645 Advice needed

trishdalton · 08-19-2022, 10:02 PM

Hi, I'm new here. I'm in Olympia Washington with a battery replacement problem. Having searched all the obvious places, I came up with naught.
I have an older 645, in which I'm trying to load fresh batteries. But the sticker/diagram in the battery holder is worn out, and that leaves about 10,000 options to try, none of which has been correct.
Is there a place where I can see the diagram, short of buying a new holder?
Thank you in advance for any direction to solve this minor but irritating problem

Unregistered User 8 · 08-19-2022, 10:10 PM - **1 Like**

Hello Trish, welcome to the forums. I have moved your thread to the Medium Format forum for a better chance of getting your issue sorted.

Please make another thread to introduce yourself.

trishdalton · 08-19-2022, 11:28 PM - **1 Like**

Thank you. Rookie mistake.

Unregistered User 8 · 08-19-2022, 11:34 PM

Most welcome, and not just rookies............

**K-Three** · 08-19-2022, 11:35 PM - **1 Like**

Do you have a manual?
Here is a scanned PDF of it,
https://www.cameramanuals.org/pentax_pdf/pentax_645.pdf
On page 6 there is an image of the holder with batteries visible. Looks like they alternate, positive and negative up, once you start, just keep following that around the holder.

tuco · 08-20-2022, 07:25 AM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by pjv

Hello Trish, welcome to the forums. I have moved your thread to the Medium Format forum ...

But you moved it to: Pentax Forum -> Digital Cameras -> Medium Format. It sounds like the OP has a film camera. There is no longer a specific medium format film section when someone rearranged the forum section catagories.

Unregistered User 8 · 08-20-2022, 07:32 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by tuco

But you moved it to: Pentax Forum -> Digital Cameras -> Medium Format. It sounds like the OP has a film camera. There is no longer a specific medium format film section when someone rearranged the forum section catagories.

Ooops...

Many thanks for noticing that, tuco. I will move it to Troubleshooting instead. See, we all make mistakes.

tuco · 08-20-2022, 07:52 AM

Originally posted by pjv

Ooops...

Many thanks for noticing that, tuco. I will move it to Troubleshooting instead. See, we all make mistakes.

It is still a good section to move it to get noticed. But someone new would likely skip over it because it is now a digital section.

texandrews · 08-20-2022, 08:42 AM

I think the Medium Format forum ought to be disassociated with digital. There's a lot of back and forth between the film users and the digital users in the medium format area.

**Alex645** · 08-20-2022, 10:10 AM

Originally posted by trishdalton

Is there a place where I can see the diagram, short of buying a new holder?

On Monday (in a couple days), Iʻll have access to my holder and can tell you exactly. In the meantime, another way of guessing is that the spring or any flexing metal contacts is usually the (-) negative side of the battery and any flat contacts are for the (+) positive side.

Do you have a volt meter or battery tester (or even a flash light that uses one or two batteries)? It is possible to short out or kill a battery if you had them mixed up going the wrong way for a certain amount of time. In other words, make sure that all your batteries are at least 1.5V, or else you could get the orientation correct but think you donʻt just because some of the batteries went bad.

trishdalton · 08-20-2022, 10:44 PM

Thank you Alex, that would be incredibly helpful. I have access to an online manual but it assumes I can read the sticker inside, and advises me to install according to the diagram. And I think that is entirely possible to have scrambled the batteries with incorrect placement. I sort of lost track of all of the combinations that I tried.

**Alex645** · 08-22-2022, 02:25 PM

Originally posted by trishdalton

Thank you Alex, that would be incredibly helpful. I have access to an online manual but it assumes I can read the sticker inside, and advises me to install according to the diagram. And I think that is entirely possible to have scrambled the batteries with incorrect placement. I sort of lost track of all of the combinations that I tried.

If you take out your battery holder, hereʻs the orientation of the AA batteries:

Back grip section of the holder is to your left; right side of the battery holder:
Battery in front on the left, + is up. Battery in front on the right, + is down. Battery hidden in the center behind, + is up.

Back grip section of the holder is to your right; left side of the battery holder:
Battery in front on the left, + is down. Battery in front on the right, + is up. Battery hidden in the center behind, + is down.

Hope that makes sense.

trishdalton · 08-23-2022, 07:40 PM

Originally posted by Alex645

If you take out your battery holder, hereʻs the orientation of the AA batteries:

Back grip section of the holder is to your left; right side of the battery holder:
Battery in front on the left, + is up. Battery in front on the right, + is down. Battery hidden in the center behind, + is up.

Back grip section of the holder is to your right; left side of the battery holder:
Battery in front on the left, + is down. Battery in front on the right, + is up. Battery hidden in the center behind, + is down.

Hope that makes sense.

Kind of, if you mean up&down relative to the spring contact, being " down "
Either way, thanks for taking the time to help.

**Alex645** · 08-24-2022, 12:21 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by trishdalton

Kind of, if you mean up&down relative to the spring contact, being " down "
Either way, thanks for taking the time to help.

The spring contact would always be the "-" negative side of the battery. Because of the age, many folks have modified or altered their battery holders such that the spring contact has been replaced with something different. I tried to describe the orientation of the battery holder relative to the correct direction of all six batteries. If I wasnʻt so lazy, I should probably post about four photos to show this.

trishdalton · 08-24-2022, 06:42 PM

Originally posted by Alex645

The spring contact would always be the "-" negative side of the battery. Because of the age, many folks have modified or altered their battery holders such that the spring contact has been replaced with something different. I tried to describe the orientation of the battery holder relative to the correct direction of all six batteries. If I wasnʻt so lazy, I should probably post about four photos to show this.

Thank you Alex, I was able to correctly load them, and upgraded to Lithium too. So we're good to go. Thanks again for taking the time to diagram it for me.

08-19-2022, 10:02 PM	#1
trishdalton New Member Join Date: Aug 2022 Posts: 6	645 Advice needed Hi, I'm new here. I'm in Olympia Washington with a battery replacement problem. Having searched all the obvious places, I came up with naught. I have an older 645, in which I'm trying to load fresh batteries. But the sticker/diagram in the battery holder is worn out, and that leaves about 10,000 options to try, none of which has been correct. Is there a place where I can see the diagram, short of buying a new holder? Thank you in advance for any direction to solve this minor but irritating problem

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Advice needed - Pentax ME Super	35mm Newbie	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	23	07-02-2021 10:10 PM
Secondary travel camera, advice needed	AlexanderS	Pentax DSLR Discussion	40	03-21-2021 06:23 AM
Advice needed	Sunburn	Pentax DSLR Discussion	9	03-10-2021 04:47 AM
Ring lamp needed: advice appreciated	jva59	Flashes, Lighting, and Studio	5	09-04-2020 08:58 PM
Shots taken my Pentax 645 and advice needed as results are not as expected	spotreunion	Pentax Medium Format	14	10-15-2013 04:20 PM

08-19-2022, 10:10 PM - 1 Like	#2
Unregistered User 8 Closed Account Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,694	Hello Trish, welcome to the forums. I have moved your thread to the Medium Format forum for a better chance of getting your issue sorted. Please make another thread to introduce yourself.

08-19-2022, 11:28 PM - 1 Like	#3
trishdalton New Member Join Date: Aug 2022 Posts: 6 Original Poster	Thank you. Rookie mistake.

08-19-2022, 11:34 PM	#4
Unregistered User 8 Closed Account Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,694	Most welcome, and not just rookies............

08-19-2022, 11:35 PM - 1 Like	#5
K-Three Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2014 Location: Pugetopolis, WA Photos: Gallery Posts: 938	Do you have a manual? Here is a scanned PDF of it, https://www.cameramanuals.org/pentax_pdf/pentax_645.pdf On page 6 there is an image of the holder with batteries visible. Looks like they alternate, positive and negative up, once you start, just keep following that around the holder.

08-20-2022, 07:25 AM - 2 Likes	#6
tuco Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pugetopolis Posts: 11,033	Originally posted by pjv Hello Trish, welcome to the forums. I have moved your thread to the Medium Format forum ... But you moved it to: Pentax Forum -> Digital Cameras -> Medium Format. It sounds like the OP has a film camera. There is no longer a specific medium format film section when someone rearranged the forum section catagories.

08-20-2022, 07:32 AM - 1 Like	#7
Unregistered User 8 Closed Account Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,694	Originally posted by tuco But you moved it to: Pentax Forum -> Digital Cameras -> Medium Format. It sounds like the OP has a film camera. There is no longer a specific medium format film section when someone rearranged the forum section catagories. Ooops... Many thanks for noticing that, tuco. I will move it to Troubleshooting instead. See, we all make mistakes.

08-20-2022, 07:52 AM	#8
tuco Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pugetopolis Posts: 11,033	Originally posted by pjv Ooops... Many thanks for noticing that, tuco. I will move it to Troubleshooting instead. See, we all make mistakes. It is still a good section to move it to get noticed. But someone new would likely skip over it because it is now a digital section.

08-20-2022, 08:42 AM	#9
texandrews Moderator Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Baltimore Photos: Albums Posts: 3,400	I think the Medium Format forum ought to be disassociated with digital. There's a lot of back and forth between the film users and the digital users in the medium format area.

08-20-2022, 10:10 AM	#10
Alex645 Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Kaneohe, HI Photos: Albums Posts: 3,527	Originally posted by trishdalton Is there a place where I can see the diagram, short of buying a new holder? On Monday (in a couple days), Iʻll have access to my holder and can tell you exactly. In the meantime, another way of guessing is that the spring or any flexing metal contacts is usually the (-) negative side of the battery and any flat contacts are for the (+) positive side. Do you have a volt meter or battery tester (or even a flash light that uses one or two batteries)? It is possible to short out or kill a battery if you had them mixed up going the wrong way for a certain amount of time. In other words, make sure that all your batteries are at least 1.5V, or else you could get the orientation correct but think you donʻt just because some of the batteries went bad.

08-20-2022, 10:44 PM	#11
trishdalton New Member Join Date: Aug 2022 Posts: 6 Original Poster	Thank you Alex, that would be incredibly helpful. I have access to an online manual but it assumes I can read the sticker inside, and advises me to install according to the diagram. And I think that is entirely possible to have scrambled the batteries with incorrect placement. I sort of lost track of all of the combinations that I tried.

08-22-2022, 02:25 PM	#12
Alex645 Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Kaneohe, HI Photos: Albums Posts: 3,527	Originally posted by trishdalton Thank you Alex, that would be incredibly helpful. I have access to an online manual but it assumes I can read the sticker inside, and advises me to install according to the diagram. And I think that is entirely possible to have scrambled the batteries with incorrect placement. I sort of lost track of all of the combinations that I tried. If you take out your battery holder, hereʻs the orientation of the AA batteries: Back grip section of the holder is to your left; right side of the battery holder: Battery in front on the left, + is up. Battery in front on the right, + is down. Battery hidden in the center behind, + is up. Back grip section of the holder is to your right; left side of the battery holder: Battery in front on the left, + is down. Battery in front on the right, + is up. Battery hidden in the center behind, + is down. Hope that makes sense.

08-23-2022, 07:40 PM	#13
trishdalton New Member Join Date: Aug 2022 Posts: 6 Original Poster	Originally posted by Alex645 If you take out your battery holder, hereʻs the orientation of the AA batteries: Back grip section of the holder is to your left; right side of the battery holder: Battery in front on the left, + is up. Battery in front on the right, + is down. Battery hidden in the center behind, + is up. Back grip section of the holder is to your right; left side of the battery holder: Battery in front on the left, + is down. Battery in front on the right, + is up. Battery hidden in the center behind, + is down. Hope that makes sense. Kind of, if you mean up&down relative to the spring contact, being " down " Either way, thanks for taking the time to help.

08-24-2022, 12:21 AM - 1 Like	#14
Alex645 Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Kaneohe, HI Photos: Albums Posts: 3,527	Originally posted by trishdalton Kind of, if you mean up&down relative to the spring contact, being " down " Either way, thanks for taking the time to help. The spring contact would always be the "-" negative side of the battery. Because of the age, many folks have modified or altered their battery holders such that the spring contact has been replaced with something different. I tried to describe the orientation of the battery holder relative to the correct direction of all six batteries. If I wasnʻt so lazy, I should probably post about four photos to show this.

08-24-2022, 06:42 PM	#15
trishdalton New Member Join Date: Aug 2022 Posts: 6 Original Poster	Originally posted by Alex645 The spring contact would always be the "-" negative side of the battery. Because of the age, many folks have modified or altered their battery holders such that the spring contact has been replaced with something different. I tried to describe the orientation of the battery holder relative to the correct direction of all six batteries. If I wasnʻt so lazy, I should probably post about four photos to show this. Thank you Alex, I was able to correctly load them, and upgraded to Lithium too. So we're good to go. Thanks again for taking the time to diagram it for me.