K10D Battery Troubleshooting

celdr · 03-02-2023, 12:05 PM

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Hi everyone,

I recently purchased a K10D, but seems to be having issues with the battery/charger.

It came with one original battery and one Wasabi, with a wasabi charger. The camera turns on with original one, and does not with the wasabi.

When the camera turns on, it stays on for maybe a minute (I was able to take a picture and confirm the shutter count), then displays battery depleted. When the battery is inserted, the battery indicator shows full battery, then drops to have, then empty during that time.

For the charger, when charging the light turns red, and when complete it turns green. I’m leaning towards the charger being the problem as with no battery connected the charger light is green. When either battery is connected, the light remains green. I let the wasabi battery sit on the charger overnight (light green entire time), and still nothing when trying it.

I think the camera set for awhile and now the internal battery is also depleted as it ask for the time to be set every time I change the battery.

I was able to check the firmware and it is still on V1.00.

Does this sound like a battery issue? Or possibly something with the camera itself and ask to return the camera? Any other troubleshooting ideas?

Not a Number · 03-02-2023, 12:31 PM - **1 Like**

Do you have the original Pentax battery charger? Try charging the Pentax battery with the Pentax charger. It could be the both the batteries are bad and just won't hold a charge. How long does it take to fully charge a battery? It shouldn't take more the two hours. Taking significantly longer or shorter (4+ hours or 30 min or less) is a sure sign the batteries are bad. If the batteries get very hot is a bad sign as well.

celdr · 03-02-2023, 12:45 PM

Thanks for the reply!

I do not have the original charger. With the light always remaining green (never red for charging), it seems that the Wasabi charger either doesn’t see when the battery is connected, there’s an issue with the batteries (perhaps chargers sees correct voltage), or they are charged, and something is wrong with the camera.

The battery was still at room temperature this morning after removing it from the charger (guessing no charging took place).

**AstroDave** · 03-02-2023, 02:09 PM - **3 Likes**

That camera could be as much as 16 or 17 years old. Depending on how much the batteries that you have were used, they may be at the end of useful life.

Do you have a voltmeter? A fully-charged battery should read around 8.3 - 8.4 volts. A fully discharged battery will be down to about 6 volts. I'm not sure about the Wasabi charger - if it does not depend on sensing that a battery is inserted, so that it turns on, it should be putting out 8.4 volts or more.

celdr · 03-02-2023, 03:08 PM - **1 Like**

The original is showing 7V almost exactly and 0V out of the Wasabi NP-400 (which explains why the camera does nothing with that battery).

**AstroDave** · 03-02-2023, 04:57 PM

Originally posted by celdr

The original is showing 7V almost exactly and 0V out of the Wasabi NP-400 (which explains why the camera does nothing with that battery).

I'm not sure how far down the battery can go for the camera to still function. I'll try my K-3 with a battery at 7 volts. If you mean the Wasabi battery (as opposed to the charger; the NP-400 does appear to be their battery number) - 0 volts ain't so good

.

**ramseybuckeye** · 03-02-2023, 05:32 PM

I think it's time for new batteries. The batteries are the most likely culprit, unless you know you have good batteries you really can't test much else. What is the date on your Pentax battery?

Robot camera · 03-02-2023, 05:35 PM

It's the battery. New aftermarket ones are still available on Amazon here in England, so you should still be able to get a replacement. They seem to be mostly sold in pairs, for about £16. Often they come with a charger, but for more than £16. Seems like your best bet; at worse you'll just have a spare charger. I found with my K20D that if you leave a charged battery in it for a few days the internal battery will be charged up and you won't lose your date and time. My K20D has it's original Pentax battery from 2009, which still holds its charge well.

By the way, NP400 is the number for this battery when specified for certain Konica-Minolta cameras.

**photogem** · 03-02-2023, 10:53 PM

As it was mentioned by the others, the age of the K10D brings a good chance, that the batteries are finished.
The Wasabi-charger is a cheap China made clone which charges rapidly and thus ages the batteries much more than with the orig. D BC50.

The symptoms are typical for the end of the D-LI50 and death of the Wasabi battery

By the way, all batteries for the Sigma SD series (SD14, 15 etc.) fit as well

The original Pentax or Sigma were the best.

Robot camera · 03-03-2023, 01:57 PM

Originally posted by photogem

As it was mentioned by the others, the age of the K10D brings a good chance, that the batteries are finished.
The Wasabi-charger is a cheap China made clone which charges rapidly and thus ages the batteries much more than with the orig. D BC50.

I didn't know that about those chargers. But I've been using an earlier model of this Hahnel brand charger, and it has kept my original battery going for several years now. The link is to one in the UK; you will be able to look for it more easily in your own country than I can.

Not a Number · 03-03-2023, 05:23 PM

I would buy a new battery and charger and try that while you still are in the return window timeframe. If that works it eliminates the camera as the problem. After charging the old batteries on the new charger would eliminate either the old batteries or the old charger as the problem. Altough it wouldn't eliminate the possibility that both batteries and the charger a bad. For that you'd have to charge the new battery on the old charger. The downside with that is a defective charger could possibly damage the battery.

**photogem** · 03-03-2023, 11:36 PM

Originally posted by Robot camera

I didn't know that about those chargers. But I've been using an earlier model of this Hahnel brand charger, and it has kept my original battery going for several years now. The link is to one in the UK; you will be able to look for it more easily in your own country than I can.

I don't know this charger but the Haenel charger for the D-LI90 (D-PL90) is a fast charger as well and just 2 pins.
If you have now 2 chargers, then just a new battery is the way to find out.

noblepa · 03-17-2023, 09:38 AM

A cheap way to find out.

Kastar Battery Wall Charger for Pentax D-Li50 & PENTAX K10D K10D K20D GP Camera | eBay

$13.49 for a charger and one battery.

There are many like that on eBay.

A similar one on Amazon.

amazon.com: Kastar 2-Pack D-Li50 Battery and LTD2 USB Charger Replacement for Pentax D-Li50 Battery, Pentax D-BC50 Charger, Pentax K10, K10D, K10D GP, K10D Grand Prix, K20D Camera : Everything Else?tag=pentaxforums-20&

angerdan · 04-14-2023, 01:34 AM

There are identical and compatible batteries/chargers:

Energizer ER-D710
Hähnel HL-KM400
Konica Minolta NP-400
Samsung SLB-1674
Sigma BP-21

Long-term availability of K20D batteries??? - PentaxForums.com

So just grab one of these (:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=(...tion=3000|1500

03-02-2023, 12:05 PM	#1
celdr New Member Join Date: Mar 2023 Posts: 3	K10D Battery Troubleshooting Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. Hi everyone, I recently purchased a K10D, but seems to be having issues with the battery/charger. It came with one original battery and one Wasabi, with a wasabi charger. The camera turns on with original one, and does not with the wasabi. When the camera turns on, it stays on for maybe a minute (I was able to take a picture and confirm the shutter count), then displays battery depleted. When the battery is inserted, the battery indicator shows full battery, then drops to have, then empty during that time. For the charger, when charging the light turns red, and when complete it turns green. I’m leaning towards the charger being the problem as with no battery connected the charger light is green. When either battery is connected, the light remains green. I let the wasabi battery sit on the charger overnight (light green entire time), and still nothing when trying it. I think the camera set for awhile and now the internal battery is also depleted as it ask for the time to be set every time I change the battery. I was able to check the firmware and it is still on V1.00. Does this sound like a battery issue? Or possibly something with the camera itself and ask to return the camera? Any other troubleshooting ideas?

03-02-2023, 05:35 PM	#8
Robot camera Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Posts: 179	It's the battery. New aftermarket ones are still available on Amazon here in England, so you should still be able to get a replacement. They seem to be mostly sold in pairs, for about £16. Often they come with a charger, but for more than £16. Seems like your best bet; at worse you'll just have a spare charger. I found with my K20D that if you leave a charged battery in it for a few days the internal battery will be charged up and you won't lose your date and time. My K20D has it's original Pentax battery from 2009, which still holds its charge well. By the way, NP400 is the number for this battery when specified for certain Konica-Minolta cameras. Last edited by Robot camera; 03-02-2023 at 05:40 PM.

03-03-2023, 05:23 PM	#11
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,381	I would buy a new battery and charger and try that while you still are in the return window timeframe. If that works it eliminates the camera as the problem. After charging the old batteries on the new charger would eliminate either the old batteries or the old charger as the problem. Altough it wouldn't eliminate the possibility that both batteries and the charger a bad. For that you'd have to charge the new battery on the old charger. The downside with that is a defective charger could possibly damage the battery. Last edited by Not a Number; 03-03-2023 at 05:29 PM.

04-14-2023, 01:34 AM	#14
angerdan Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,534	There are identical and compatible batteries/chargers: Energizer ER-D710 Hähnel HL-KM400 Konica Minolta NP-400 Samsung SLB-1674 Sigma BP-21 Long-term availability of K20D batteries??? - PentaxForums.com So just grab one of these (: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=(...tion=3000\|1500

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03-02-2023, 12:31 PM - 1 Like	#2
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,381	Do you have the original Pentax battery charger? Try charging the Pentax battery with the Pentax charger. It could be the both the batteries are bad and just won't hold a charge. How long does it take to fully charge a battery? It shouldn't take more the two hours. Taking significantly longer or shorter (4+ hours or 30 min or less) is a sure sign the batteries are bad. If the batteries get very hot is a bad sign as well.

03-02-2023, 12:45 PM	#3
celdr New Member Join Date: Mar 2023 Posts: 3 Original Poster	Thanks for the reply! I do not have the original charger. With the light always remaining green (never red for charging), it seems that the Wasabi charger either doesn’t see when the battery is connected, there’s an issue with the batteries (perhaps chargers sees correct voltage), or they are charged, and something is wrong with the camera. The battery was still at room temperature this morning after removing it from the charger (guessing no charging took place).

03-02-2023, 02:09 PM - 3 Likes	#4
AstroDave Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Location: Flagstaff, Arizona Posts: 1,542	That camera could be as much as 16 or 17 years old. Depending on how much the batteries that you have were used, they may be at the end of useful life. Do you have a voltmeter? A fully-charged battery should read around 8.3 - 8.4 volts. A fully discharged battery will be down to about 6 volts. I'm not sure about the Wasabi charger - if it does not depend on sensing that a battery is inserted, so that it turns on, it should be putting out 8.4 volts or more.

03-02-2023, 03:08 PM - 1 Like	#5
celdr New Member Join Date: Mar 2023 Posts: 3 Original Poster	The original is showing 7V almost exactly and 0V out of the Wasabi NP-400 (which explains why the camera does nothing with that battery).

03-02-2023, 04:57 PM	#6
AstroDave Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Location: Flagstaff, Arizona Posts: 1,542	Originally posted by celdr The original is showing 7V almost exactly and 0V out of the Wasabi NP-400 (which explains why the camera does nothing with that battery). I'm not sure how far down the battery can go for the camera to still function. I'll try my K-3 with a battery at 7 volts. If you mean the Wasabi battery (as opposed to the charger; the NP-400 does appear to be their battery number) - 0 volts ain't so good .

03-02-2023, 05:32 PM	#7
ramseybuckeye Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Hampstead, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,868	I think it's time for new batteries. The batteries are the most likely culprit, unless you know you have good batteries you really can't test much else. What is the date on your Pentax battery?

03-02-2023, 10:53 PM	#9
photogem Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 3,360	As it was mentioned by the others, the age of the K10D brings a good chance, that the batteries are finished. The Wasabi-charger is a cheap China made clone which charges rapidly and thus ages the batteries much more than with the orig. D BC50. The symptoms are typical for the end of the D-LI50 and death of the Wasabi battery By the way, all batteries for the Sigma SD series (SD14, 15 etc.) fit as well The original Pentax or Sigma were the best.

03-03-2023, 01:57 PM	#10
Robot camera Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Posts: 179	Originally posted by photogem As it was mentioned by the others, the age of the K10D brings a good chance, that the batteries are finished. The Wasabi-charger is a cheap China made clone which charges rapidly and thus ages the batteries much more than with the orig. D BC50. I didn't know that about those chargers. But I've been using an earlier model of this Hahnel brand charger, and it has kept my original battery going for several years now. The link is to one in the UK; you will be able to look for it more easily in your own country than I can.

03-03-2023, 11:36 PM	#12
photogem Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 3,360	Originally posted by Robot camera I didn't know that about those chargers. But I've been using an earlier model of this Hahnel brand charger, and it has kept my original battery going for several years now. The link is to one in the UK; you will be able to look for it more easily in your own country than I can. I don't know this charger but the Haenel charger for the D-LI90 (D-PL90) is a fast charger as well and just 2 pins. If you have now 2 chargers, then just a new battery is the way to find out.

03-17-2023, 09:38 AM	#13
noblepa Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bay Village, Ohio USA Posts: 1,141	A cheap way to find out. Kastar Battery Wall Charger for Pentax D-Li50 & PENTAX K10D K10D K20D GP Camera \| eBay $13.49 for a charger and one battery. There are many like that on eBay. A similar one on Amazon. amazon.com: Kastar 2-Pack D-Li50 Battery and LTD2 USB Charger Replacement for Pentax D-Li50 Battery, Pentax D-BC50 Charger, Pentax K10, K10D, K10D GP, K10D Grand Prix, K20D Camera : Everything Else?tag=pentaxforums-20&

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