| K-x owners: NiMH batteries results please There is a new firmware for K-x that should address battery issues. Latest K-x Firmware Update : Software Downloads : PENTAX
With this update, my 5+ year old energizer 2650 batteries are red in auto mode but can take pictures, use LV, and video fine while staying red. When in NiMH mode, they are green.
The rest of this post is now defunct.
"Tricks":
- Use AUTO mode if NiMH doesn't work well
- Look for a red light in the IR receiver when closing the battery compartment
- Wait 10+ seconds after inserting batteries
- Flip the AF switch to MF and back (before and after turning on).
- Have the camera in video mode
- Start up the camera with no lens attached, a manual aperture lens, or a lens slightly rotated and not locked fully in to get the select focal length screen.
A pentax employee has hinted that Pentax will be addressing the problem soon. The above tricks are not fun, but can be used until it is addressed.
Also try cleaning the battery contacts with an eraser, and then wiping on some clothes.
A number of people are being turned off of this camera because of the very vocal reported issues on DPR with NiMH batteries. In a number of threads here, many don't report the issue with lithiums, but said they will try it out with NiMH LSD/Hybrid/Pre-charged such as eneloop and report back, but I haven't seen any yet.
The reports are something along the lines of it working mostly fine and normal until using LiveView or Video. Post how many shots you get with NiMH with LiveView, or if the red indicator comes on soon. Please post the first 8 or so digits of your serial number regardless of whether you have problems or not, in order to find out if it is a certain batch.
For some people, setting battery to NiMH helps, while others, auto actually works better. Generally waiting after inserting batteries seems to help, as well as closing the battery cover quickly so the batteries contact around the same time.
Here is the president of Pentax Imaging US's post about it: NED BUNNELL: K-x Battery Notes
Interesting bit about eneloops being bundled with K-x: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/793908-post16.html
Also, in case anyone wanted a good cheap smart independent channel charger - check out the soshine sc-c3: Soshine SC-C3 Intelligent Rapid Charger - CandlePowerForums
$14 shipped (will take a while to get here): DealExtreme: $13.98 Soshine Hi-Tech LCD NiMH / NiCD Super Quick Charger
Please read the top of this post for a possible fix and post your results.
Problem Units:
34339031XXXXXX Canada, Ontario (Henrys, Allan Brown)
34340081XXXXXX Canada, Ontario (Henrys, Allan Brown) 34340451XXXXXX Canada, Toronto ( , kevs0001)*
34346XXXXXXXXX United States, New York? (not positive) (Circuit City, Dino G)
343551XXXXXXXX Canada, Ontario (Henrys, AronG)
34356XXXXXXXXX Italy, Verona ( , noou)
3435XXXXXXXXXX Canada, Ontario ( , SamTruax)
3437XXXXXXXXXX United States, California ( , wll)
3438XXXXXXXXXX United States, California ( , wll)
34388XXXXXXXXX United States, ( , marathoncamera)
34494XXXXXXXXX United States, Michigan ( , wmich)
345592XXXXXXXX Finland ( , jtanska)
346038XXXXXXXX United States, California ( , alrascal11)
Working Units:
3422XXXXXXXXXX Switzerland ( , hans_ch)
34300XXXXXXXXX Netherlands ( , tomtor)
343025XXXXXXXX United States, Missouri ( , pti-andy)
34314XXXXXXXXX Canada, Toronto ( , AMBIVALENCE)* Moved, appears to be working with eneloops
3431XXXXXXXXXX United States, New Jersey ( , GeneU)
34345XXXXXXXX United States, Texas ( , OutOfFocus)
34352XXXXXXXXX Czech Republic ( , jerrymouse)
3435XXXXXXXXXX United States, Oregon ( , tiny)
343793XXXXXXXX Unknokwn ( , junyo)
343XXXXXXXXXXX Czech Republic ( , jerrymouse's 2nd)
343XXXXXXXXXXX Czech Republic ( , jerrymouse's friend)
343XXXXXXXXXXX Greece, Korinth ( , pkaliaf)
343XXXXXXXXXXX United States ( , jup)
343XXXXXXXXXXX United States ( , Bruce Norikane)
343XXXXXXXXXXX United States ( , SuperBee)
343XXXXXXXXXXX United States, Arizona ( , mead76)
343XXXXXXXXXXX Canada, Toronto ( , jcespite)
3438804XXXXXXX Viet Nam, HCM City ( , Vinh Pham Le)* Moved, appears to be working.
3440110XXXXXXX Japan, Kobe ( , zxaar)
344XXXXXXXXXXX Australia, Perth ( , mcjm78)
344XXXXXXXXXXX Australia ( , Owen Marshall)
345XXXXXXXXXXX Unknown ( , Shub S)
346547XXXXXXXX Unknown ( , nicholas621)
346610XXXXXXXX United States, Maryland ( , Eruditass)
346XXXXXXXXXXX United States, California ( , caseyr6s)
3474XXXXXXXXXX United States, California ( , lesdit)
347XXXXXXXXXXX United States, New York ( , Danbee46)
347XXXXXXXXXXX United States, Indiana ( , DoninIndy)
6XXXXXXXXXXXXX United States ( , pxpaulx) (white) XXXXXXXXXXXXX Canada, Toronto ( , kevs0001)* Returned and got a working one.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Munich, Germany ( , falconeye)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX France, Vannes ( , XavierP56 )
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Australia ( , rawr)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Australia ( , neil holmes)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Australia ( , ozdean)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Canada, Alberta ( , blu3ness)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Canada ( , Daemos)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Canada, Nova Scotia ( , Aristophanes)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX United States( , wallyb)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX United States( , joeoptics)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX United States( , jesusislord)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX United States ( , pxpaulx) (black)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX United States, NJ ( , dapharmer)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX United States, North Carolina ( , kwaalude)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX United States, Connecticut ( , trna)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX United States, Louisiana ( , Gris Gris Man)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Portugal, Lisbon ( , Nuno Botelho Pereira)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Romania , ( , sorinat)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Sweden, ( , Fred Arne)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Belgium, Brussels ( , Bich)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Belgium, Brussels ( , Belgium, Brussels)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Ireland ( , Stephen OKane)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX India ( , MrClick)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Finland, Helsinki ( , PolarHki)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Malaysia, Penang ( , fskhoo)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Unknown ( , Catalana)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Unknown ( , Ice999)
XXXXXXXXXXXXX Unknown ( , Finger)
PM the first 6 or so digits of your serial number regardless of whether you have problems or not, in order to find out if it is a certain batch.
Please read the top of this post for a possible fix and post your results.
Last edited by Eruditass; 12-03-2009 at 09:05 PM.
|