[SpotmaticGuy]

Hi, I just took delivery of my K3 III and my first new Pentax in about a decade. I'd like to get an auxiliary battery charger, one that plugs into a wall socket and that can charge a standard battery for the K3. Any suggestions? Thanks!

[K-Three]

I've got one of these kits, charger +2 batteries,
https://www.wasabipower.com/collections/pentax-camera-batteries/products/was...-d-li90-d-l190
The batteries have not lasted, they don't hold a charge as well as the original Pentax do, but the charger is nice and compact, I like the no cord part of it.

Dug around on their site a bit more and they have the charger alone for only $10
https://www.wasabipower.com/collections/pentax-camera-batteries/products/was...-d-bc90-k-bc90

Charger has been fine, but can't really recommend their batteries.

or you could hunt around eBay for an original Pentax D-BC90 and cord.

[gatorguy]

Do you have just the single battery to charge? I think you'd be best off charging it in camera. Then you wouldn't be running off without a battery in your camera, and it's always ready to shoot. All you need is a USB-C cord and your phone charger.

If you have multiple batteries then any charger meant for a K3 or K1 will work for your K3III as well. They all use the same battery. Wasabi makes a good one and at a fair price. There's also the official Pentax one. I'd probably avoid the no-name cheap Chinese chargers sometimes sold for as little as $10, but there's more than a few who successfully use those too. The newish Pentax fast-charger is an expensive option I wouldn't suggest purchasing unless price is far less important than charging speed.

[wadge22]

You can also get the genuine Pentax one brand new from the big camera shops, such as this one at B&H (~$50). The original Pentax one is probably preferable if budget allows, it has 3 contacts whereas the aftermarket ones have 2; I'm no electrical engineer, but something tells me that third contact is doing something.
However, I know people use the aftermarket ones and do just fine, and I do have one of those for the car now, although just for roadtrip vacations. My own personal policy is that I will use the aftermarket one as long as I'm there near it to 'watch' it, but if I'm just popping the battery on and leaving the house or going to sleep, I'd rather use the genuine Pentax one.

You will have to come up with your own policy on these things, depending on your trust level and your budget.

Wasabi and Watson are two of the big almost-certainly-trustworthy names in third party chargers (and batteries).

[vector]

I didn't think I would use the USB-C charging but lately I am only charging my K3III via USB. I have the grip for it so there are two batteries which is always more than enough for any of my outings and using USB charging I don't have to take off the grip or remove batteries. Now I wish all my cameras could do it...

[UncleVanya]

With my Sony I use both an external and usb-c chargers. Keeping a 6000-10000 ah usb battery pack in the camera bag means I can charge while the camera is in transit.

[kkoether]

When I bought my K-3 III a few months ago I also purchased the D-BC177 Travel Charger. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1608548-REG/pentax_37871_d_bc177_trav...981&

I've been happy with it. I shoot a lot of boat racing at various lakes and rivers. I also bought a 30,000 mah power bank. Since it is a USB charger if I need to charge a battery while away from 110 vac I can by plugging the charger into my power bank and still be able use my camera since I have several batteries. For me it was well worth the $55.00 US.

[cdw2000]

The original Pentax one is probably preferable if budget allows, it has 3 contacts whereas the aftermarket ones have 2; I'm no electrical engineer, but something tells me that third contact is doing something.

I am an electrical engineer. The third terminal is marked "T" for temperature. The batteries contain an embedded temperature sensor. For rapid charging, the charger uses the temperature data (along with the charging current) to help determine when the battery has reached full charge and to ensure it doesn't overheat during the charge cycle.

I have used Wasabi batteries with my Pentax K-70 and they seem to work well. I have the Wasabi 2-battery plus charger set for my K-3 iii, but haven't used them yet. The Wasabi charger does NOT have 3 terminals so it cannot sense temperature. This is ok for the slower charge rate as long as the charger is following the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) specifications for the safe charging of Li-ion batteries.

[SpotmaticGuy]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll do a little more research on the differences between batteries and chargers now that I've got an idea of what to look for and at. It's likely I'll have another question or two. Regardless, I appreciate the friendly and experienced response.

---------- Post added 05-19-22 at 05:39 AM ----------

I am an electrical engineer [...] The Wasabi charger does have 3 terminals so it can sense temperature as well. Temperature sensing is pretty much a "must have" for charging lithium-ion batteries. I would never trust a charger that does not include the third terminal.

Thanks for that information.

[cdw2000]

P.S. I also purchased the Pentax D-BC177 Travel Charger for versatility.

Cheers

[K-Three]

The Wasabi charger does have 3 terminals

My Wasabi charger must be older, as it only has 2 terminals, + and -
Missing the T terminal in the middle.
I've had it for a at least 5-years
Does your newer (I assume) one have the 3rd contact?

My Wasabi Batteries do have the 3rd contact though

[wadge22]

My Wasabi charger must be older, as it only has 2 terminals, + and -

My Wasabi charger also has only two terminals, and I bought it late last year (from Amazon). It's the kind with a changeable 'plate' for the specific battery, as though you could get a different 'plate' and use the same charger for a different battery as well. I'm assuming they make quite a few different products, possibly more than one model for the D Li90, and perhaps some have the temp contact and some don't.

[cdw2000]

My Wasabi charger must be older, as it only has 2 terminals, + and -
Missing the T terminal in the middle.
I've had it for a at least 5-years
Does your newer (I assume) one have the 3rd contact?

My Wasabi Batteries do have the 3rd contact though

Actually, now looking at it, my Wasabi charger has only two terminals. I stand corrected and will edit my original post accordingly.

[eric1965]

If you have no older Pentax K5-K3 lying around I would suggest purchasing the original Pentax K-BC90H it is priced at around 50,00EUR. It can be used with AC power from 100V-240V. There is a newer version that uses USB-C the D-BC177 it is more expensive and you need an USB-C power supply.
It is a pity the current trend of camera companies is to remove the external charger in favour to the USB-C in camera charging. As you invested quite a lot of money in a new camera I would stay away from 3rd party chargers and, or batteries.
I use in camera charging as a last resort option and always charging my batteries with an external charger.

[kkoether]

If you have no older Pentax K5-K3 lying around I would suggest purchasing the original Pentax K-BC90H it is priced at around 50,00EUR. It can be used with AC power from 100V-240V. There is a newer version that uses USB-C the D-BC177 it is more expensive and you need an USB-C power supply.
It is a pity the current trend of camera companies is to remove the external charger in favour to the USB-C in camera charging. As you invested quite a lot of money in a new camera I would stay away from 3rd party chargers and, or batteries.
I use in camera charging as a last resort option and always charging my batteries with an external charger.

The new D-BC177 can use the usb cable and plug that comes with the K-3 III.