Pentax batter pack for K3II

mhsp · 11-23-2015, 09:56 PM

On a Pentax K3II does the camera draw from one battery until it is use up and if so which one does it draw from first. The reason I ask is that I had my battery pack on and a fully charged battery in the camera and one in the battery pack and after about 400 photos I was down to about 50 to 66% on my batter indicator. I turned the camera off then took the batter pack off and turned the camera back on and the indicator showed a full charge. So I put the batter pack back on and turned the camera on and the battery indicator show the same 50-66% battery power left. Can anyone help me out here. I cannot figure this out unless with the battery pack the camera draws from the one in the battery pack and when it is gone draws from the one in the camera, but this just does not sound right. This is a new camera, batteries and battery pack.

Adam · 11-23-2015, 10:21 PM

There's a menu option for auto, body first, or grip first.

mhsp · 11-23-2015, 10:28 PM

Thank you so much Adam I really appreciate it. I am use to canon 20D, 40D and 7D which I sold of those and bought my K3II and a 16-85mm WD Pentax lens and I love it. You helped me, at first I thought something for sure was wrong. Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions.

Sagitta · 11-24-2015, 03:16 AM

Originally posted by mhsp

Thank you so much Adam I really appreciate it. I am use to canon 20D, 40D and 7D which I sold of those and bought my K3II and a 16-85mm WD Pentax lens and I love it. You helped me, at first I thought something for sure was wrong. Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions.

I'm not sure if the K-3II suffers the same glitch as the K-3, but sometimes when the camera tries swapping from one battery to the other it'll flake out. I learned early on to let it draw from one source (usually he grip), then the other and to avoid the auto setting.

pathdoc · 11-24-2015, 04:56 AM

Originally posted by mhsp

Pentax batter pack for K3II

Cooking up a storm, are we?

(Seriously, though, thanks for the hint; if I ever get a battery grip I'll keep this in mind.)

**UncleVanya** · 11-24-2015, 06:12 AM

Drawing from the grip first means you can remove that battery and charge it without having to pull the battery grip off to get to the camera battery.

**woodywesty** · 11-24-2015, 07:11 AM

Originally posted by UncleVanya

Drawing from the grip first means you can remove that battery and charge it without having to pull the battery grip off to get to the camera battery.

Excellent point!

honey bo bo · 11-24-2015, 08:20 AM

Originally posted by UncleVanya

Drawing from the grip first means you can remove that battery and charge it without having to pull the battery grip off to get to the camera battery.

Yes grip first. Body backup (dont forget to top charge it up every once in a while - for me 3-4 months ) never a problem in 2 years. Oh and when I charge body I rotate the batteries.

mhsp · 11-25-2015, 10:15 AM

I want to thank everyone for their comments. O have one other question. I was taking photos yesterday and had taken about 20 photos and then the next 50 photos the main ones for my shoot and then I set down to review them and they were not there. I tried taking some more and they remained on the camera and I took 70 more photos and they were there. I have no idea what happened. any thoughts?

**UncleVanya** · 11-25-2015, 04:02 PM

did you open the camera and reseat the sd card?

mhsp · 11-25-2015, 04:56 PM

Yes I did UncleVanya

**UncleVanya** · 11-25-2015, 10:32 PM

Originally posted by mhsp

Yes I did UncleVanya

That may explain it then. No idea what happened. I wonder if the connection may have been not quite right.

mhsp · 11-26-2015, 09:11 AM

Originally posted by UncleVanya

That may explain it then. No idea what happened. I wonder if the connection may have been not quite right.

UncleVanya, I am thinking that I hit the Card Slot Switch button and it switch to card 2 which was empty. I have a another memory card coming Friday but after thinking about what I did and handling my camera I believe that is what happened. I have tested and tested again and again the memory card in slot #1 and it is working well and performing without a hitch. I noticed that I hit the button by accident again that switches the card slots, so I believe this is what happened. When I get the new memory card in Friday I believe this will cover my problem.

11-23-2015, 10:21 PM	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,609	There's a menu option for auto, body first, or grip first. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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11-23-2015, 09:56 PM	#1
mhsp Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 58	Pentax batter pack for K3II On a Pentax K3II does the camera draw from one battery until it is use up and if so which one does it draw from first. The reason I ask is that I had my battery pack on and a fully charged battery in the camera and one in the battery pack and after about 400 photos I was down to about 50 to 66% on my batter indicator. I turned the camera off then took the batter pack off and turned the camera back on and the indicator showed a full charge. So I put the batter pack back on and turned the camera on and the battery indicator show the same 50-66% battery power left. Can anyone help me out here. I cannot figure this out unless with the battery pack the camera draws from the one in the battery pack and when it is gone draws from the one in the camera, but this just does not sound right. This is a new camera, batteries and battery pack.

11-23-2015, 10:28 PM	#3
mhsp Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 58 Original Poster	Thank you so much Adam I really appreciate it. I am use to canon 20D, 40D and 7D which I sold of those and bought my K3II and a 16-85mm WD Pentax lens and I love it. You helped me, at first I thought something for sure was wrong. Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions.

11-24-2015, 03:16 AM	#4
Sagitta Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Maine Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,081	Originally posted by mhsp Thank you so much Adam I really appreciate it. I am use to canon 20D, 40D and 7D which I sold of those and bought my K3II and a 16-85mm WD Pentax lens and I love it. You helped me, at first I thought something for sure was wrong. Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions. I'm not sure if the K-3II suffers the same glitch as the K-3, but sometimes when the camera tries swapping from one battery to the other it'll flake out. I learned early on to let it draw from one source (usually he grip), then the other and to avoid the auto setting.

11-24-2015, 04:56 AM	#5
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381	Originally posted by mhsp Pentax batter pack for K3II Cooking up a storm, are we? (Seriously, though, thanks for the hint; if I ever get a battery grip I'll keep this in mind.)

11-24-2015, 06:12 AM	#6
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,476	Drawing from the grip first means you can remove that battery and charge it without having to pull the battery grip off to get to the camera battery.

11-24-2015, 07:11 AM	#7
woodywesty Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Northern Wisconsin Posts: 725	Originally posted by UncleVanya Drawing from the grip first means you can remove that battery and charge it without having to pull the battery grip off to get to the camera battery. Excellent point!

11-24-2015, 08:20 AM	#8
honey bo bo Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 768	Originally posted by UncleVanya Drawing from the grip first means you can remove that battery and charge it without having to pull the battery grip off to get to the camera battery. Yes grip first. Body backup (dont forget to top charge it up every once in a while - for me 3-4 months ) never a problem in 2 years. Oh and when I charge body I rotate the batteries.

11-25-2015, 10:15 AM	#9
mhsp Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 58 Original Poster	I want to thank everyone for their comments. O have one other question. I was taking photos yesterday and had taken about 20 photos and then the next 50 photos the main ones for my shoot and then I set down to review them and they were not there. I tried taking some more and they remained on the camera and I took 70 more photos and they were there. I have no idea what happened. any thoughts?

11-25-2015, 04:02 PM	#10
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,476	did you open the camera and reseat the sd card?

11-25-2015, 04:56 PM	#11
mhsp Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 58 Original Poster	Yes I did UncleVanya

11-25-2015, 10:32 PM	#12
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,476	Originally posted by mhsp Yes I did UncleVanya That may explain it then. No idea what happened. I wonder if the connection may have been not quite right.

11-26-2015, 09:11 AM	#13
mhsp Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 58 Original Poster	Originally posted by UncleVanya That may explain it then. No idea what happened. I wonder if the connection may have been not quite right. UncleVanya, I am thinking that I hit the Card Slot Switch button and it switch to card 2 which was empty. I have a another memory card coming Friday but after thinking about what I did and handling my camera I believe that is what happened. I have tested and tested again and again the memory card in slot #1 and it is working well and performing without a hitch. I noticed that I hit the button by accident again that switches the card slots, so I believe this is what happened. When I get the new memory card in Friday I believe this will cover my problem.