Alternative K10D batteries

davekimber · 08-20-2007, 05:42 AM

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Ok so I have the K10d, SMC 18-55mm lens, Sigma DG 28-300mm Lens, Sigma APO 400mm Lens,and have just ordered the Bigma and Now I have the Grip

The Pentax batteries seem to be very expensive so are there any alternatives that give good results without killing your camera??

Dave

**rprii** · 08-20-2007, 05:59 AM

I use these . . . Konica Minolta | NP-400 Lithium-Ion Battery (7.4v | 8699X001 |

Only 1500 mAh instead of 1700 mAh, so, theoretically, they will not hold a charge quite as long . . . but, considering you can get around 700-800 shots per charge, it is hard to tell the difference. Both are the same voltage . . . 7.4v and that is the critical factor.

vinzer · 08-20-2007, 06:01 AM

You could still buy Minolta NP400 aftermarket batteries for your K10D. It's the same battery, anyway. I'm not too sure, though, which sellers are the better ones. But I reckon if you buy through B&H or Adorama, you can't go wrong, even if it's a generic battery.

macdaddy · 08-20-2007, 06:06 AM

I'm using the ones Paul (rprii) referenced above and have for 4 months without any problems. Bought them from Amazon and just recently did a photo ID shoot for our local school system, taking over 650 photos on ONE battery without re-charging it, so they work very well. Look around for their specials or check Amazon, though. I bought a 2 battery kit with charger and an added sensor cleaning kit for about $20 US!
Rob W

ivoire · 08-20-2007, 06:47 AM

the np400 for minolta works fine. get them here for $12.50

Konica Minolta NP-400 Lithium-Ion Battery for Minolta DiMAGE A1 Digital Camera

stewart_photo · 08-20-2007, 07:31 AM

Originally posted by davekimber

The Pentax batteries seem to be very expensive so are there any alternatives that give good results without killing your camera??

Since your entire system (camera, lenses, etc) is fairly useless without a functioning battery, is this really a good area to be cutting corners? The stock battery is not that expensive ($50), especially compared to the other items you're purchased for your system...

Pentax | D-LI50 Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery | 39581 | B&H Photo

Regardless, if you truly insist on using another battery, I've had good experiences with this one ($20)...

Impact | DL150 Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery (7.4v, | DL150 |

I purchased two of these for an older Konica-Minolta camera (Maxxum 7D), but have used them a couple of times in the Pentax K10D after forgetting to charge it's regular batteries. Unlike the reviewer on the B&H site, I've had mine for well over a year and a half (dozens of charges), without any problems whatsoever.

By the way (since others mentioned them), there are reasons why the Konica-Minolta batteries are so inexpensive. They haven't been manufacturered for some time now, have been sitting on store shelves since, are unsupported by a company now out of the photo business, and (at 1500 mAh) under-powered compared to batteries manufacturered today.

stewart

davekimber · 08-20-2007, 08:01 AM

Many thanks for all the advice regarding these batteries, In the UK the genuine Pentax batteries are priced at £50 to £75 approx $100 to $150 US.

The grip is Approx £200 ($400US) can be purchased cheaper I got mine for £99 ($200US) My Sigma DG50-500 was a whopping £750 ($1400US).

It may be shaving corners to get a cheaper battery but I have plain run out of cash!!!

I am on Safari in Africa from the end of the week so a second battery of any sort would be better than none

I have seen some inov8 batteries at £19 ($38US) running the higher voltages so may purchase one until I can afford a genuine one.

Dave

**rprii** · 08-20-2007, 08:22 AM

Originally posted by davekimber

Many thanks for all the advice regarding these batteries, In the UK the genuine Pentax batteries are priced at £50 to £75 approx $100 to $150 US.

The grip is Approx £200 ($400US) can be purchased cheaper I got mine for £99 ($200US) My Sigma DG50-500 was a whopping £750 ($1400US).

It may be shaving corners to get a cheaper battery but I have plain run out of cash!!!

I am on Safari in Africa from the end of the week so a second battery of any sort would be better than none

I have seen some inov8 batteries at £19 ($38US) running the higher voltages so may purchase one until I can afford a genuine one.

Dave

Dave:
Please note . . . the "voltage" (7.4v) is the same for all of these batteries the mAh (millAmpHours) is the difference. Yes, a battery with 1500 mAh will, theoretically, provide fewer shots. The difference in mAh does not indicate that the battery is under powered (a function of the voltage), it simply does not hold it's charge as long. But, again, when we are talking about 700-800 shots, is there a real big difference?

Further, if you do see a battery with a voltage other than 7.4v, I would advise that you not get it since the difference in voltage could damage your camera . . .

You want a battery that delivers 7.4v . . . no more, no less.

I have been using the Minolta batteries since I got my K10D (last November) and have not experienced any problems . . . several other responders have also indicated the same experience.

Hope this helps.

davekimber · 08-20-2007, 08:30 AM

Thanks Paul I realised my mistake when I looked back at post.

Dave

simonkit · 08-20-2007, 09:48 AM

Hi,

I'm not 100% sure if the Samsung battery is the same as the Pentax but just bought an original GX-10 (K10D) replacement from Amazon for a reasonable price..

Amazon.co.uk: Samsung SLB-1674 Lithium Ion Battery For Samsung GX10 SLR: Electronics & Photo

bymy141 · 08-20-2007, 11:22 AM

Here in Europe they sell Hähnel replicas for half the price of a Pentax battery. They can contain 1500mAh instead of 1650mAh. So I bought 2 of those for my safari. I've not been able to tell the difference. Battery life is very depending upon the early battery training. You should try and cycle a few charge/depletion cycles right after first use.
Unfortunatly there is no way to indicate a full / empty state with these batteries. Anyone listening at Pentax? Just a small slider would be nice to have.

Bert

stewart_photo · 08-20-2007, 03:59 PM

Originally posted by rprii

The difference in mAh does not indicate that the battery is under powered (a function of the voltage), it simply does not hold it's charge as long.

Obviously true. It is indeed a function of voltage if you're refering to "power" as an electrical term. However, since I preceeded that word with the mAh rating, that was clearly not the reference intended. Instead, I was using the common definition to describe a battery with insufficient storage capacity as being under-powered for the task at hand (in my message, the task at hand was a comparison of storage capacity with batteries manufacturered today).

Quote:

I have been using the Minolta batteries since I got my K10D (last November) and have not experienced any problems . . . several other responders have also indicated the same experience.

And how much longer is that going to remain true for those aging batteries? All batteries have a maximum shelf storage life and a maximum overall life. These batteries, discontinued long ago, have got to be quickly approaching one or both of those.

stewart

**ebooks4pentax** · 08-21-2007, 12:09 AM

There is a camera store in New York that sell a two pack battery with charger for only $55.55 U.S The company is Cameta Camera. I am not affiliated with them, but did buy the batteries and it is working very well. They sell from Ebay and also at their store in New York, I believe.
D-LI50 Batteries+Charger for Pentax K10D Digital Camera - (eBay item 160149628316 end time Aug-30-07 20:00:37 PDT)

pentaxbling · 08-21-2007, 12:46 AM

I got a generic 7.4V 1750mAh battery online for 10 bucks that works great, I charged it with the factory pentax charger and have had no problems. Do a search for D-LI50 replacment battery...

Power101.com Special : $2.01 Pentax K10D NP-400 Camera battery has a 1500mAh one for 2.01 and $6.91 shipping... cant beat that!

davekimber · 08-21-2007, 10:05 AM

Hi I found some today from this company in UK Digi-Quick.co.uk, AA Batteries, Battery Chargers, Camcorder Batteries, Camera Batteries, iPod Chargers

Only £10.99 each with free delivery. ordered at 11am today got e-mail at 1pm telling me they have been shipped and should have them tomorrow.

Thanks for all the info guys.

Dave

08-20-2007, 05:42 AM	#1
davekimber Forum Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Camberley Surrey Photos: Gallery Posts: 53	Alternative K10D batteries 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. Ok so I have the K10d, SMC 18-55mm lens, Sigma DG 28-300mm Lens, Sigma APO 400mm Lens,and have just ordered the Bigma and Now I have the Grip The Pentax batteries seem to be very expensive so are there any alternatives that give good results without killing your camera?? Dave

08-20-2007, 05:59 AM	#2
rprii Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 178	B&H for 9.95 I use these . . . Konica Minolta \| NP-400 Lithium-Ion Battery (7.4v \| 8699X001 \| Only 1500 mAh instead of 1700 mAh, so, theoretically, they will not hold a charge quite as long . . . but, considering you can get around 700-800 shots per charge, it is hard to tell the difference. Both are the same voltage . . . 7.4v and that is the critical factor.

08-20-2007, 08:22 AM	#8
rprii Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 178	Voltage vs mAh Originally posted by davekimber Many thanks for all the advice regarding these batteries, In the UK the genuine Pentax batteries are priced at £50 to £75 approx $100 to $150 US. The grip is Approx £200 ($400US) can be purchased cheaper I got mine for £99 ($200US) My Sigma DG50-500 was a whopping £750 ($1400US). It may be shaving corners to get a cheaper battery but I have plain run out of cash!!! I am on Safari in Africa from the end of the week so a second battery of any sort would be better than none I have seen some inov8 batteries at £19 ($38US) running the higher voltages so may purchase one until I can afford a genuine one. Dave Dave: Please note . . . the "voltage" (7.4v) is the same for all of these batteries the mAh (millAmpHours) is the difference. Yes, a battery with 1500 mAh will, theoretically, provide fewer shots. The difference in mAh does not indicate that the battery is under powered (a function of the voltage), it simply does not hold it's charge as long. But, again, when we are talking about 700-800 shots, is there a real big difference? Further, if you do see a battery with a voltage other than 7.4v, I would advise that you not get it since the difference in voltage could damage your camera . . . You want a battery that delivers 7.4v . . . no more, no less. I have been using the Minolta batteries since I got my K10D (last November) and have not experienced any problems . . . several other responders have also indicated the same experience. Hope this helps.

08-21-2007, 12:46 AM	#14
pentaxbling Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 141	I got a generic 7.4V 1750mAh battery online for 10 bucks that works great, I charged it with the factory pentax charger and have had no problems. Do a search for D-LI50 replacment battery... Power101.com Special : $2.01 Pentax K10D NP-400 Camera battery has a 1500mAh one for 2.01 and $6.91 shipping... cant beat that! Last edited by pentaxbling; 08-21-2007 at 12:53 AM.

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08-20-2007, 06:01 AM	#3
vinzer Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Philippines Posts: 1,399	You could still buy Minolta NP400 aftermarket batteries for your K10D. It's the same battery, anyway. I'm not too sure, though, which sellers are the better ones. But I reckon if you buy through B&H or Adorama, you can't go wrong, even if it's a generic battery.

08-20-2007, 06:06 AM	#4
macdaddy Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dahlonega, GA Photos: Gallery Posts: 141	I'm using the ones Paul (rprii) referenced above and have for 4 months without any problems. Bought them from Amazon and just recently did a photo ID shoot for our local school system, taking over 650 photos on ONE battery without re-charging it, so they work very well. Look around for their specials or check Amazon, though. I bought a 2 battery kit with charger and an added sensor cleaning kit for about $20 US! Rob W

08-20-2007, 06:47 AM	#5
ivoire Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,381	the np400 for minolta works fine. get them here for $12.50 Konica Minolta NP-400 Lithium-Ion Battery for Minolta DiMAGE A1 Digital Camera

08-20-2007, 07:31 AM	#6
stewart_photo Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Posts: 1,864	Originally posted by davekimber The Pentax batteries seem to be very expensive so are there any alternatives that give good results without killing your camera?? Since your entire system (camera, lenses, etc) is fairly useless without a functioning battery, is this really a good area to be cutting corners? The stock battery is not that expensive ($50), especially compared to the other items you're purchased for your system... Pentax \| D-LI50 Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery \| 39581 \| B&H Photo Regardless, if you truly insist on using another battery, I've had good experiences with this one ($20)... Impact \| DL150 Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery (7.4v, \| DL150 \| I purchased two of these for an older Konica-Minolta camera (Maxxum 7D), but have used them a couple of times in the Pentax K10D after forgetting to charge it's regular batteries. Unlike the reviewer on the B&H site, I've had mine for well over a year and a half (dozens of charges), without any problems whatsoever. By the way (since others mentioned them), there are reasons why the Konica-Minolta batteries are so inexpensive. They haven't been manufacturered for some time now, have been sitting on store shelves since, are unsupported by a company now out of the photo business, and (at 1500 mAh) under-powered compared to batteries manufacturered today. stewart

08-20-2007, 08:01 AM	#7
davekimber Forum Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Camberley Surrey Photos: Gallery Posts: 53 Original Poster	Many thanks for all the advice regarding these batteries, In the UK the genuine Pentax batteries are priced at £50 to £75 approx $100 to $150 US. The grip is Approx £200 ($400US) can be purchased cheaper I got mine for £99 ($200US) My Sigma DG50-500 was a whopping £750 ($1400US). It may be shaving corners to get a cheaper battery but I have plain run out of cash!!! I am on Safari in Africa from the end of the week so a second battery of any sort would be better than none I have seen some inov8 batteries at £19 ($38US) running the higher voltages so may purchase one until I can afford a genuine one. Dave

08-20-2007, 08:30 AM	#9
davekimber Forum Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Camberley Surrey Photos: Gallery Posts: 53 Original Poster	Thanks Paul I realised my mistake when I looked back at post. Dave

08-20-2007, 09:48 AM	#10
simonkit Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: North Wales, UK Posts: 645	Hi, I'm not 100% sure if the Samsung battery is the same as the Pentax but just bought an original GX-10 (K10D) replacement from Amazon for a reasonable price.. Amazon.co.uk: Samsung SLB-1674 Lithium Ion Battery For Samsung GX10 SLR: Electronics & Photo

08-20-2007, 11:22 AM	#11
bymy141 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,563	Here in Europe they sell Hähnel replicas for half the price of a Pentax battery. They can contain 1500mAh instead of 1650mAh. So I bought 2 of those for my safari. I've not been able to tell the difference. Battery life is very depending upon the early battery training. You should try and cycle a few charge/depletion cycles right after first use. Unfortunatly there is no way to indicate a full / empty state with these batteries. Anyone listening at Pentax? Just a small slider would be nice to have. Bert

08-20-2007, 03:59 PM	#12
stewart_photo Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Posts: 1,864	Originally posted by rprii The difference in mAh does not indicate that the battery is under powered (a function of the voltage), it simply does not hold it's charge as long. Obviously true. It is indeed a function of voltage if you're refering to "power" as an electrical term. However, since I preceeded that word with the mAh rating, that was clearly not the reference intended. Instead, I was using the common definition to describe a battery with insufficient storage capacity as being under-powered for the task at hand (in my message, the task at hand was a comparison of storage capacity with batteries manufacturered today). Quote: I have been using the Minolta batteries since I got my K10D (last November) and have not experienced any problems . . . several other responders have also indicated the same experience. And how much longer is that going to remain true for those aging batteries? All batteries have a maximum shelf storage life and a maximum overall life. These batteries, discontinued long ago, have got to be quickly approaching one or both of those. stewart

08-21-2007, 12:09 AM	#13
ebooks4pentax Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: California, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 464	There is a camera store in New York that sell a two pack battery with charger for only $55.55 U.S The company is Cameta Camera. I am not affiliated with them, but did buy the batteries and it is working very well. They sell from Ebay and also at their store in New York, I believe. D-LI50 Batteries+Charger for Pentax K10D Digital Camera - (eBay item 160149628316 end time Aug-30-07 20:00:37 PDT)

08-21-2007, 10:05 AM	#15
davekimber Forum Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Camberley Surrey Photos: Gallery Posts: 53 Original Poster	Hi I found some today from this company in UK Digi-Quick.co.uk, AA Batteries, Battery Chargers, Camcorder Batteries, Camera Batteries, iPod Chargers Only £10.99 each with free delivery. ordered at 11am today got e-mail at 1pm telling me they have been shipped and should have them tomorrow. Thanks for all the info guys. Dave