Can a faulty battery cause a DSLR to behave erratically?

**Apet-Sure** · 09-03-2019, 11:33 AM

Originally posted by RobG

It's really frustrating having a Platypus in focus and filling the viewfinder but the shutter release is blocked.

One of the most interesting critters on the planet. Duck bill like a bird, lays leathery eggs like a reptile, suckles its young like a mammal, males have a venomous spine, the list of oddities just goes on and on. If I missed a shot of one of these, I would be very disappointed too.

RobG · 09-03-2019, 03:52 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Apet-Sure

One of the most interesting critters on the planet. Duck bill like a bird, lays leathery eggs like a reptile, suckles its young like a mammal, males have a venomous spine, the list of oddities just goes on and on. If I missed a shot of one of these, I would be very disappointed too.

Thanks! The original species name was Ornithorhynchus paradoxus, because the scientists who received specimens in the UK thought it was a joke stitched together from a mixture of animals including the Beaver's tail. Here's a few more oddities - the bill is rubbery, not hard like a bird's, and it has sensors which detect the movement of muscles in its prey (like shrimp and crayfish). The Platypus swims with both its eyes and ears closed - I don't know of any other animal that can close its ears! It's not a placental animal and it's not a marsupial either, but a monotreme (the only other living monotreme is the Echidna). The female platypus doesn't actually have nipples but exudes milk through a specific area of the body which the babies lick off. Their fur is extremely dense, with a double layer to keep the water away from the skin.

**Apet-Sure** · 09-04-2019, 03:38 PM - **1 Like**

You Aussies have such interesting stuff. When my wife's boss wins the lottery I'll come for a visit. But I won't swim with box jellyfish - scary!

photocles · 09-05-2019, 01:37 PM

Originally posted by Apet-Sure

But I won't swim with box jellyfish - scary!

You should also avoid cone snails. Definitely not a critter you want to step on during your visit to the beach!

RobG · 09-05-2019, 03:50 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by photocles

You should also avoid cone snails. Definitely not a critter you want to step on during your visit to the beach!

Cone shells? I don't think you're likely to find them on a beach (shells maybe, live animals no), more likely when diving on the reef. Don't forget stonefish, irukandji jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, sea snakes, sting rays, crocodiles...

**Apet-Sure** · 09-06-2019, 08:18 AM

You Aussies have such dangerous stuff. Steve Irwin told me all about them.

photoptimist · 09-06-2019, 09:26 AM - **3 Likes**

Originally posted by RobG

Cone shells? I don't think you're likely to find them on a beach (shells maybe, live animals no), more likely when diving on the reef. Don't forget stonefish, irukandji jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, sea snakes, sting rays, crocodiles...

The land is no safer! There's paralysis ticks, brown snakes, funnel web spiders, lawyer vines, and stinging nettles. Oh, and then there's the drop bears!

Fussy Pentax User · 09-09-2019, 12:56 AM

Hi,

This may not specifically be connected with the battery discussion, but my K3 has a new problem and I have been wondering if it has any relation to the battery. My reason for wondering this is that the problem tends to occur only shortly after the camera has been switched on after being off for many hours - that is, generally, for the first few pictures for the day.

On pressing the shutter button, the shutter seems to fire twice - at least, I hear what sounds like two shutter actuations. Sometimes, when this happens, there is a grossly underexposed (~4 or 5 stops) image that appears. The camera is definitely not in multi-shot mode.

Another problem - possibly related - is that on (rare) occasions I see nothing when I switch to live view, although switching the camera off and on has fixed this problem. I have not checked yet ot see whether the mirror is up or down when this happens.

I recall seeing a post on another site that described two actuations on a K-10 so this may be related.

The K-3 is about four years old and has seen a LOT of use - probably a few tens of thousands of actuations, so it may just be age, but any ideas?

(It has suffered from time to time from the famous mirror-flapping problem, which is fixed by removing the battery, but this seems different.)

Martin

RobG · 09-09-2019, 01:30 AM

Originally posted by Fussy Pentax User

On pressing the shutter button, the shutter seems to fire twice - at least, I hear what sounds like two shutter actuations. Sometimes, when this happens, there is a grossly underexposed (~4 or 5 stops) image that appears. The camera is definitely not in multi-shot mode.

Hi Martin - there's a utility linked on the Pentax Forums site which allows you to find out the shutter count for your camera. It would be worth checking. Questions -

Is the battery fully charged?
Has the camera accidentally ended up in interval composite mode?
Is it running the latest firmware?

Since there's only two actuations, I guess it can't be HDR. A couple of times, I've bumped the buttons on the back of the camera and ended up in interval composite mode instead of single shot mode. If the battery is fully charged and this is still happening, I think it's unlikely to be the battery at fault.

Fussy Pentax User · 09-09-2019, 01:55 AM - **1 Like**

Hi RobG,

Thank you for your helpful comments and I'll check on those things!

RobG · 09-09-2019, 03:53 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by photoptimist

The land is no safer! There's paralysis ticks, brown snakes, funnel web spiders, lawyer vines, and stinging nettles. Oh, and then there's the drop bears!

Most of the world's most venomous snakes and spiders, giant stinging trees that can kill a horse (trees rather than mere nettles), deadly mushrooms, vast deserts...

Don't forget the hoop snakes.

**Kerrowdown** · 09-10-2019, 06:07 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by RobG

Can a faulty battery cause a DSLR to behave erratically?

Not on my LX's it didn't make one jot of a difference... even with no power, not sure I could say the same about my K1s.

RobG · 09-10-2019, 03:34 PM

Originally posted by Kerrowdown

Not on my LX's it didn't make one jot of a difference... even with no power, not sure I could say the same about my K1s.

Have you had a battery on the K1 which was faulty? Or is it just that the camera sometimes is erratic?

**Kerrowdown** · 09-12-2019, 02:11 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by RobG

Have you had a battery on the K1 which was faulty?

No not all, just thinking if I ever did lose power all on the K1... it would be "Goodnight Vienna".

That having been said... it's not likely to happen to me, with twin batteries (grip) and that the fact mine are purely used for metering, they last absolutely for ages.

Least with LX you could still continue shooting, with a broad range of mechanical shutter speeds, but I can't ever remember that happening to me either.

So basically I'm just havering away with inane drivel...

photoptimist · 09-12-2019, 06:28 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Kerrowdown

No not all, just thinking if I ever did lose power all on the K1... it would be "Goodnight Vienna".

That having been said... it's not likely to happen to me, with twin batteries (grip) and that the fact mine are purely used for metering, they last absolutely for ages.

Least with LX you could still continue shooting, with a broad range of mechanical shutter speeds, but I can't ever remember that happening to me either.

So basically I'm just havering away with inane drivel...

Methinks the percentage of K-1 users that have suffered a faulty or empty batteries and been forced to stop shooting is vastly lower than the percentage of LX users that have suffered from faulty(misloaded) or empty film cartridges. At 670 shots/charge the K-1 battery lasts 18 rolls.

Oh and I don't recall film having a way to delete a botched shot to free up space for a better image.

09-09-2019, 12:56 AM	#23
Fussy Pentax User Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 363	Battery problem or camera problem? Hi, This may not specifically be connected with the battery discussion, but my K3 has a new problem and I have been wondering if it has any relation to the battery. My reason for wondering this is that the problem tends to occur only shortly after the camera has been switched on after being off for many hours - that is, generally, for the first few pictures for the day. On pressing the shutter button, the shutter seems to fire twice - at least, I hear what sounds like two shutter actuations. Sometimes, when this happens, there is a grossly underexposed (~4 or 5 stops) image that appears. The camera is definitely not in multi-shot mode. Another problem - possibly related - is that on (rare) occasions I see nothing when I switch to live view, although switching the camera off and on has fixed this problem. I have not checked yet ot see whether the mirror is up or down when this happens. I recall seeing a post on another site that described two actuations on a K-10 so this may be related. The K-3 is about four years old and has seen a LOT of use - probably a few tens of thousands of actuations, so it may just be age, but any ideas? (It has suffered from time to time from the famous mirror-flapping problem, which is fixed by removing the battery, but this seems different.) Martin

09-09-2019, 01:30 AM	#24
RobG Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Canberra Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,905 Original Poster	Originally posted by Fussy Pentax User On pressing the shutter button, the shutter seems to fire twice - at least, I hear what sounds like two shutter actuations. Sometimes, when this happens, there is a grossly underexposed (~4 or 5 stops) image that appears. The camera is definitely not in multi-shot mode. Hi Martin - there's a utility linked on the Pentax Forums site which allows you to find out the shutter count for your camera. It would be worth checking. Questions - Is the battery fully charged? Has the camera accidentally ended up in interval composite mode? Is it running the latest firmware? Since there's only two actuations, I guess it can't be HDR. A couple of times, I've bumped the buttons on the back of the camera and ended up in interval composite mode instead of single shot mode. If the battery is fully charged and this is still happening, I think it's unlikely to be the battery at fault.

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09-03-2019, 11:33 AM	#16
Apet-Sure Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Goldsboro North Carolina Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,872	Originally posted by RobG It's really frustrating having a Platypus in focus and filling the viewfinder but the shutter release is blocked. One of the most interesting critters on the planet. Duck bill like a bird, lays leathery eggs like a reptile, suckles its young like a mammal, males have a venomous spine, the list of oddities just goes on and on. If I missed a shot of one of these, I would be very disappointed too.

09-03-2019, 03:52 PM - 1 Like	#17
RobG Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Canberra Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,905 Original Poster	Originally posted by Apet-Sure One of the most interesting critters on the planet. Duck bill like a bird, lays leathery eggs like a reptile, suckles its young like a mammal, males have a venomous spine, the list of oddities just goes on and on. If I missed a shot of one of these, I would be very disappointed too. Thanks! The original species name was Ornithorhynchus paradoxus, because the scientists who received specimens in the UK thought it was a joke stitched together from a mixture of animals including the Beaver's tail. Here's a few more oddities - the bill is rubbery, not hard like a bird's, and it has sensors which detect the movement of muscles in its prey (like shrimp and crayfish). The Platypus swims with both its eyes and ears closed - I don't know of any other animal that can close its ears! It's not a placental animal and it's not a marsupial either, but a monotreme (the only other living monotreme is the Echidna). The female platypus doesn't actually have nipples but exudes milk through a specific area of the body which the babies lick off. Their fur is extremely dense, with a double layer to keep the water away from the skin.

09-04-2019, 03:38 PM - 1 Like	#18
Apet-Sure Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Goldsboro North Carolina Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,872	You Aussies have such interesting stuff. When my wife's boss wins the lottery I'll come for a visit. But I won't swim with box jellyfish - scary!

09-05-2019, 01:37 PM	#19
photocles Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Connacht, Ireland Photos: Gallery Posts: 458	Originally posted by Apet-Sure But I won't swim with box jellyfish - scary! You should also avoid cone snails. Definitely not a critter you want to step on during your visit to the beach!

09-05-2019, 03:50 PM - 2 Likes	#20
RobG Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Canberra Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,905 Original Poster	Originally posted by photocles You should also avoid cone snails. Definitely not a critter you want to step on during your visit to the beach! Cone shells? I don't think you're likely to find them on a beach (shells maybe, live animals no), more likely when diving on the reef. Don't forget stonefish, irukandji jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, sea snakes, sting rays, crocodiles...

09-06-2019, 08:18 AM	#21
Apet-Sure Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Goldsboro North Carolina Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,872	You Aussies have such dangerous stuff. Steve Irwin told me all about them.

09-06-2019, 09:26 AM - 3 Likes	#22
photoptimist Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 5,129	Originally posted by RobG Cone shells? I don't think you're likely to find them on a beach (shells maybe, live animals no), more likely when diving on the reef. Don't forget stonefish, irukandji jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, sea snakes, sting rays, crocodiles... The land is no safer! There's paralysis ticks, brown snakes, funnel web spiders, lawyer vines, and stinging nettles. Oh, and then there's the drop bears!

09-09-2019, 01:55 AM - 1 Like	#25
Fussy Pentax User Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 363	Hi RobG, Thank you for your helpful comments and I'll check on those things!

09-09-2019, 03:53 PM - 1 Like	#26
RobG Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Canberra Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,905 Original Poster	Originally posted by photoptimist The land is no safer! There's paralysis ticks, brown snakes, funnel web spiders, lawyer vines, and stinging nettles. Oh, and then there's the drop bears! Most of the world's most venomous snakes and spiders, giant stinging trees that can kill a horse (trees rather than mere nettles), deadly mushrooms, vast deserts... Don't forget the hoop snakes.

09-10-2019, 06:07 AM - 1 Like	#27
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,867	Originally posted by RobG Can a faulty battery cause a DSLR to behave erratically? Not on my LX's it didn't make one jot of a difference... even with no power, not sure I could say the same about my K1s.

09-10-2019, 03:34 PM	#28
RobG Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Canberra Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,905 Original Poster	Originally posted by Kerrowdown Not on my LX's it didn't make one jot of a difference... even with no power, not sure I could say the same about my K1s. Have you had a battery on the K1 which was faulty? Or is it just that the camera sometimes is erratic?

09-12-2019, 02:11 PM - 1 Like	#29
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,867	Originally posted by RobG Have you had a battery on the K1 which was faulty? No not all, just thinking if I ever did lose power all on the K1... it would be "Goodnight Vienna". That having been said... it's not likely to happen to me, with twin batteries (grip) and that the fact mine are purely used for metering, they last absolutely for ages. Least with LX you could still continue shooting, with a broad range of mechanical shutter speeds, but I can't ever remember that happening to me either. So basically I'm just havering away with inane drivel...

09-12-2019, 06:28 PM - 1 Like	#30
photoptimist Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 5,129	Originally posted by Kerrowdown No not all, just thinking if I ever did lose power all on the K1... it would be "Goodnight Vienna". That having been said... it's not likely to happen to me, with twin batteries (grip) and that the fact mine are purely used for metering, they last absolutely for ages. Least with LX you could still continue shooting, with a broad range of mechanical shutter speeds, but I can't ever remember that happening to me either. So basically I'm just havering away with inane drivel... Methinks the percentage of K-1 users that have suffered a faulty or empty batteries and been forced to stop shooting is vastly lower than the percentage of LX users that have suffered from faulty(misloaded) or empty film cartridges. At 670 shots/charge the K-1 battery lasts 18 rolls. Oh and I don't recall film having a way to delete a botched shot to free up space for a better image.