[reh321]

Speaking of film cameras, I'd rather use SR44 batteries in them but it's cheaper and easier to find LR44 batteries. I guess that's not too different from using third-party batteries in a DSLR.

My “Super Program” came with “LR44” batteries when I purchased it from Roberts,
but ‘all’ I could get at local stores were “MS36”, so those - then a single “DS1” instead of two “MS36” batteries - are what I used.
Now I have used “357” times I have used it in recent times.
I use what Energizer recommends {how can a rabbit be wrong”}

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[stevebrot]

Speaking of film cameras, I'd rather use SR44 batteries in them but it's cheaper and easier to find LR44 batteries.

I have been buying Energizer SR44s through Amazon Prime at the price of $1.60 per in a tear strip of five.


Steve

[stevebrot]

Last year my KP had two Pentax batteries swell.

Well, that is alarming! Had they been quick-charged?


Steve

[Lowell Goudge]

How long do people expect batteries to last. In reading this I reached into my pocket to check the battery I carry as a backup, in case the one in my camera dies while out. By chance, it is an original Pentax battery dated 201101, Manufactured by Hoya Corp.

It got me thinking about my entire collection.

I have 8, D-L190’s which get cycled around between my K7, K5 and K1, as I go out to shoot, and I never really pay attention to what battery goes where except that with my K1 it would never upload software with anything other than the battery it came with (my newest DL190).

Of this mix are also several branded Newmowa 2400mAh batteries that came with a USB powered charger. This is a slow charger that takes 3-4 hours to charge 1or2 batteries.

Of the 6 batteries I can find ( my daughter has my K7 and at least 2 pentax batteries at present) I have 2 pentax branded batteries with no apparent date code but in small print manufactured by Hoya corp, so likely came with my K7 in 2007, one dated 201101 made by Hoya corp (probably came with my K5), one dated 201806 made by Ricoh Imaging (I think came with my K1 MKII) and two Newmowa batteries also with no dates that I bought in about 2019

So I have a range of batteries from 4-15 years old, none have swelled, and all seem to hold reasonable charge, with the exception that the K1MKII seems to be a little selective on state of charge to upload software. The only thing I do is run the batteries right down before charging. How long will they last?

[reh321]

How long do people expect batteries to last. In reading this I reached into my pocket to check the battery I carry as a backup, in case the one in my camera dies while out. By chance, it is an original Pentax battery dated 201101, Manufactured by Hoya Corp.

It got me thinking about my entire collection.

I have 8, D-L190’s which get cycled around between my K7, K5 and K1, as I go out to shoot, and I never really pay attention to what battery goes where except that with my K1 it would never upload software with anything other than the battery it came with (my newest DL190).

Of this mix are also several branded Newmowa 2400mAh batteries that came with a USB powered charger. This is a slow charger that takes 3-4 hours to charge 1or2 batteries.

Of the 6 batteries I can find ( my daughter has my K7 and at least 2 pentax batteries at present) I have 2 pentax branded batteries with no apparent date code but in small print manufactured by Hoya corp, so likely came with my K7 in 2007, one dated 201101 made by Hoya corp (probably came with my K5), one dated 201806 made by Ricoh Imaging (I think came with my K1 MKII) and two Newmowa batteries also with no dates that I bought in about 2019

So I have a range of batteries from 4-15 years old, none have swelled, and all seem to hold reasonable charge, with the exception that the K1MKII seems to be a little selective on state of charge to upload software. The only thing I do is run the batteries right down before charging. How long will they last?

When I purchased my Q-7 in 2014, I got several batteries, hoping to use it for ten years {still sticking to my expectations from the film era}.
I got a Q-S1 this year, but I am still using those batteries - in fact, I believe I got too many.

[Lowell Goudge]

When I purchased my Q-7 in 2014, I got several batteries, hoping to use it for ten years {still sticking to my expectations from the film era}.
I got a Q-S1 this year, but I am still using those batteries - in fact, I believe I got too many.

I have 6-7 in total for my Q. The issue there is life ( shots per charge) just isn’t the same as an slr

[builttospill]

Well, that is alarming! Had they been quick-charged?

They were charged with the charger the KP came with. I bought two KPs new, a black one and a silver one. The black one has performed flawlessly. The silver KP is the one with the bad batteries. The silver KP's shutter jammed (shortly after the one-year warranty expired) and the repair center had to send it to Pentax in Japan to have a brand new shutter installed. Since then it's worked perfectly.

On a different note, I bought two new K-70s from Adorama in August and when I opened the boxes there were extended warranty certificates from Ricoh extending the one-year period to two years. This made me feel much better about the solenoid issues some have experienced. The K-70 is nothing like the K-50. Pentax improved it in every way, making it an incredible camera.

[kwb]

Hi photogem,

This 4-th contact is law in Japan since Nov. 2011 and all batteries and chargers sold in Japan have to have them since Jan. 2012

The 4-th contact is not a requirement as far as I understand. But I'm no expert of any law, it's possible, even likely, that I don't know what I'm talking about. I'd appreciate if you point me to the right law concerning this.

First of all, Ricoh sells 3-contact Li ion batteries incl. but not limited to DB110 for GRIII in Japan. That battery didn't even exist in 2012.
https://ricohimagingstore.com/libattery-db-110-s0037835.html

As a sign of conformance to the law, they're required to display PSE mark on Li ion batteries these days. It's illegal to sell Li ion battery w/o PSE mark. Unsurprisingly DB110 has the mark.
https://review.kakaku.com/review/K0001133714/ReviewCD=1304541/ImageID=505851/

The law (Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act in Japan) defines a set of tests that Li ion batteries have to pass, but doesn't say anything about specifics of safety implementations (e.g. number of contacts). Here's the testing part of the Act (in Japanese).
https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/consumer/seian/denan/kaishaku/gijutsukijunkais...eppyoudai9.pdf

If something passes the tests and they put the PSE mark, that's the end of the story as far as legality goes.
There's nothing illegal for Ricoh or third party manufacturer or importer to sell 3-contact Li ion batteries in Japan as far as they pass the tests.

Third party D-LI90 clones with PSE mark despite having only 3 contacts do exist. Such brands often specifically mention that their batteries conform to Japanese law, though of course I cannot prove that they're speaking truthfully.

OEM D-LI90P sold in Japan has four contacts and PSE mark, and it's illegal to sell OEM D-LI90 and D-LI90E (both have 3 contacts) w/o PSE mark. Why Ricoh didn't put PSE mark on the latter two is anybody's guess. If you have a definitive answer, not just a guess, I'm really interested to hear.

The charger is a different topic that I don't know about as far as the law is concerned.

Anyway, that's my understanding. Again, please correct me if I'm wrong, that would be honestly appreciated.

[Fire Angel]

To lengthen the life of a rechargeable battery, that is any rechargeable battery, you simply treat it gently. Use a slow charger not a fast charger — occasional fast charging is OK but it should not be done frequently. If it is a proprietary battery like the ones we're mainly discussing here then the charger that came with the camera is usually the best one to use. I am much more wary of third party chargers than I am of third party batteries because chargers vary even more in quality than batteries do.

If you use rechargeable AA or AAA batteries then you could get 50-150 charges before they die with a cheap crappy charger, or 500-1500 charges for the exact same batteries if you use a good charger. Something like the Youshiko YC-4000 which allows you to set the actual charge current is a good move, and generally avoid the higher current settings unless you urgently need a set of batteries charged for a shoot. Try and buy the better brands of battery, like Eneloop, JCB or Duracell. Beware though, of counterfeit Duracell and Eneloop batteries; there are a lot of them about because some unscrupulous manufacturers trade on their well-earned reputation. To avoid counterfeit batteries buy from a reputable source, somewhere that will give refunds if something doesn't work as advertised.

If trying out a brand you have not bought before don't buy a big pack, just buy 4 or 8 or however many your device needs at once. Test them thoroughly, and if they work well for you, then buy a bulk bundle and you can often get a much better price per battery. The very best rechargeable AA and AAA batteries I have personally used are Eneloops and JCB batteries. JCB are now my preferred brand for both AA and AAA size; they perform almost as well as Eneloop batteries for a much lower price. They are also true low-self discharge batteries, so you can charge a set and leave them in a cupboard for weeks or even months and they will still have a decent amount of energy in them.

[stevebrot]

On a different note, I bought two new K-70s from Adorama in August and when I opened the boxes there were extended warranty certificates from Ricoh extending the one-year period to two years. This made me feel much better about the solenoid issues some have experienced. The K-70 is nothing like the K-50. Pentax improved it in every way, making it an incredible camera.

That is very cool! The question of solenoid issues with the K-70 is a sticky one in that pinning down any pervasive general vulnerability or lack thereof has been difficult. I personally would have no reservations with purchase of a K-70 and have been tempted many times when prices have been low.


Steve

[bladerunner6]

This is just my experience but I have been using 3rd party batteries for years with no problems. One is a Watson and the other has no brand on it. Both work fine, no swelling the only down side is they don’t hold a charge as long. But they are a good value for the price.

I would probably avoid the super cheap ones right now. But I would buy another Watson and maybe a Wasabi.

[reh321]

Shorty after I purchased my Pentax "Super Program", my wife and I drove to the Chicago area - a four hour drive from where we then lived - specifically to try it out.
I believe I hadn't taken any photos with it yet ...... and the "LR44" batteries packed with it were dead.
Later on, as I gained experience with it, I would discover that it 'ate batteries like candy', and I would take the batteries out at night.
In this case, I had been raised in the area, so I knew where photo shops were, so we were delayed by only about 30 minutes.
This has affected my thinking, though; I always have spare batteries with me, and since the advent of rechargeable batteries for cameras, I try to have a way of charging them from the car.
The chargers supplied by Pentax with the KP and the "Q" series are of little use to me for that, but equipment sold by "Kastar" takes its power from USB, so that is what I purchase now.
I use a combination of "Pentax" and "Kastar" batteries, and have to look to see which is which,

incidentally, I purchased a "AA" adapter the same time I purchased my K-30;
I have found that almost every store has some kind of "AA" battery, and almost any "AA" battery is good for a few shots with the K-30.

[Kai-Luke]

Last year my KP had two Pentax batteries swell. One was inside the camera and it took a lot of effort to get the battery out.
I have three or four third-party batteries for my Canon DSLRs which need replacing because of swelling.

Original Pentax batteries or third party?
The photo shows 2 originals. I guess you mean those?

[MrB1]

My experience spans a decade with both Pentax and clone Li-ion batteries, with no problems. The oldest is a Pentax D-Li109 dated 2011 which still works well. Although I haven't made measurements, it is my impression that the Pentax batteries have their own version of pixie dust - compared with clones, they seem to have a longer life, they contain more charge, and they retain charge better when not in use.

One point of interest question - when a battery swells, does it happen during charging, or while being used in the camera, or when in a camera not being used, or when not connected to the camera (i.e. in storage), or possibly in any scenario?

Philip

[ChrisPlatt]

I found some brand new in package Konica-Minolta brand NP-400 batteries listed on eBay from a USA seller.
Several sources say this model is identical to the Pentax D-LI50 used by the K10D and K20D.
I may buy one for my wife's K10D as new stock of the Pentax brand battery is now impossible to find.

Chris