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05-03-2007, 03:04 PM   #1
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K100 has premature 'Low Battery Indication/ shut down"

I have had my K100 a couple of weeks now and am very happy with the picture results. I couldn't wait to update the firmware from v1.0 to v1.02 and it seemed that after that point my battery was dead shortly after every recharge. I have several sets of rechargables and same result. There is at least 1.35v per cell left and no operation. This is plenty to run my old CanonA75. Rechargables by design run down to lower voltage than standard cells.
I don't know for sure if the firmware update is the cause but I was wondering if anyone else had issues. I may search for old firmware or contact Pentax and roll back FW to see if it still happens.

05-03-2007, 06:33 PM   #2
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K100D battery hungry

Hi seriousam,

My K100D has been running well with my two sets of 2700mAh and 2600mAh batteries. I will say that K100D is power hungry, esp. if you use built in flash. I now resort to external flash with a separate set of batteries for that, and even then, I get the battery indicator running down to half-full even after a few shots. The way I make sure battery life is good is by recharging the crap out of the batteries (overnight), and then the batteries last well over 500 exposures.

New firmware or not, the K100D loves power, so get yourself a powerful set of rechargeables, at least 2500mAh.
05-03-2007, 07:10 PM   #3
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There were also some K100Ds that had their low voltage trigger slightly too high, but i personally wouldn't recommend putting anything other the eneloops in the camera.
05-03-2007, 08:11 PM   #4
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I had some CRV3s in my drawer when I got my K100D a few weeks ago so I put those in, and it's at imgp1260.jpg and still hasn't indicated low battery. I've used the flash about three times, so obviously that helps. And I turned off instant review -- but I have spent quite a bit of time reviewing images on the LCD as I'm out-and-about. So anyway even if the current set gives out now, it's still been less than 1¢/image.

05-03-2007, 08:12 PM   #5
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You should try to get hold of some Sanyo Eneloops. I am using some Sanyo 2700's. The last two months, I have been using the K100D to document a house rehab project and they will last several weeks in the camera while taking a few shots each day.
05-03-2007, 09:35 PM   #6
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I have Powerex 2700s and have gotten 350 shots in a day (no flash, 1 sec review).
05-04-2007, 03:12 AM   #7
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I have Sanyo 2700 mAh and was worried that I could not deplete them.
I am not battery-friendly: I use flash whenever I feel like it and have default review time. I also use only AF lens (for the time being).
Hope that helps.
Branimir

05-04-2007, 03:44 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by seriousam Quote
I have had my K100 a couple of weeks now and am very happy with the picture results. I couldn't wait to update the firmware from v1.0 to v1.02 and it seemed that after that point my battery was dead shortly after every recharge. I have several sets of rechargables and same result. There is at least 1.35v per cell left and no operation. This is plenty to run my old CanonA75. Rechargables by design run down to lower voltage than standard cells.
I don't know for sure if the firmware update is the cause but I was wondering if anyone else had issues. I may search for old firmware or contact Pentax and roll back FW to see if it still happens.
It's not related to the firmware version.

For the actual cause of the problem and the possible solution, see my detailed article on the topic:-

RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: When 1100mAh Li-ion RCR-V3s Outperform 2500mAh+ NiMH AAs ..
05-04-2007, 05:07 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by Cideway Quote
There were also some K100Ds that had their low voltage trigger slightly too high, but i personally wouldn't recommend putting anything other the eneloops in the camera.
Can you direct me to where you saw this info?

I have been using Energizer 2300 and 2500. I will try a set of the Sanyo that was suggested anyway. My shooting style would lend itself to batteries with low leakage as apposed to high capacity.
05-04-2007, 07:17 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by seriousam Quote
Can you direct me to where you saw this info?
Comments about K100D's with incorrect battery alarms were posted by a fellow from Europe (Nederlands) in the dreaded and non-searchable DPR Pentax DSLR Forum. Like Cideway, I recall the posts.

I've got ENergizer 2500's that seem ro be fully charged and won't take 6 shots before the low-battery icon lights up. I've got many other niMH AA's that won't even allow the camera to power up coming out of a charger, but run other digicams. You need either something like the Sanyos or lithiium batteries or regukated RCRV3's.
05-04-2007, 04:56 PM   #11
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I have six sets of NiMH AAs dating from 2002 to 2005. All of them power my Canon P&S cameras forever (like 300-800 shots), and also last awhile in flashes.

Only one of them reliably powers my K100D for any measureable amount of time, though at around 400-600 shots it's definitely a high quality set.

Then I got some Delkin RCR-V3s, and now I leave them in the camera all the time, getting around 500 shots per charge, and no significant discharging either.

I also have the original CR-V3s I got with my DS in early 2004 and three years later with various backup use, they still show full.
05-10-2007, 12:34 PM   #12
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I just received my k100d yesterday and 4 energizer 2500 with a normal charger (12h).
I made today around 700 shots ! a lot with flash, and the camera still has power, I'm pretty impressed coming from a canon ps that had a lithium battery that only lasted ~150 shots.
05-11-2007, 12:37 PM   #13
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I took mine back to Pentax Canada. Got it back 2 weeks later and they got it fixed. Couldn't be happier. (e.g. took almost 100 pics with 1800mAh that couldn't even turn on the camera before the repair)
05-16-2007, 03:47 PM   #14
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Total photography noob here, just joined this board, but not a noob to electronics.

You might want to take a look at a long thread I posted about the K100D on another board here which involved many back'n forths from other people:
Pentax Forum: Batteries for Pentax K100D (and other K dSLR products)? - photo.net

It addresses many things with NiMH rechargables, Lithium non-RC and Li-Ion RC like the RCR-V3. The issue with NiMH comes to how much you respect charging them -- which typically means draining them first. Otherwise, it's anyone's guess how much charge you have in them.
07-04-2007, 10:34 PM   #15
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Okay, I just blogged it ...

I'm looking for power EEs to critique and correct ...
BS' Blog: Li-Ion is not Lithium (e.g., Li-Mn, Li-Fe)

It also has good practices and info for using the K100D with 4xAA NiMH batteries as well.
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