[Paul the Sunman]

The original D-LI90 battery in my K1, bought new in 2016, has build date 201507, which makes sense; the battery was manufactured in 2015. Similarly, the dates on the batteries for my K5, K3 and K3iii are all consistent with when I bought the cameras new.

This week, I purchased a new D-LI90 from the Australian Pentax distributer CRK to replace the 2015 battery in my K1, which no longer holds a full charge. It was brand new stock (the battery had been out of stock for months, and just came in, presumably direct from Ricoh). I was shocked to see its date as 201509, seemingly a 2015 manufacture.

So,

• Is it unusual for a new battery direct from Pentax to be so old?
• Should it be of concern to me? Does age matter, or only the number of charge cycles it has been through?

[AstroDave]

I suspect it is mostly number of charge cycles.

In my battery measurements (Battery Capacity / Discharge Measurements - Pentax & Canon OEM versus Generic - PentaxForums.com), my oldest D-Li90 battery (from 2011 - about 10 years old then) did just as well as its newer brothers.

So, your "brand-new" (!) 2015 battery may well behave as a much newer unit would, but it is rather disappointing to get a 7-year old "new" battery!!

[mlag]

Batteries suffer also from slow self-discharge, especially if it goes too deep to zero, (besides the number discharge cycles).
Excessive long storage should be avoided, usually there is a kind of expiration date on the packaging ... , cool storage can help against shelf degradation.

Benzo Lithium Ion Polymer Battery Manufacturer Blogs - Why do lithium-ion batteries self-discharge and how to measure self-discharge?

[Bob 256]

Unless the battery is very old (>10 years), other factors like those mentioned (i.e. number of discharge cycles, depth of discharge, and storage temperature) will have much more significant effect on the lifespan of your battery. Lithium polymer batteries have good shelf life if they have been stored properly during that time and storage degradation will pale compared to degradation with use under most circumstances. That said, you want to check a purchased battery right away if it's suspect of being "old" to make sure self-discharge hasn't dropped its cell voltages below the point of no return. Once that happens, it's fairly difficult if not impossible to obtain a recovery (though if recovered, the battery can continue to provide a good life).

[tduell]

This week, I purchased a new D-LI90 from the Australian Pentax distributer CRK to replace the 2015 battery in my K1, which no longer holds a full charge. It was brand new stock (the battery had been out of stock for months, and just came in, presumably direct from Ricoh). I was shocked to see its date as 201509, seemingly a 2015 manufacture.

I received two new D-LI90 batteries from CRK yesterday, and they are marked 201508 and 201512, and like you was a bit taken aback.
I put them both on charge, and they took considerably longer to charge than batteries that are showing yellow on the last bar in the camera.
I should have checked their voltage before charging.
I went looking for batteries for the K-3 Mark III, but none turned up on their website. Those I received won't be able to be charged via USB.

Cheers,
Terry

[Paul the Sunman]

I went looking for batteries for the K-3 Mark III, but none turned up on their website. Those I received won't be able to be charged via USB.

Really!? Why is that Terry? I don't see any difference in specification.

I've written to CRK querying the supply of such an old battery. No reply yet. It is useful to know it wasn't just mine. I do need it for the K3iii as well, so if there is an issue, I'd like to know.

[bwgv001]

Ordered two batteries two weeks ago from amazon they are manufactured 202109; I do have a batteries from 201509 used in my K3-II and later K-1; still going strong.

[tduell]

Really!? Why is that Terry? I don't see any difference in specification.

I've written to CRK querying the supply of such an old battery. No reply yet. It is useful to know it wasn't just mine. I do need it for the K3iii as well, so if there is an issue, I'd like to know.

I wish you hadn't asked that
I recall seeing/reading about the fact that the K-3 Mark III could be charged via USB, and that it was necessary to use the supplied battery, but blowed if I can find anything definitive about it now.
The only thing I can see is in the manual, page 38 where it says "Use only the D-LI90 exclusively developed for this camera", which isn't very informative.
Sorry I can't back up my statement with any good reference. Maybe others will recall something about this, or I've been dreaming!

Cheers,
Terry

[Digitalis]

Hey you think you have it bad? I got several new 201509 batteries from CRK - I'm not impressed either. I'm glad I took them to task over their "repairs " to my lenses over the years.



Yes, I go through a lot of batteries I bought a case just to store them all in..

[leekil]

This week, I purchased a new D-LI90 from the Australian Pentax distributer CRK to replace the 2015 battery in my K1, which no longer holds a full charge. It was brand new stock (the battery had been out of stock for months, and just came in, presumably direct from Ricoh). I was shocked to see its date as 201509, seemingly a 2015 manufacture.

If your battery is not working so well, you should be able to rejuvenate it by running it down completely and recharging it; repeat this process a couple of times and it should be quite good again.

I have batteries from my K-5 I got in 2010 that still have a lot of charge in them; I can't actually notice any difference from the newer batteries, though I haven't done any strict monitoring of a discharge cycle.

[biz-engineer]

So, Is it unusual for a new battery direct from Pentax to be so old?

Depends on turnover. About one year ago, I was looking to buy a couple of new batteries at amazon in Europe, before K3 III release, I noticed the Pentax D-LI90 was out of stock for a few months. After the release of the K3 III , the stock was replenished again, the new stock is from new production batches I suppose. But, hey I'm in Austria, we have mountains , but for sure don't have kangaroos here .

[Paul the Sunman]

Depends on turnover. About one year ago, I was looking to buy a couple of new batteries at amazon in Europe, before K3 III release, I noticed the Pentax D-LI90 was out of stock for a few months. After the release of the K3 III , the stock was replenished again, the new stock is from new production batches I suppose. But, hey I'm in Austria, we have mountains , but for sure don't have kangaroos here .

Well, this is a fresh shipment from Ricoh. Just arrived in the country. It strikes me as dodgy that its a completely 2015 batch, when apparently others around the world are receiving newly minted D-LI90s. Did it fall down the back of a filing cabinet somewhere?

[biz-engineer]

Did it fall down the back of a filing cabinet somewhere?

It doesn't really matter. If I would be delivered 2015 made batteries in 2022, I would ship them back and ask for freshly made batteries or ask for refund and order somewhere else, ask customer service date of manufacture before ordering.

[Paul the Sunman]

It doesn't really matter. If I would be delivered 2015 made batteries in 2022, I would ship them back and ask for freshly made batteries or ask for refund and order somewhere else, ask customer service date of manufacture before ordering.

There is nowhere else. All Australian stock comes through CRK. But this is one new shipment from Ricoh. I am just surprised they still have 2015 stock.

[biz-engineer]

I am just surprised they still have 2015 stock.

You get the stock we sent back to Ricoh from EU, maybe due to regulations in EU that battery older than x years can't be sold (half joke ).