with use of liveview, GPS is always on, IBIS is off because of the tripod. I normally get 500 plus shots. Never really paid any attention as one battery lasts 2 to 3 days when out shooting. I also carry a spare battery but have rarely had need of it.

Are you using the original Pentax battery and charger or do you have a third party one?

tax · 09-07-2018, 08:54 AM - **1 Like**

Another way to increase your number of shots per single charge is to use higher capacity aftermarket battery from a reliable supplier.
I am consistently making more than 1,400 shots on a single charge using Powerextra 7.4V, 2300mAh, 17.0Wh D-LI90 compatible battery.
In the same time I rarely can get more than 850 shots on a single charge using Pentax 7.2V, 1860mAh, 14Wh D-LI90 genuine battery which came with my K-1 camera.
Those of you who bought or upgraded to more power hungry K-1 II will benefit from switching to a higher capacity batteries.

**jlstrawman** · 09-07-2018, 09:29 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by tax

Those of you who bought or upgraded to more power hungry K-1 II will benefit from switching to a higher capacity batteries.

True, but only if the aftermarket battery actually delivers the stated capacity. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many of these aftermarket batteries
over-promise their capacity.

**UncleVanya** · 09-07-2018, 10:00 AM

Originally posted by jlstrawman

True, but only if the aftermarket battery actually delivers the stated capacity. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many of these aftermarket batteries
over-promise their capacity.

So true. Good to hear he has seen the actual benefits. I recall using an old Palm Pre and you could get some crazy size batteries that actually helped but they were huge (with a replacement rear cover of course) but the ones that were normal size were often suspect as they rarely gave even normal capacity results.

rawr · 09-07-2018, 10:20 AM

Originally posted by jlstrawman

Anecdotal evidence suggests that many of these aftermarket batteries over-promise their capacity.

It's particularly common, I've found, with eBay sourced batteries and power-banks.

With high-capacity lithiums, like your usual camera battery, you don't want to take risks using hot-rodded batteries. Spontaneous over-heating and other problems are not unknown even with standard manufacturer lithiums.

09-07-2018, 12:24 AM	#1
Socrateeze Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Vancouver Posts: 58	Improving battery life on K-1 Hey all, Can anyone suggests some tips or suggestions that might extend the battery life on my K-1? I tend to shoot mostly landscape on a tripod, including long exposures. Some things are obvious, of course: GPS and Astrotracer is off except when needed, I'm not using pixel shift (much), but getting roughly 100 or so shots (raw + jpeg) from a full charge of a battery is not unusual for me. That seems low to me (is it?), even given that longer exposures are not infrequent for me. I'm sometimes several days backcountry between recharges, so any suggestions of settings or changes in workflow (I'd prefer to keep a jpeg copy for backup, before anyone mentions that). For example, does switching off IBIS make much difference? I don't need it much, to be honest, but I keep it on as default. Is contrast detect more or less draining than phase detect? Any other settings I should look at that might deplete the battery more quickly? Cheers, Socrateeze

09-07-2018, 12:37 AM - 1 Like	#3
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,595	100 shots per charge is very low. Are you using a healthy battery? Makes me wonder if there could also be something wrong with the camera... The biggest power savings comes from using the monitor as little as possible (live view, CDAF, instant review). Be sure to disable the status screen except when you need it, and if shooting outdoors, use the outdoor view setting to temporarily decrease monitor brightness (I have this mapped to Fx2). If you're shooting long exposures, disabling dark frame subtraction (slow shutter speed NR) may help; you'll also same some CPU power by disabling in-camera distortion corrections for your JPEGs. Disabling SR won't save much if any power, as the system has to be powered up to keep the sensor locked in place regardless. It should always be off when you're on a tripod, however. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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09-07-2018, 12:34 AM	#2
splash_fr Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 178	100 shots per battery seems rather low. Is it usually very cold where you're Shooting? IBIS should be off by Default when you use MUP or self timer. You could switch off the display when you don't temporarily don't use it. More experienced users might have better tips.

09-07-2018, 01:03 AM	#4
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,231	The K1 is capable of taking up to 1800 shots on a single charge when shooting continuously for a couple of hours or less. However, when the camera is switched on, it drains battery power, even without using the camera at all. 100 shots only on a fully charged battery is a case possible even with a good Pentax D-LI90 battery, depends how long the camera stays switched-on during the photo session. With a full battery and not taking any photographs, when the auto-power off timer is set to OFF, the battery gets drained in about 6 hours (less than a day hiking) or about 2 hours with Live view continuously ON and SR Off. In order to max out the number of shots taken on a single batter charge, the auto-power-off setting should be set to a few minutes depending on typically use time when starting to take a group of images, so that the camera will go in standby mode when not using it. Typical setting for auto-power-off is 3 minutes. If the battery is fully charged, camera powered-off when not used and you are able to get only 100 frames, then you either have a defective battery, defective charger, or defective camera. Last edited by biz-engineer; 09-07-2018 at 01:14 AM.

09-07-2018, 01:40 AM	#5
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	According to the manual, the rated shots per battery is 760, of course, with a 'playback time' of 360 mins. But under specific camera settings and environmental conditions that mainly cover conventional intermittent view-finder and shutter usage. The most common scenario in my own experience that eats battery power is using a lot of live view, or shooting video. Little wonder most mirrorless cameras have dreadful battery life. On the K-1, another item to check is that the camera is set to power-down automatically after a decent period of inactivity, and that all of the indicator lamps are disabled. Another thing to think about is the lenses or other accessories you may have mounted. Some lenses draw power from the camera to power their own electronics (including their own shake-reduction systems or focus motors). Some flashes and other connected accessories (eg some microphones) may suck power too just by being plugged in.

09-07-2018, 03:34 AM - 1 Like	#6
davidsladek Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Surrey Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 346	I had my K-1 switched on for two consecutive days and shot with it 10 hours in total... never did it happen that I'd only get 100 shots. My standard for 1 battery would be around 1k+ I never use LiveView (it is by far the main drain)... WiFi always off (remote control via phone is also a massive drain), most of the auto adjustments off, instant preview limited to minimum time, auto power off 1 minute There is a significant difference between SDM/DC lenses and old style screw drive lenses though. In general the screw drives seem to take up less power than in-lens drives.

09-07-2018, 03:37 AM	#7
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,231	Originally posted by davidsladek I never use LiveView (it is by far the main drain)... WiFi always off (remote control via phone is also a massive drain), GPS tracking also take some of the battery power I noticed, when I use GPS tracking , I get less shots out of the same battery.

09-07-2018, 04:01 AM	#8
splash_fr Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 178	Oh, and the Illumination led's for the Mount etc. should be off, of Course.

09-07-2018, 05:29 AM	#9
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Do you have more than one battery to test with? You mentioned CDAF, that implies liveview, screen time uses a lot of battery, but 100 shots seems very unusual.

09-07-2018, 06:42 AM	#10
derekkite Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Nelson B.C. Posts: 3,782	You have some faulty hardware. Either battery or something in the body.

09-07-2018, 08:22 AM	#11
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	Something is wrong with your battery. 100 shots?? Nothing you can do to save battery power is going to make any significant difference compared to figuring out what is wrong with the battery. That is less than 20% of what you should be getting. I use the K-1 primarily for landscape photography and shoot long exposures with use of liveview, GPS is always on, IBIS is off because of the tripod. I normally get 500 plus shots. Never really paid any attention as one battery lasts 2 to 3 days when out shooting. I also carry a spare battery but have rarely had need of it. Are you using the original Pentax battery and charger or do you have a third party one?

09-07-2018, 08:54 AM - 1 Like	#12
tax Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Photos: Albums Posts: 113	Another way to increase your number of shots per single charge is to use higher capacity aftermarket battery from a reliable supplier. I am consistently making more than 1,400 shots on a single charge using Powerextra 7.4V, 2300mAh, 17.0Wh D-LI90 compatible battery. In the same time I rarely can get more than 850 shots on a single charge using Pentax 7.2V, 1860mAh, 14Wh D-LI90 genuine battery which came with my K-1 camera. Those of you who bought or upgraded to more power hungry K-1 II will benefit from switching to a higher capacity batteries.

09-07-2018, 09:29 AM - 1 Like	#13
jlstrawman Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Midwest US Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,058	Originally posted by tax Those of you who bought or upgraded to more power hungry K-1 II will benefit from switching to a higher capacity batteries. True, but only if the aftermarket battery actually delivers the stated capacity. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many of these aftermarket batteries over-promise their capacity.

09-07-2018, 10:00 AM	#14
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Originally posted by jlstrawman True, but only if the aftermarket battery actually delivers the stated capacity. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many of these aftermarket batteries over-promise their capacity. So true. Good to hear he has seen the actual benefits. I recall using an old Palm Pre and you could get some crazy size batteries that actually helped but they were huge (with a replacement rear cover of course) but the ones that were normal size were often suspect as they rarely gave even normal capacity results.

09-07-2018, 10:20 AM	#15
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Originally posted by jlstrawman Anecdotal evidence suggests that many of these aftermarket batteries over-promise their capacity. It's particularly common, I've found, with eBay sourced batteries and power-banks. With high-capacity lithiums, like your usual camera battery, you don't want to take risks using hot-rodded batteries. Spontaneous over-heating and other problems are not unknown even with standard manufacturer lithiums.