Off-Name Batteries

pcfranchina · 03-14-2008, 11:20 AM

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Has anyone had any experience with 3rd party batteries in a K10? I notice adorama and B&H have compatible batteries for less then half of the price of the Pentax battery.
Any opinions?

Thanks in advance!

Phil
Philip Carl Photography : NYC : real life, captured

Confused · 03-14-2008, 12:08 PM

Hi Phil

Try the following link for a ton of previous discussions about 3rd-party batteries:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/177287-post2.html

Best regards
Richard

frogger · 03-14-2008, 01:05 PM

If you want to stick to a name brand you could get the Minolta NP-400 batteries from B&H for $10 a pop last time I checked.

Geekybiker · 03-14-2008, 02:59 PM

IIRC the np400 for the minolta cameras is identical and MUCH cheaper.

deejjjaaaa · 03-14-2008, 03:40 PM

Originally posted by Geekybiker

IIRC the np400 for the minolta cameras is identical and MUCH cheaper.

at least label on NP400 states different capacity, not that it matters a lot.

dancheng · 03-15-2008, 08:09 AM

Originally posted by frogger

If you want to stick to a name brand you could get the Minolta NP-400 batteries from B&H for $10 a pop last time I checked.

I bought one last week from B&H. Still $10 each. In fact, it was $9.99 to be exact.

The pack said "Country of Origin: Japan". A great price for genuine goods. Its capacity is 1500mAh. The Pentax one that comes with my K10D has a capacity of 1620mAh. Hence a difference of 8% in capacity. For one thing, the Minolta is much cheaper. I also do not find any noticeable difference in battery run-time between the two makes.

Hope this helps!

aleonx3 · 03-15-2008, 08:27 AM

Originally posted by dancheng

I bought one last week from B&H. Still $10 each. In fact, it was $9.99 to be exact.

The pack said "Country of Origin: Japan". A great price for genuine goods. Its capacity is 1500mAh. The Pentax one that comes with my K10D has a capacity of 1620mAh. Hence a difference of 8% in capacity. For one thing, the Minolta is much cheaper. I also do not find any noticeable difference in battery run-time between the two makes.

Hope this helps!

Not sure if it helps, I bought the slight used "rated 10" NP400 from BHPhoto for $6, I can't tell any difference between the original DL-150 and the NP400. With 1500mAh vs 1620mAh, it will take slight less time to charge and also will not take as many pictures as the DL-150, but not by much though. Of course the delivery charge, if you are no living in NY, is more than the battery itself, you just have to buy more to average down the cost. Hope it helps.

Gadget_Guy · 03-15-2008, 09:18 AM

Then of course there is this sillyness:

D-LI50 NP-400 Battery for Pentax K10D K10 Digital SLR - (eBay.ca item 160217830221 end time 18-Mar-08 22:32:47 EDT)

1800mha for $4.00 and $7.00 shipping.

I am so tempted to try this.... I bought a similar "off brand" battery for my PSP and it worked perfect.

As I was typing this I did another search:

2 DLI50 Battery Pentax D-LI50 K10D K10 K10-D Camera New - (eBay.ca item 190206735778 end time 21-Mar-08 23:15:04 EDT)

YES... that is TWO batteries for $5.00 with $11.00 shipping.

D.

Stratman · 03-15-2008, 10:04 AM

I just bought my 2nd one of these : Amazon.com: NP400 NP-400 equivilant Konica Minolta 1500mAh Li-Ion Battery: Electronics
Have used the first one since I bought my K10D, and on it's initial charge, I believe I got about 500 shots out of it. Decided to get one more so if I have a really long day out shooting, I have that extra insurance in my camera bag. I seriously doubt I will ever go through 3 batteries in one day, but the old saying applies: It is better to have and not need, than to need and not have !!

falconeye · 03-17-2008, 07:09 AM

Get those 1800mAh batts for 5$.

Recently a German Photo magazine with large reach made this "official" claim for the masses: "Getting the cheap brands is no risk. So far, no cheap label was reported to have had problems like exploding LiOn etc."

And I may add: ...unlike some of the bigger brands...

I got myself a pack of five and started to use them like I used Eneloops in my DS. Same price, amazing reach

Gadget_Guy · 03-17-2008, 08:14 AM

Originally posted by falconeye

Get those 1800mAh batts for 5$.

Recently a German Photo magazine with large reach made this "official" claim for the masses: "Getting the cheap brands is no risk. So far, no cheap label was reported to have had problems like exploding LiOn etc."

And I may add: ...unlike some of the bigger brands...

I got myself a pack of five and started to use them like I used Eneloops in my DS. Same price, amazing reach

Are you serious?

I was nervous about using a battery that costs $2.50 in my precious K10D....

hmmmmm

D.

pentaxbling · 03-18-2008, 12:01 AM

There are a lot of posts about this with a lot of info if your willing to take the time
PentaxForums.com - Search Results

the best deals i have found is here
Power101.com Special : $2.01 NP-400 battery for Minolta Li-Ion 7.4V 1500mAh
$8.82 after shipping for one, shipping is less if you buy more than one... i got some from here quite a while back, no problems so far.
and here
Minolta NP400 Li-Ion Battery BRAND NEW - eBay (item 360023818435 end time Apr-14-08 00:25:46 PDT)
6.98 a pop after shipping... cant beat that!

benplaut · 03-18-2008, 12:10 AM

I got two for less than a buck apeice (can't remember where). One works great, with more shots per charge than the pentax. The other one was DOA, but shipping it back would've cost more than the price of it. I'll get another one someday, but 2 is fine for now.

NYpHoToGraphEr · 03-18-2008, 05:56 AM

Well with my k100d it's really starting to get annoying.
The rechargeable batteries are not working for more then
30 min now. There Impact batteries 2900mAh. Yesterday during
the parade they died on me not too long after it started, I had
bought 99 cent batteries earlier just in case and they didn't even
turn on.

chedoy · 03-18-2008, 07:26 AM

Originally posted by NYpHoToGraphEr

Well with my k100d it's really starting to get annoying.
The rechargeable batteries are not working for more then
30 min now. There Impact batteries 2900mAh. Yesterday during
the parade they died on me not too long after it started, I had
bought 99 cent batteries earlier just in case and they didn't even
turn on.

We're talking different battery chemistry between the K100D and K10D. For the K100d, it's either non-rechargeable lithiums AA's or CRV3's, or rechargeable niMh AA's. Two issues with rechargeable nimh's.

1) Normal NiMH's will self discharge in the camera or on the shelf, typically at 1% a day. So after 2 weeks, you might have only 80% of the original charge, so your camera runs down after 30 minutes. A solution is to buy Sanyo Eneloops. Sanyo claims these batteries can hold a charge for months. Also, their chemistry is such that they will deliver more power before the voltage drops. I had good results with Eneloops til the battery door opened and I lost them. Ray-o-vac has batteries with similar characteristics.

2) On some K100D's, the internal voltage monitor can cut off too soon. This is how the Eneloops work longer because their voltage stays up even though they may have far less than the 2900 ma of your impacts.

The K100d isn't any good with standard 99 cent Alkaline batteries. The voltage-current curve falls so quickly, you're lucky if you get a dozen shots. For emergency use, get 4 lithium AA's ($15.99 at Walgreens) or a pair of lithium CRV3's ($19.99 at Walgreens). Each has a shelf life of years and will give you over 600 shots easy in a K100D.

I wouldn't recommend rechargeable R-CRV3's in a K100D unless they are regulated. The non regulated variety can put over 8 volts into the camera and some have been fried when that happens.

03-14-2008, 11:20 AM	#1
pcfranchina Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: USA, NYC Posts: 57	Off-Name 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. Has anyone had any experience with 3rd party batteries in a K10? I notice adorama and B&H have compatible batteries for less then half of the price of the Pentax battery. Any opinions? Thanks in advance! Phil Philip Carl Photography : NYC : real life, captured

03-18-2008, 12:01 AM	#12
pentaxbling Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 141	There are a lot of posts about this with a lot of info if your willing to take the time PentaxForums.com - Search Results the best deals i have found is here Power101.com Special : $2.01 NP-400 battery for Minolta Li-Ion 7.4V 1500mAh $8.82 after shipping for one, shipping is less if you buy more than one... i got some from here quite a while back, no problems so far. and here Minolta NP400 Li-Ion Battery BRAND NEW - eBay (item 360023818435 end time Apr-14-08 00:25:46 PDT) 6.98 a pop after shipping... cant beat that! Last edited by pentaxbling; 03-18-2008 at 06:31 AM.

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03-14-2008, 12:08 PM	#2
Confused Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: London Posts: 1,067	Hi Phil Try the following link for a ton of previous discussions about 3rd-party batteries: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/177287-post2.html Best regards Richard

03-14-2008, 01:05 PM	#3
frogger Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toronto, ON, CA Posts: 162	If you want to stick to a name brand you could get the Minolta NP-400 batteries from B&H for $10 a pop last time I checked.

03-14-2008, 02:59 PM	#4
Geekybiker Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 337	IIRC the np400 for the minolta cameras is identical and MUCH cheaper.

03-14-2008, 03:40 PM	#5
deejjjaaaa Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: steel city / rust belt Posts: 2,043	Originally posted by Geekybiker IIRC the np400 for the minolta cameras is identical and MUCH cheaper. at least label on NP400 states different capacity, not that it matters a lot.

03-15-2008, 08:09 AM	#6
dancheng Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 68	Originally posted by frogger If you want to stick to a name brand you could get the Minolta NP-400 batteries from B&H for $10 a pop last time I checked. I bought one last week from B&H. Still $10 each. In fact, it was $9.99 to be exact. The pack said "Country of Origin: Japan". A great price for genuine goods. Its capacity is 1500mAh. The Pentax one that comes with my K10D has a capacity of 1620mAh. Hence a difference of 8% in capacity. For one thing, the Minolta is much cheaper. I also do not find any noticeable difference in battery run-time between the two makes. Hope this helps!

03-15-2008, 08:27 AM	#7
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	Originally posted by dancheng I bought one last week from B&H. Still $10 each. In fact, it was $9.99 to be exact. The pack said "Country of Origin: Japan". A great price for genuine goods. Its capacity is 1500mAh. The Pentax one that comes with my K10D has a capacity of 1620mAh. Hence a difference of 8% in capacity. For one thing, the Minolta is much cheaper. I also do not find any noticeable difference in battery run-time between the two makes. Hope this helps! Not sure if it helps, I bought the slight used "rated 10" NP400 from BHPhoto for $6, I can't tell any difference between the original DL-150 and the NP400. With 1500mAh vs 1620mAh, it will take slight less time to charge and also will not take as many pictures as the DL-150, but not by much though. Of course the delivery charge, if you are no living in NY, is more than the battery itself, you just have to buy more to average down the cost. Hope it helps.

03-15-2008, 09:18 AM	#8
Gadget_Guy Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Burlington, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 374	Then of course there is this sillyness: D-LI50 NP-400 Battery for Pentax K10D K10 Digital SLR - (eBay.ca item 160217830221 end time 18-Mar-08 22:32:47 EDT) 1800mha for $4.00 and $7.00 shipping. I am so tempted to try this.... I bought a similar "off brand" battery for my PSP and it worked perfect. As I was typing this I did another search: 2 DLI50 Battery Pentax D-LI50 K10D K10 K10-D Camera New - (eBay.ca item 190206735778 end time 21-Mar-08 23:15:04 EDT) YES... that is TWO batteries for $5.00 with $11.00 shipping. D.

03-15-2008, 10:04 AM	#9
Stratman Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: St Louis, Missouri U S A Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,464	I just bought my 2nd one of these : Amazon.com: NP400 NP-400 equivilant Konica Minolta 1500mAh Li-Ion Battery: Electronics Have used the first one since I bought my K10D, and on it's initial charge, I believe I got about 500 shots out of it. Decided to get one more so if I have a really long day out shooting, I have that extra insurance in my camera bag. I seriously doubt I will ever go through 3 batteries in one day, but the old saying applies: It is better to have and not need, than to need and not have !!

03-17-2008, 07:09 AM	#10
falconeye Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Munich, Alps, Germany Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,871	Get those 1800mAh batts for 5$. Recently a German Photo magazine with large reach made this "official" claim for the masses: "Getting the cheap brands is no risk. So far, no cheap label was reported to have had problems like exploding LiOn etc." And I may add: ...unlike some of the bigger brands... I got myself a pack of five and started to use them like I used Eneloops in my DS. Same price, amazing reach

03-17-2008, 08:14 AM	#11
Gadget_Guy Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Burlington, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 374	Originally posted by falconeye Get those 1800mAh batts for 5$. Recently a German Photo magazine with large reach made this "official" claim for the masses: "Getting the cheap brands is no risk. So far, no cheap label was reported to have had problems like exploding LiOn etc." And I may add: ...unlike some of the bigger brands... I got myself a pack of five and started to use them like I used Eneloops in my DS. Same price, amazing reach Are you serious? I was nervous about using a battery that costs $2.50 in my precious K10D.... hmmmmm D.

03-18-2008, 12:10 AM	#13
benplaut Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Central NY Posts: 268	I got two for less than a buck apeice (can't remember where). One works great, with more shots per charge than the pentax. The other one was DOA, but shipping it back would've cost more than the price of it. I'll get another one someday, but 2 is fine for now.

03-18-2008, 05:56 AM	#14
NYpHoToGraphEr Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Brooklyn,NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 329	Well with my k100d it's really starting to get annoying. The rechargeable batteries are not working for more then 30 min now. There Impact batteries 2900mAh. Yesterday during the parade they died on me not too long after it started, I had bought 99 cent batteries earlier just in case and they didn't even turn on.

03-18-2008, 07:26 AM	#15
chedoy Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 143	Originally posted by NYpHoToGraphEr Well with my k100d it's really starting to get annoying. The rechargeable batteries are not working for more then 30 min now. There Impact batteries 2900mAh. Yesterday during the parade they died on me not too long after it started, I had bought 99 cent batteries earlier just in case and they didn't even turn on. We're talking different battery chemistry between the K100D and K10D. For the K100d, it's either non-rechargeable lithiums AA's or CRV3's, or rechargeable niMh AA's. Two issues with rechargeable nimh's. 1) Normal NiMH's will self discharge in the camera or on the shelf, typically at 1% a day. So after 2 weeks, you might have only 80% of the original charge, so your camera runs down after 30 minutes. A solution is to buy Sanyo Eneloops. Sanyo claims these batteries can hold a charge for months. Also, their chemistry is such that they will deliver more power before the voltage drops. I had good results with Eneloops til the battery door opened and I lost them. Ray-o-vac has batteries with similar characteristics. 2) On some K100D's, the internal voltage monitor can cut off too soon. This is how the Eneloops work longer because their voltage stays up even though they may have far less than the 2900 ma of your impacts. The K100d isn't any good with standard 99 cent Alkaline batteries. The voltage-current curve falls so quickly, you're lucky if you get a dozen shots. For emergency use, get 4 lithium AA's ($15.99 at Walgreens) or a pair of lithium CRV3's ($19.99 at Walgreens). Each has a shelf life of years and will give you over 600 shots easy in a K100D. I wouldn't recommend rechargeable R-CRV3's in a K100D unless they are regulated. The non regulated variety can put over 8 volts into the camera and some have been fried when that happens.