*ist D Suddenly Dies ... Advice?

**tomwil** · 10-27-2010, 07:31 AM

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.

According to this auction:

Quote:

The camera was working fine, but no longer powers on. It was taken to a repair shop and I was told that a sensor in the camera that detects battery power is malfunctioning. Therefore, the camera does not fully power on. Sometimes the power turns on for a brief moment and other times it does nothing.

kales · 10-27-2010, 08:48 AM

*istD was a great camera. Your copy died just on time for you to get a K5 or Kr

Dubesor · 10-27-2010, 09:09 AM

I have to say the K5 and Kr suggestions are not all that helpful. Of course we would if we could, but we're on a pretty tight budget here. Even my K-x (bought last year) was a big investment.

r0ckstarr · 10-27-2010, 09:38 AM

Is the battery door closing properly?
Have you tried powering on with the lens off of the camera?

I also suggest taking the clock battery out and trying it. It's worth a shot.

bobell69 · 10-27-2010, 09:59 AM

If you can't fix it and your girlfriend really likes the camera., you may want to check out used Vancouver or Craigslist for used ones. They show up all the time and you should be able to get a decent one for a good price.

Dubesor · 10-27-2010, 11:07 AM

Originally posted by r0ckstarr

Is the battery door closing properly?

Yup.

Quote:

Have you tried powering on with the lens off of the camera?

Yes, same problem.

Quote:

I also suggest taking the clock battery out and trying it. It's worth a shot.

Tried it, same problem.

**Lowell Goudge** · 10-27-2010, 12:30 PM

It could be that you have one dead cell in your batteries.

MY *istD will occasionally appear dead with "fresh" recharged batteries becaus eone or more rechargeables is truely dead, yet show up as charged in the charger when left overnight.

contacts and clock battery are other good ideas

forensicscientist · 10-27-2010, 12:58 PM

Is this a D or DS?? D has a coin battery on bottom plate...DS does not.

If its a DS, then yes, the problem you describe has been mentioned on this board by others. As I recall, Pentax service has been the answer. You might try an external power supply and see if that powers camera on or not.

Dubesor · 10-27-2010, 09:30 PM

Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

It could be that you have one dead cell in your batteries.

we ruled that out after using 3 separate sets of eneloops, some pretty much brand new.

Originally posted by forensicscientist

Is this a D or DS?? D has a coin battery on bottom plate...DS does not.

It is *ist D with the coin battery, not DS.

Quote:

You might try an external power supply and see if that powers camera on or not.

I've thought of that, I wonder where I can find one that fits.

Dubesor · 10-29-2010, 06:15 PM

a nice surprise - it just turned on and worked today. magic!

Steve Beswick · 10-30-2010, 12:58 AM

Originally posted by Dubesor

a nice surprise - it just turned on and worked today. magic!

Yea! It's like Apple magic - you know - It just works, most of the time.

JeffJS · 10-30-2010, 01:14 AM

Originally posted by Dubesor

a nice surprise - it just turned on and worked today. magic!

Good news! But, there has to be a reason it died to begin with. If it happens again, have your GF try to recount Everything that happened prior.. As to fixing it at a repair shop, my bet is you can replace it with another camera for same or less. In the meantime though, hope she enjoys it for a long time. Show us the world through her eyes if she's is so inclined.

normhead · 10-30-2010, 08:35 AM

I have to agree. I know the guys at Pentax in Toronto and they are great guys, but, fixing a camera is expensive. When I bought my original *ist from Henries, I bought the additional warranty. And low and behold 18 months after I bought it, it's exposure chip died. Henrys told me it cost over 700 to repair. The thing is, at that point I could have bought a K100D for $550, which I ended up doing anyway, because I hate being without a camera, So I ended up wondering why they didn't just give me a new camera. I originally paid $1200 for my *ist.

If you lived closer I'd be happy to sell you my K 100D for cheaper than you could ever get a repair done. Second hand is always a great option. ANyway, it brings to mind a story from may days in the 60's taking Photography at Ryerson Polytech. The question asked by one of my first year contempories was "what's the difference between good camera and an expensive one?" The answer " Expensive ones cost more to repair." My girl friend does most of her work with a 12 MP waterproof /shockproof Pentax Optio WP9. Every now and then she calls me over with my K-20D because a shot she's trying to take needs more control of DoF or more exposure over ride, but 95% of the time she gets great shots from the point and shoot without the hassle of lens changes, dust spots on images etc.

The quality of this little camera is amazing. And we blow up the images to 13x19 with no noticeable loss of image quality. If there's one thing I've noticed, it's she gets way more images on an outing than I do. I spend so much time changing lenses etc. And often, the images we end up liking are shots that she took on a lark, just to see what might happen. SHots I wouldn't have taken the time, setting up the tripod, getting the right lens etc. because it would just be too much hassle for a shot I'm not sure is worth it.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Pentax ist-DS upgrade advice	chard0119	Pentax DSLR Discussion	2	01-09-2010 10:44 AM
B&W: Suddenly it's 1964!	ismaelg	Post Your Photos!	2	07-17-2009 03:43 PM
Need Purchase Advice on *ist DL	thrillerb	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	23	03-09-2009 09:35 PM
Advice on buy: Refurb k100d or ist-dl?	metroeloise	Pentax DSLR Discussion	7	01-06-2009 02:37 PM
repair advice inquiry - front focus on *ist DS	q10	Pentax DSLR Discussion	5	03-08-2008 04:43 PM

10-27-2010, 07:31 AM	#16
tomwil Site Supporter Join Date: May 2009 Location: Maryland USA Posts: 778	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. According to this auction: Quote: The camera was working fine, but no longer powers on. It was taken to a repair shop and I was told that a sensor in the camera that detects battery power is malfunctioning. Therefore, the camera does not fully power on. Sometimes the power turns on for a brief moment and other times it does nothing.

10-27-2010, 08:48 AM	#17
kales Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Pluto Posts: 75	*istD was a great camera. Your copy died just on time for you to get a K5 or Kr

10-27-2010, 09:09 AM	#18
Dubesor Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 336 Original Poster	I have to say the K5 and Kr suggestions are not all that helpful. Of course we would if we could, but we're on a pretty tight budget here. Even my K-x (bought last year) was a big investment.

10-27-2010, 09:38 AM	#19
r0ckstarr Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,507	Is the battery door closing properly? Have you tried powering on with the lens off of the camera? I also suggest taking the clock battery out and trying it. It's worth a shot.

10-27-2010, 09:59 AM	#20
bobell69 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Courtenay BC Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 498	If you can't fix it and your girlfriend really likes the camera., you may want to check out used Vancouver or Craigslist for used ones. They show up all the time and you should be able to get a decent one for a good price.

10-27-2010, 11:07 AM	#21
Dubesor Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 336 Original Poster	Originally posted by r0ckstarr Is the battery door closing properly? Yup. Quote: Have you tried powering on with the lens off of the camera? Yes, same problem. Quote: I also suggest taking the clock battery out and trying it. It's worth a shot. Tried it, same problem.

10-27-2010, 12:30 PM	#22
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,891	It could be that you have one dead cell in your batteries. MY *istD will occasionally appear dead with "fresh" recharged batteries becaus eone or more rechargeables is truely dead, yet show up as charged in the charger when left overnight. contacts and clock battery are other good ideas

10-27-2010, 12:58 PM	#23
forensicscientist Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: DFW Texas and Michigan - I commute :) Posts: 1,012	Is this a D or DS?? D has a coin battery on bottom plate...DS does not. If its a DS, then yes, the problem you describe has been mentioned on this board by others. As I recall, Pentax service has been the answer. You might try an external power supply and see if that powers camera on or not.

10-27-2010, 09:30 PM	#24
Dubesor Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 336 Original Poster	Originally posted by Lowell Goudge It could be that you have one dead cell in your batteries. we ruled that out after using 3 separate sets of eneloops, some pretty much brand new. Originally posted by forensicscientist Is this a D or DS?? D has a coin battery on bottom plate...DS does not. It is *ist D with the coin battery, not DS. Quote: You might try an external power supply and see if that powers camera on or not. I've thought of that, I wonder where I can find one that fits.

10-29-2010, 06:15 PM	#25
Dubesor Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 336 Original Poster	a nice surprise - it just turned on and worked today. magic!

10-30-2010, 12:58 AM	#26
Steve Beswick Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ontario, California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,736	Originally posted by Dubesor a nice surprise - it just turned on and worked today. magic! Yea! It's like Apple magic - you know - It just works, most of the time.

10-30-2010, 01:14 AM	#27
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	Originally posted by Dubesor a nice surprise - it just turned on and worked today. magic! Good news! But, there has to be a reason it died to begin with. If it happens again, have your GF try to recount Everything that happened prior.. As to fixing it at a repair shop, my bet is you can replace it with another camera for same or less. In the meantime though, hope she enjoys it for a long time. Show us the world through her eyes if she's is so inclined.

10-30-2010, 08:35 AM	#28
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	I have to agree. I know the guys at Pentax in Toronto and they are great guys, but, fixing a camera is expensive. When I bought my original ist from Henries, I bought the additional warranty. And low and behold 18 months after I bought it, it's exposure chip died. Henrys told me it cost over 700 to repair. The thing is, at that point I could have bought a K100D for $550, which I ended up doing anyway, because I hate being without a camera, So I ended up wondering why they didn't just give me a new camera. I originally paid $1200 for my ist. If you lived closer I'd be happy to sell you my K 100D for cheaper than you could ever get a repair done. Second hand is always a great option. ANyway, it brings to mind a story from may days in the 60's taking Photography at Ryerson Polytech. The question asked by one of my first year contempories was "what's the difference between good camera and an expensive one?" The answer " Expensive ones cost more to repair." My girl friend does most of her work with a 12 MP waterproof /shockproof Pentax Optio WP9. Every now and then she calls me over with my K-20D because a shot she's trying to take needs more control of DoF or more exposure over ride, but 95% of the time she gets great shots from the point and shoot without the hassle of lens changes, dust spots on images etc. The quality of this little camera is amazing. And we blow up the images to 13x19 with no noticeable loss of image quality. If there's one thing I've noticed, it's she gets way more images on an outing than I do. I spend so much time changing lenses etc. And often, the images we end up liking are shots that she took on a lark, just to see what might happen. SHots I wouldn't have taken the time, setting up the tripod, getting the right lens etc. because it would just be too much hassle for a shot I'm not sure is worth it.