[nutz]

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.

---

I have a K70,
I hope I am in the right forum...
but anyway here's the problem:
It was in the middle of the night at 10,800 feet crystal clear sky all set up to shoot Polaris...at 12 seconds in the camera stopped and there was a message saying that the "battery was depleted" which would be impossible because I had just installed a newly charged battery at sunset and had the camera on for maybe 2 minutes while checking details of the shoot.
Now the camera will not restart, I have changed to 3 other "new" batteries, still nothing, I have tried every thing I can think of to restart it to no avail. not really knowing what to do.
I must say here that I did have a shutter release attached to a "JJC" reciever on the hot shoe wired to the michrophone inlet and used a "JJC" transmitter to fire the shutter. I have used this setup before many times and never caused a problem, but can't help wondering if that is what has caused the camera to suddenly go dark to never be turned on again?
also, there were about 20 pics on the card that I had shot earlier in the day including the shot in the dark, when I pulled the card to retrieve my shots the shots on the card was literally BLACK SCREEN! Nothing at all. I know the other's I had shot earlier were on there because I checked them with the screen
At any rate does anyone have a clue as to what could have gone wrong?

[kypfer]

Is the JJC device designed for the K-70, with a four-contact (tip, two rings and sleeve) jack plug, or is it the more generic tip-ring-sleeve three-contact plug?

[nutz]

it 's generic. it has 3 rings on the plug

---------- Post added 08-28-21 at 12:50 PM ----------

this is the one I have:
JJC JM-PK1 II Wireless Shutter Release For PENTAX KP K70 replace PENTAX CS-310 | eBay

---------- Post added 08-28-21 at 12:54 PM ----------

here is the Pentax model:
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511WiJCl0uL._AC_SL1200_.jpg?tag=pentaxforums-20&
It has the same tip on it as mine has

[AfterPentax Mark II]

Hmm, the advert on Ebay states in the specifications that it is a Nikon fitting item, where the heading states that it replaces the CS-310. Maybe something went wrong there? It should be four contactpoints, not three.Hope you did not upset the electronics.

[UncleVanya]

it 's generic. it has 3 rings on the plug

---------- Post added 08-28-21 at 12:50 PM ----------

this is the one I have:
JJC JM-PK1 II Wireless Shutter Release For PENTAX KP K70 replace PENTAX CS-310 | eBay

---------- Post added 08-28-21 at 12:54 PM ----------

here is the Pentax model:
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511WiJCl0uL._AC_SL1200_.jpg?tag=pentaxforums-20&
It has the same tip on it as mine has

The image of that Pentax item shows a 4 prong plug. The other shows a 3 prong plug. I wouldn’t expect that to fry things however.

The JJC device can be used with multiple cameras and the image might not be accurate - your cable may be the same 4 prong type needed.

I think when you said there were three rings you mean the black insulating ones not the chrome contact points? Most refer to the number of contact points not the black rings. So I’m guessing your cable is the right one.

[nutz]

Hmm, the advert on Ebay states in the specifications that it is a Nikon fitting item, where the heading states that it replaces the CS-310. Maybe something went wrong there? It should be four contactpoints, not three.Hope you did not upset the electronics.

The pentax model however only has 3 contacts. https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511WiJCl0uL._AC_SL1200_.jpg?tag=pentaxforums-20&

But then why would that happen after I have used it numerous times?
Like you I am hoping that it didn't fry something in the camera.
BTW: I just now boxed it up and mailed it to the Ricoh repair facility in Connecut. They should get it on Tuesday!

[UncleVanya]

The pentax model however only has 3 contacts. https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511WiJCl0uL._AC_SL1200_.jpg?tag=pentaxforums-20&

But then why would that happen after I have used it numerous times?
Like you I am hoping that it didn't fry something in the camera.
BTW: I just now boxed it up and mailed it to the Ricoh repair facility in Connecut. They should get it on Tuesday!

That’s 4 contacts. Tip plus three more. That’s the right type for the k-70.

---------- Post added 08-28-21 at 03:56 PM ----------

I would leave the battery out for a few days before sending it to be sure it doesn’t spontaneously recover.

[nutz]

That’s 4 contacts. Tip plus three more. That’s the right type for the k-70.

---------- Post added 08-28-21 at 03:56 PM ----------

I would leave the battery out for a few days before sending it to be sure it doesn’t spontaneously recover.

I already sent it. The battery was out for 4 days till I got back homw fromthat camping trip to the mountains. I tried it with 4 seperate batteries that I had made sure were fully charged, checked them with my volt meter, and installed them and nothing happened. That's when i decided to take the plunge and send it to Ricoh repair. Hope They can fix it, hate to have to shell out another butt-load of money to get a new camera.
Maybe it's time to take the Canon leap????

[UncleVanya]

I already sent it. The battery was out for 4 days till I got back homw fromthat camping trip to the mountains. I tried it with 4 seperate batteries that I had made sure were fully charged, checked them with my volt meter, and installed them and nothing happened. That's when i decided to take the plunge and send it to Ricoh repair. Hope They can fix it, hate to have to shell out another butt-load of money to get a new camera.
Maybe it's time to take the Canon leap????

The grass only looks greener because the green channel is boosted on your screen. Lol. I’ve seen horror stories with all brands.

[nutz]

here's a follow-up to the K70's demise!
A follow up on that k70. I talked to the tech. that looked at my camera. She told me that something literally cooked the motherboard and that was the main problem, the aperture control block was going to be replaced because of problems with those going bad usually around 10,000 shutter releases. How true? Got me. Anyways that was going to be done to prevent future failures. The resistors..2 were dead in the water. So that pretty much sums up the problems. Now...anyone here care to speculate that the original shutter release that I was using caused the fried board? I didn't tell the tech that I had used that when the camera went south!

Read more at: Ricoh warranty??? - Page 2 - PentaxForums.com

[reh321]

I already sent it. The battery was out for 4 days till I got back homw fromthat camping trip to the mountains. I tried it with 4 seperate batteries that I had made sure were fully charged, checked them with my volt meter, and installed them and nothing happened. That's when i decided to take the plunge and send it to Ricoh repair. Hope They can fix it, hate to have to shell out another butt-load of money to get a new camera.
Maybe it's time to take the Canon leap????

I was a Canon user for 20 years, but switched back to Pentax after I had 2 Canon Rebels die with a combined shutter count of under 5000 shots. Each of them exhibited frequent processor problems {I often had to perform a hard reboot - removing the battery for at least 20 seconds} before it died completely. Don’t assume that switching to another brand will ‘fix’ anything.

[UncleVanya]

I was a Canon user for 20 years, but switched back to Pentax after I had 2 Canon Rebels die with a combined shutter count of under 5000 shots. Each of them exhibited frequent processor problems {I often had to perform a hard reboot - removing the battery for at least 20 seconds} before it died completely. Don’t assume that switching to another brand will ‘fix’ anything.

It might feel good however... lol. I really think the object of switching in cases like these is to stop feeling like you are helping the company that screwed you. Even if you know it makes zero difference at the single consumer level.

[reh321]

It might feel good however... lol. I really think the object of switching in cases like these is to stop feeling like you are helping the company that screwed you. Even if you know it makes zero difference at the single consumer level.

My object in switching was to get bodies I didn't have to constantly replace. Yes my K-30 does suffer now from "Dark Image Syndrome", but now I still use it with old film lenses to allow me to control the aperture via the lens. I doubt if Canon notices my departure. On the other hand, I originally chose Pentax in 1979 because it was a brand I had heard of. I switched to Canon in 1995 because I loved their silent EF/usm lenses - the Pentax I came back to in 2015 was just a shadow of the brand I had come to in 1979, where camera stores proudly displayed their cameras.

[Martin Stu]

I was a Canon user for 20 years, but switched back to Pentax after I had 2 Canon Rebels die with a combined shutter count of under 5000 shots. Each of them exhibited frequent processor problems {I often had to perform a hard reboot - removing the battery for at least 20 seconds} before it died completely. Don’t assume that switching to another brand will ‘fix’ anything.

Quite right.
For example, my friend had a Canon EOS 60D... he took even less than 5000 pictures... He used the camera very carefully... no more than 2 years have passed and the display shows "lens not connected"... turned it on and off, wiped the contacts (though they were already clean), took out the battery... one - two frames and again the inscription: "lens not connected"... it's good that he had a 2 year warranty ... one week left when he handed in the camera for warranty repair... it turned out to be a board malfunction... why this malfunction occurred is not clear, but it happened...

[photogem]

here's a follow-up to the K70's demise!
A follow up on that k70. I talked to the tech. that looked at my camera. She told me that something literally cooked the motherboard and that was the main problem, the aperture control block was going to be replaced because of problems with those going bad usually around 10,000 shutter releases. How true? Got me. Anyways that was going to be done to prevent future failures.

What she said is a lot of nonsense.
ABF, i.e. a stuck solenoid happens not after around 10.000 shutter releases. It happens to almost new but long stored Pentax bodies and to those not often used.
Read here:
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY: Development of the solenoid in Pentax cameras - PentaxForums.com
There is zero link between what fried your mainboard and ABF.