[35mmfilmfan]

I have 'several' batteries for my K3, some new from *bay, some second hand both from local camera shop and again *bay. No idea of the makes - I think a couple may be 'genuine' Pentax, if the labels are to be believed. I use the battery grip, selected first, so even when that battery loses power, the one in the camera takes over while I change the grip one. Apart from that, I take 4 charged spares with me, plus AA adapter and a dozen Eneloops for it. I wouldn't say I 'worry' about having insufficient batteries, nor do I time charging, discharge when unused or reduction of power when in use - just make sure I have spares ! All batteries are charged on Pentax charger, and I have noticed no issues. I charge batteries approximately monthly (i.e. when I remember !), including the one in the camera (easy to forget), replacing it with a charged one so all batteries are rotated eventually. Not actually tried the AA adapter yet, but reading the comments above, may well do so.

BTW, I also take spare SDXC cards as well - just in case ! And, back to a perennial favourite - when full, I replace the cards with new, formatted-in-camera ones, keeping the full ones. Then, on nights when I cannot sleep, I re-archive all the cards to DVD discs - I know no storage medium is 100% reliable, but this should maximise my chances of retaining at least some of my images (not that many are worth keeping, IMNAAHO !).

[photogem]

AVOID any 3.rd-party/clone batteries and chargers like hell:


Read my review of the orig. D-LI109:
Pentax D-LI109 Rechargeable Battery reviews - Pentax Camera Accessory Review Database
were I explain what ALL (without exception) clone-batteries lack and what problems it can lead to.

And thus, only use the original D-BC109 charger:
Pentax D-BC109 Battery Charger (for D-LI109) reviews - Pentax Camera Accessory Review Database
Again, reasons why all other chargers are to be avoided in my review.

Exactly the same applies to the D-LI90 and D-BC90: Only the originals!

Just that the D-LI90 uses round cells and won't bulge that easely.

Again, NONE of those clones use the T-Sensor but a cheat resisistor to trick the original D-BC Chargers seeing an OEM battery and
thus charge it. Without this tricky cheat-resistor all Pentaxchargers from the K7 and K30 onwards wouldn't accept those clones.
For a reason!

[madison_wi_gal]

I just make sure to never mix batteries and chargers due to voltage differences, i.e., don't charge an off-brand battery with the Pentax charger.

OK, well I never thought of *that*. I think the OEM was on the Brand X charger.

[UncleVanya]

OK, well I never thought of *that*. I think the OEM was on the Brand X charger.

All the chargers for the same size batteries are compatible. But the OEM chargers with OEM battery offers the most safety and will preserve your batteries better. In a pinch use what’s available but try to mainly use the OEM one with oem battery.

[madison_wi_gal]

All the chargers for the same size batteries are compatible. But the OEM chargers with OEM battery offers the most safety and will preserve your batteries better. In a pinch use what’s available but try to mainly use the OEM one with oem battery.

Fortunately, both of my K-3 III / K-01 chargers and batteries are OEM. To be really fussy, I can keep the D-LI90 on the D-BP90 and and can keep the D-LI90P on the D-BC90P, but I'm not sure it matters. So the Flagship and the Bumblebee are fine.

I think my plan is:

Get another spare Pentax D-LI109 for the old guys, use OEM charger, and maybe get the AA battery guy as well (OEM)

Keep the DSTEs for "spare" use on road trips.

---------- Post added 08-06-22 at 08:33 ----------

AVOID any 3.rd-party/clone batteries and chargers like hell:


Read my review of the orig. D-LI109:
Pentax D-LI109 Rechargeable Battery reviews - Pentax Camera Accessory Review Database
were I explain what ALL (without exception) clone-batteries lack and what problems it can lead to.

And thus, only use the original D-BC109 charger:
Pentax D-BC109 Battery Charger (for D-LI109) reviews - Pentax Camera Accessory Review Database
Again, reasons why all other chargers are to be avoided in my review.

Exactly the same applies to the D-LI90 and D-BC90: Only the originals!

Just that the D-LI90 uses round cells and won't bulge that easely.

Again, NONE of those clones use the T-Sensor but a cheat resisistor to trick the original D-BC Chargers seeing an OEM battery and
thus charge it. Without this tricky cheat-resistor all Pentaxchargers from the K7 and K30 onwards wouldn't accept those clones.
For a reason!

Yes, I read that very fine review when I started looking into this. Thanks for the recap!

[photogem]

Fortunately, both of my K-3 III / K-01 chargers and batteries are OEM. To be really fussy, I can keep the D-LI90 on the D-BP90 and and can keep the D-LI90P on the D-BC90P, but I'm not sure it matters. So the Flagship and the Bumblebee are fine.

I think my plan is:

Get another spare Pentax D-LI109 for the old guys, use OEM charger, and maybe get the AA battery guy as well (OEM)

For your K-r the AA-Adapter is the best idea!

The circuitry for batteries inside the K-r stems from the K-x and K-m.
Some K-r's had problems with sudden mirrorflop.
This could be linked with batteries and constand D-LI109 use but I never could go deeper into that.

I had one K-r with mirror-flop but it wasn't repairable. I still have one which I use for old glass/manual lenses only. It is equipped with a Katz-Eye focusing screen, the same one as for the K200D.

The K-r was that bit more advanced than the K-x and also has better LiveView but the same (good) sensor which in those days was ISO-wise and also in other respects a step above the Samsung-Sensor of the K20D/K7 (a matter of taste maybe, the K20D was quite a DSLR then and very well built). Also of course the K-r had the 3" LCD which is more comfortable.

[mikesbike]

The K-r was that bit more advanced than the K-x and also has better LiveView but the same (good) sensor which in those days was ISO-wise and also in other respects a step above the Samsung-Sensor of the K20D/K7 (a matter of taste maybe, the K20D was quite a DSLR then and very well built). Also of course the K-r had the 3" LCD which is more comfortable.

I enjoyed this little camera for years as my lightweight model before I gave it to friends, after having found a fantastic deal on a new K-S2 with the 18-50mm kit lens for next to nothing more. At an incredibly low $508 for both, I saw my chance to have the K-S2's many upgraded features in a likewise lightweight body. I have been enjoying it very much in that usage. I paid nearly $100 more than that for the K-r (body-only) many years before! The K-r is definitely better than the K20D for low light/higher ISO use. Back in 2011, I chose it over my K20D to photograph their university graduation ceremony with excellent success. But as you say, the K20D is a very well-built, and a fine camera for use in good lighting.

Thanks to your very valuable and very knowledgeable advice, photogem, I have decided to always buy Pentax brand batteries for my cameras from now on, and make Pentax brand batteries my primary ones to take in-camera, and only take one of my off-brand batteries as a spare to be used just until I can get the primary battery re-charged. My friends don't use the K-r I gave them very much, but next time I visit them I will check to make sure the battery I gave them is a Pentax brand, and if not, I will replace it on the spot. I gave them the charger that came with that camera, so I know it is ok. I also gave them 3 lenses- my old 18-55mm II kit lens, the DA 55-300mm non-WR, and a new DA 50mm f/1.8, which came free as part of my 2nd KP purchase. They have two small children. On my next visit, I will also show them a few things, including how to make some nice portraits with the DA 50mm. They have only known making cell-phone photos. The wife/mother has done a great job of organizing some of their best results from cell-phone use, and employing an on-line service in making their family albums. She has a good eye for framing. The DA 55-300mm will also make for catching their kids in action from a distance- under good lighting, of course.

It is too bad the K-3 III no longer comes with a charger as have previous models. No doubt, many who buy a new K-3 III will unknowingly purchase cheaper 3rd party chargers for their new cameras, as well as cheaper spare batteries- which has been a common practice.

---

Last edited by mikesbike; 08-07-2022 at 01:08 PM.

[gatorguy]

I enjoyed this little camera for years as my lightweight model before I gave it to friends, after having found a fantastic deal on a new K-S2 with the 18-50mm kit lens for next to nothing more. At an incredibly low $508 for both, I saw my chance to have its many upgraded features in a likewise lightweight body. I have been enjoying it very much in that usage.

Thanks to your very valuable and knowledgeable advice, photogem, I have decided to always buy Pentax brand batteries for my cameras from now on, and make Pentax brand batteries my primary ones to take in-camera, and only take one of my off-brand batteries as a spare to be used just until I can get the primary battery re-charged. My friends don't use the K-r I gave them very much, but next time I visit them I will check to make sure the battery I gave them is a Pentax brand, and if not, I will replace it on the spot. I gave them the charger that came with that camera, so I know it is ok. I also gave them 3 lenses- my old 18-55mm II kit lens, the DA 55-300mm non-WR, and a new DA 50mm f/1.8, which came free as part of my 2nd KP purchase. They have two small children. On my next visit, I will also show them a few things, including how to make some nice portraits with the DA 50mm. They have only known making cell-phone photos. The wife/mother has done a great job of organizing some good shots and employing an on-line service in making their family albums. She has a good eye for framing. The DA 55-300mm will also make for catching their kids in action from a distance under good lighting, of course.

It is too bad the K-3 III no longer comes with a charger as have previous models. No doubt, many who buy a new K-3 III will unknowingly purchase cheaper 3rd party chargers for their new cameras, as well as cheaper spare batteries- which has been a common practice.

Strictly speaking there's no necessity for a charger. I've now gotten in the habit of charging in-camera the night before a hike or event. Of course I do have a Pentax fast charger as well "in case", plus the chargers that came with the K1. Oh, and six batteries in total to share between the K3III and K1 (same battery). Somewhere in the mix there's always two or three fully charged.

Now as far as what those batteries are they're all Pentax-branded now. I've had two 3rd party batteries which just didn't perform as well for me on the K1, fine on the K3III AFAICT, with one left until recently. That's now sold to my female friend who switched from Canon to Pentax for $20. She got the grip for her K3III but not a spare battery.

[mikesbike]

Maybe some people do like me, having a battery in the charger back at the hotel while out shooting. Of course, it is true- I don't need to pack along a charger, strictly speaking, I could make sure to arrange my battery-charging to all be done overnight by just plugging in the camera, I guess. But the small size of the charger makes it easy to pack, and its convenience worthwhile, at least for me. And its small size also takes up a lot less room on the desk or table than making space for the camera to be there. I take along a lot of stuff!

[reh321]

It is too bad the K-3 III no longer comes with a charger as have previous models. No doubt, many who buy a new K-3 III will unknowingly purchase cheaper 3rd party chargers for their new cameras, as well as cheaper spare batteries- which has been a common practice.

I already have two appropriate Pentax chargers - one that came with my K-30 and one that came with my KP {same battery}.
If I get something like a K-90, the last thing I need is yet another of that very charger.
When I tossed my Canon Rebel, I kept the charger, which is around here somewhere;
if I thought there was a shortage of them, I offer it to anyone who would take it off my hands.
I also have several chargers somewhere around here for Canon Elph cameras that I no longer use.
In other words, I am basically drowning in chargers.

I wish people would stop complaining about not getting a charger with the K-3iii.

Most likely, someone who purchased a K-3iii already owned an appropriate charger that came with a previous camera and doesn’t need yet another one. I have also seen zero real evidence that there is any issue with charging a battery in the appropriate camera; Pentax has many smart engineers.

[mikesbike]

Yep, for those who have previous cameras they intend to keep that use the same battery (not upgrading from a camera using a smaller battery), this problem is already solved- for themselves, as it is for me. I include the charger if I am giving away or selling one of my old cameras, as it was furnished to me. But I am keeping my K-5 IIs, and my K-1 II comes with a charger also. I leave one at home, and have the other kept in my suitcase, ready for travel. I was thinking of others not having this advantage. The information given in the thread and in previous ones by photogem, has me wondering how often new purchasers of the K-3 III, so upgrading, would unwittingly buy a substandard charger for their new camera. Previous threads addressing this issue were full of advice saying it's no big deal, because off-brand chargers are just as good, and are available for cheap prices. So why would they not do so?

I am not not saying there is any issue with charging a battery in the camera, and yes, Pentax does have many smart engineers. But in the way I do things, having the charger is certainly more convenient and efficient. I don't think I am alone in this.

The advice and information photogem has provided regarding batteries and chargers have been an eye-opener for me, even for my own usage.

[reh321]

Yep, for those who have previous cameras they intend to keep that use the same battery (not upgrading from a camera using a smaller battery), this problem is already solved- for themselves, as it is for me. I include the charger if I am giving away or selling one of my old cameras, as it was furnished to me. But I am keeping my K-5 IIs, and my K-1 II comes with a charger also. I leave one at home, and have the other kept in my suitcase, ready for travel. I was thinking of others not having this advantage. The information given in the thread and in previous ones by photogem, has me wondering how often new purchasers of the K-3 III, so upgrading, would unwittingly buy a substandard charger for their new camera. Previous threads addressing this issue were full of advice saying it's no big deal, because off-brand chargers are just as good, and are available for cheap prices. So why would they not do so?

I am not not saying there is any issue with charging a battery in the camera, and yes, Pentax does have many smart engineers. But in the way I do things, having the charger is certainly more convenient and efficient. I don't think I am alone in this.

The advice and information photogem has provided regarding batteries and chargers have been an eye-opener for me, even for my own usage.

I have several non-OEM chargers and will continue to use them as before.
I recharge batteries I have used during the week - except when traveling, when I recharge them every night.
This means I handle them at least once per week - I have found several swollen “Q” batteries …. after charging but before used.

I have not sold any cameras, but if I did I would include a charger only if it were an extra.
I figure the purchaser can fend for her/him self according to his/her sensitivities.

[Rondec]

I would probably get the adapter and use Eneloops.

My experience with third party batteries is mildly negative. They are decent initially, but seemed to gradually lose the ability to hold a charge after a few years, whereas the Pentax batteries seemed to keep on going without problem. The other time I noticed an issue was in cold weather, where the third party batteries seemed to lose their charge much quicker in sub-freezing weather.

I think the bigger issue tends to be with newer cameras that have video and higher energy requirements. The K-1 and K-3 III tend to have issues if the batteries are suboptimal.

[photogem]

I wish people would stop complaining about not getting a charger with the K-3iii.

Most likely, someone who purchased a K-3iii already owned an appropriate charger that came with a previous camera and doesn’t need yet another one. I have also seen zero real evidence that there is any issue with charging a battery in the appropriate camera; Pentax has many smart engineers.

Probably the K3iii would be more expensive, if it came with a seperate charger.

And yet, "in-camera-charging" will evidently always put some more stress through the camera and demands a more complex circuit than if the camera just has to see and measure charge-status of the battery.
Also connectors, though much better than in early days, can go wrong.


If the K3iii would have no "in-camera-charging" it could maybe be smaller, lighter or... have a tilted-LCD instead.

But... it is how it is, Ricoh has chose to sell it without external charger and thus those having an old D-BC90 are in a better position, even better of than if they buy the new D-BC which is a fast-charger and thus puts more stress onto the (new) D-LI90 (which has 4 contacts for security)


Also not to forget: This is a thread about a "bulging" D-LI109 and not the D-LI90 and its charger.

[The Jannie]

As Rondec wrote - buy a battery holder and use Eneloop AAs. I'm convinced that the lack of power from box batteries is an important cause of the endemic problems with the later bodies and their cheap fragile solenoids.