[smrk]

I just received my K3mIII today with the battery almost completly empty.

Ecitedly, I pulled out the included USB charger and noticed it's only a 5W (5v 1A) charger.

Impatiently I have grabbed a 15-18W (5v3A, 9v2A, or 12v1.5A) USB-c charger, but while I am waiting (twiddling my thumbs), I ask if anyone knows if the K3mIII will actually take advantage of the higher power charger?

The USB 3.x spec allows for the higher power ratings over the previous 10-12w ratings, and the question is did Ricoh/Pentax take advantage of it?

I ask before testing myself.
Hopefully this will be a good reference for others in the future.

[AfterPentax Mark II]

I just received my K3mIII today with the battery almost completly empty.

Ecitedly, I pulled out the included USB charger and noticed it's only a 5W (5v 1A) charger.

Impatiently I have grabbed a 15-18W (5v3A, 9v2A, or 12v1.5A) USB-c charger, but while I am waiting (twiddling my thumbs), I ask if anyone knows if the K3mIII will actually take advantage of the higher power charger?

The USB 3.x spec allows for the higher power ratings over the previous 10-12w ratings, and the question is did Ricoh/Pentax take advantage of it?

I ask before testing myself.
Hopefully this will be a good reference for others in the future.

Usually the item to be charged is not capable to receive higher W than what is specified. In this case the K-3 Mark III has a security circuit included to prevent damage to the camera in case of using a wrong charger. The security circuit corrects the charger to deliver the W specified. My experience with using the "wrong" higher powered chargers is that it takes longer than with the charger provided with the gear. If you have this expensive camera I would not put in danger of an overload. Moreover, in such cases warranty might be void.
Have a look at page 129 of the manual indicating the use of the dedicated power adapater.

[mlag]

......My experience with using the "wrong" higher powered chargers is that it takes longer than with the charger provided with the gear. ....

As example. Last week I received the Godox Lux senior flash an it refused to charge on a high speed adapter.....as the battery was empty, my first impression was that it was dead on arrival. But in second attempt it charged swiftly from a laptop USB port....even quite quick.....
Bottomline: high speed chargers are not always the better option.

[smrk]

Usually the item to be charged is not capable to receive higher W than what is specified. In this case the K-3 Mark III has a security circuit included to prevent damage to the camera in case of using a wrong charger. The security circuit corrects the charger to deliver the W specified. My experience with using the "wrong" higher powered chargers is that it takes longer than with the charger provided with the gear. If you have this expensive camera I would not put in danger of an overload. Moreover, in such cases warranty might be void.
Have a look at page 129 of the manual indicating the use of the dedicated power adapater.

By default, USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) chargers (like the one I have currently) start with the base max charge of 2.5W and only provider more than that if the device actually asks for more.

This is to prevent what you are mentioning of too much power. Older devices don't know how to ask the charger for more so they are protected.

My question basically is, Does the K3mIII use USB-PD or not?

I should have asked it that way.

---------- Post added 04-01-23 at 01:59 PM ----------

So the first charge using my 18w USB-PD charger took less than 1 hour to fully charge (from basically empty according to the camera battery indicator) I will need to try this again with the stock charger.

Any others with different chargers have different times?

[Joetitch]

From anecdotal evidence I understand that fast charging batteries makes them fail quicker. Great for the supplier, but not good for the user.

[K(s)evin]

In my experience with PD chargers, both the charger and the battery/device need to be rated as PD compatible. USB-C to USB-C heavier duty charging cables need to be used. USB-A cables can only carry 18W max. It requires use of USB-C to USB-C cables to utilize the 100W charging capabilities. iPhone 11 and newer phones can utilize it to various extents.
As for effect on battery life, I believe the jury is still out.

[StigVidar]

My question basically is, Does the K3mIII use USB-PD or not?

It does, as it require USB-PD to power the camera if you want to power it from the mains instead of using batteries. But I cannot answer what it does regarding charging of batteries.

[Not a Number]

More amperage/watts generates more heat in the battery during charging. Heat accelerates the changes of the chemistry in the battery. This is well documented. Battery and charger manufacturers advise the use slower charging rates to maximize battery life. Maha advises spacing the batteries out in the slots to facilitate heat dissipation. For example Maha advises to use slots 1 and 4 when charging two batteries in the Powerex MH-C9000.

It's a bit of a vicious circle. As the chemistry changes the internal resistance increases which in turn cause more heat during charging.

And if you are charging the battery in the camera, heat will not dissipate as rapidly.

[RGlasel]

More amperage/watts generates more heat in the battery during charging. Heat accelerates the changes of the chemistry in the battery. This is well documented. Battery and charger manufacturers advise the use slower charging rates to maximize battery life. Maha advises spacing the batteries out in the slots to facilitate heat dissipation. For example Maha advises to use slots 1 and 4 when charging two batteries in the Powerex MH-C9000.

It's a bit of a vicious circle. As the chemistry changes the internal resistance increases which in turn cause more heat during charging.

And if you are charging the battery in the camera, heat will not dissipate as rapidly.

This person knows their batteries.

The little rechargeable battery packs for my cochlear implant will only work with a calibrated charger that limits the wattage supplied and a full charge takes over 4 hours; which may only last for 18 hours with a new battery pack (and as little as 12 hours after a couple of years). I have 4 battery packs that cost more than $300 each, and a USB dual battery charger that costs $144 without the wall wart/transformer; in order to accomplish two things: make it through a day without having to change batteries and get the maximum life out of these expensive batteries. As amazing as the new lithium battery technology is, it comes with not just a higher financial cost, but with more restrictive physical limits as well.

[jslifoaw]

I tested the in camera USB-C charging using an Apple 20W charger that came with my ipad pro. I measured around 12W, including charging at 9V rather than 5V.

If you're using the standalone charger there's usually written specs on the maximum voltage and current.

Most devices will automatically negotiate the maximum safe wattage but you can always use a power source with a safe limit such as 18-20W vs 35W or 65W

[angerdan]

1. I pulled out the included USB charger and noticed it's only a 5W (5v 1A) charger.
2. Impatiently I have grabbed a 15-18W (5v3A, 9v2A, or 12v1.5A) USB-c charger, but while I am waiting (twiddling my thumbs), I ask if anyone knows if the K3mIII will actually take advantage of the higher power charger?
3. The USB 3.x spec allows for the higher power ratings over the previous 10-12w ratings, and the question is did Ricoh/Pentax take advantage of it?
4. Hopefully this will be a good reference for others in the future.

1. Which model name has the charger which is included with your K-3 III ?
2. Which brand and model is this, which protocolls (i.e. QC, PD, PPS) does it support for the used USB-port?
3. Yes
4. Sure

I'd like to quote my(self) :

Charging times comparision table:

Charger	Time	Watt	Current	Voltage	source1	source2
K-BC90	5.3 h	3.4 W	400 mA	8.4 V	ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/man-pdf/k-01.pdf#page=42	ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/products/k-1-2/accessories/index.html
AC-U1/2	4.5 h	5.0 W	1000 mA	5 V	ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/man-pdf/k-3-3.pdf#page=42
D-BC177	4.4 h	6.7W	800 mA	8.4 V	ricoh-imaging.eu/eu_en/blog/pentax/high-speed-charger-for-pentax-standard-rechargeable-battery-d-li90/
K-BC177	2.5 h	12.6 W	1500 mA	8.4 V	ricoh-imaging.eu/de_de/battery-charger-d-bc177-1#product-specifications

Source:
New Ricoh Charger - Page 3 - PentaxForums.com