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06-11-2009, 07:00 PM   #1
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K200 battery issues

hello all,

So i own a K200d, and have for about a year now. It's been quite fun having all the flexibility of digital, but now something has gone a rye. The batteries in the K200 seem to die really fast. I have been using rechargable NiMh batts, but just stuck a pair of alkalines in there to see what happened.

ANything like this happen to anyone else? Would cleaning contacts, aka DIY maintenance fix this?

Thanks in advance

~T

06-11-2009, 07:38 PM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by shiestmiester Quote
hello all,

So i own a K200d, and have for about a year now. It's been quite fun having all the flexibility of digital, but now something has gone a rye. The batteries in the K200 seem to die really fast. I have been using rechargable NiMh batts, but just stuck a pair of alkalines in there to see what happened.

ANything like this happen to anyone else? Would cleaning contacts, aka DIY maintenance fix this?

Thanks in advance

~T
Cleaning the contacts probably isn't the issue. Sounds like the NiHhs are shot. And alkalines don't prove anything as they have way too high an internal resistance to supply the current needed. I'd try a fresh set of NiHms. If you get the same reduced battery life, I'd suspect something in the camera has failed, and is drawing way too much current. Shop time.
06-11-2009, 08:52 PM   #3
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Agreed. Alkalines don't work, period - might as well forget about that as an option. Most likely, your NiMH cellls are just too old too hold a good charge any more. Retire them, get a good set of Eneloops, and you'll be back up and running. Do charge the Eneloops before use, though - even though they are sold as "precharged", that doesn't mean a full charge.
06-12-2009, 02:44 AM   #4
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I have the same problem with k200d. For a half a year brand new rechargable panasonics did well its job but for now it just able to give 20 shots at the best. And I don't understand why because I put these batteries to canon and i can make hundreds images. I tried energizer and the same problem appeared. I'll try to get eneloops but if it won't work I'll bring camera to service as I am just very dissapointed I can't use it properly

06-12-2009, 05:35 AM   #5
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You could try lithiums too. . .
06-12-2009, 05:43 AM   #6
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I've got the K200D with a grip. After I used the lithiums that came with the camera up I've only been using Eneloops. I've got 4 sets. 1 for the camera, 1 for the grip, 1 for my flash, and 1 spare set. Best investment I ever made. With the grip I can get between 1200 and 1500 shots with out having to change batteries. They also stay charged so I don't have to worry about them being dead when I need them. Do yourself a favor. Find some Sanyo Eneloops and get them You won't regret it. Also make sure you get a proper charger. You can buy Eneloops with a charger that works fine. My old NiMH charger will not properly charge my Eneloops. Just some more FYI.

Last edited by kkoether; 06-12-2009 at 06:42 AM. Reason: Added more info
06-12-2009, 06:22 AM   #7
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i know it's not green of me... but i've been using energizer lithiums for quite a while, and the longevity has surprised me.... sams club in bulk, good buy... also, can be had if a savvy shopper on e_bay...............

06-12-2009, 01:26 PM   #8
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Ok. The alkalines in the camera are acting very strange. They will take a couple shots and then the camera will say there dead. Turn it off and on again and you can get a couple more shots. Anyway I'm going to go buy a set of lithiums just to see if it's the batteries or the camera. Hopefully it's just batteries as I've got no $$$ for a new camera. Anyway thanks for your help and hopefully some new batts will do the trick.
06-12-2009, 02:20 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by shiestmiester Quote
Ok. The alkalines in the camera are acting very strange. They will take a couple shots and then the camera will say there dead.
Read what I wrote above again, then read the manual if you don't believe me. The cameras *not designed* to work with alkalines. It works very well with lithiums and will low-self-discharge "hybrid" NiMH cells like Eneloops. It sometimes works OK with regular NiMH cells, but only for as long as the cells can maintain a high enough voltage, which turns out not to be related much to battery capacity but has more to do with battery *age*.

So forget the alkalines - they won't work. Get a set of Eneloops and your problems are over. Lithiums will work too, but of course, you'll need to keep buying new ones every few weeks. Much more expensive than getting some Eneloops.
06-13-2009, 06:01 AM   #10
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Tried the batery grip?

Hello all, my first post here after lurking for a long time.
Has any one tried using the weak batteries in the BG-3?. I wonder if the problem may be the camera contacts, like what Janljooh saw with his K2000/KM in the Tread " Is my K-M failing prematurely". I think that the contacts in the battery grip maybe more reliable.
I have been seeing some problems with my Rayovac Hybrid batteries and my K200D lately.
Rick
06-13-2009, 08:14 AM   #11
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"Lithiums will work too, but of course, you'll need to keep buying new ones every few weeks".
Man, that would be some heavy usage. You be better off being tethered to a power supply.

Cheers. Mike.
06-13-2009, 08:43 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ex Finn. Quote
"Lithiums will work too, but of course, you'll need to keep buying new ones every few weeks".
Man, that would be some heavy usage. You be better off being tethered to a power supply.
I guess "heavy" is a relative term. I don't think of myself as a particularly heavy shooter compared to many I know, but I'll easily take over 1000 pictures in a month. Maybe not *every* month, but certainly, it's not a rare thing. So sometimes a set of lithiums would last several months, but other times it wouldn't last one. Whereas I'm still shooting the same set of Eneloops I bought years ago.
06-13-2009, 03:05 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Marc Sabatella Quote
I guess "heavy" is a relative term. I don't think of myself as a particularly heavy shooter compared to many I know, but I'll easily take over 1000 pictures in a month. Maybe not *every* month, but certainly, it's not a rare thing. So sometimes a set of lithiums would last several months, but other times it wouldn't last one. Whereas I'm still shooting the same set of Eneloops I bought years ago.
True enough, heavy to someone is normal to other.
I did shoot about 1800 pictures in last two weeks and ended up having to replace the batteries this morning. That is "Heavy" in my book..
Not knocking the rechargeable`s at all . Just not my cup of tea.

Cheers. Mike.

Last edited by Ex Finn.; 06-13-2009 at 06:03 PM.
06-18-2009, 02:52 PM   #14
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I have to say fresh batteries are always a plus but I admit I use rechargeable just for the fact of cost and convenience.

PM sent =)
06-25-2009, 03:02 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by Marc Sabatella Quote
Read what I wrote above again, then read the manual if you don't believe me. The cameras *not designed* to work with alkalines.
It does however work with alkalines. Before I had low self discharge NiMH, I purchased some Duracell alkalines, at greatly inflated prices, at the top of the Eiffel tower, when none of my regular NiMH worked.
I only got somewhere between 200-300 shots out of them. Without flash - I was using external flash.

QuoteQuote:
So forget the alkalines - they won't work. Get a set of Eneloops and your problems are over. Lithiums will work too, but of course, you'll need to keep buying new ones every few weeks. Much more expensive than getting some Eneloops.
Other than that, I do agree eneloops are the way to go. That's all I use now with the K200D . And with most other devices I have that take AAs/AAAs too. You can get 700 shots out of the eneloops easily.
The Lithium will last longer (1000 shots), but are not rechargeable.
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