K-7 Capacitor Issues?

cnielsen · 12-01-2009, 09:05 AM

Hello all -- I've been lurking for a while, finally got motivated to speak up...

Just curious -- has anyone run into problems with the capacitor in the k-7? Whenever I take out the battery to charge (about once/week, usually overnight), the camera loses all of the date & time settings, and I have to re-set. I spoke with Customer Service & they agreed it sounds like a warranty issue...

But it breaks my heart to have to send it away & be without it for the next month.

Back to my *istD ...

Arpe · 12-01-2009, 04:27 PM

No such problem for me.

TheTenaciousOne · 12-01-2009, 07:25 PM

To fit a capacitor in the K7 it'd have to be fairly small and i doubt it would hold its charge for more than a few minutes at best. I'd be thinking more of an internal battery to keep power to the date settings and such

SteveM · 12-01-2009, 07:39 PM

Mine is fine....

Peter Zack · 12-01-2009, 07:46 PM

I don't think this is a common issue but best to get it looked at now and not have it linger after the warranty expires. Also to a post above, a capacitor to keep the settings would easily be very tiny and most likely the cause. They haven't used internal batteries since the *istD series.

cnielsen · 12-02-2009, 06:22 AM

Thanks, all. I'm hoping it's just a random fluke and a quick fix, nothing more complicated or serious. There were no other symptoms, thankfully. Both customer service reps I spoke to suspected the capacitor as the culprit.

So, it's off to Arizona for repairs. And I'm counting the days until its return...

pkata · 12-02-2009, 12:37 PM

Never had this problem. I think that's not a normal behavior. I'm also charging overnight, but the camera has always kept the settings.

ytterbium · 12-02-2009, 12:47 PM

Well most likely it's a supercap, capable holding it's charge longer than few minutes.

So unless you are changing your batteries with camera on (that could drain the supercap rapidly) or in any other odd configuration, it is most likely a defective part from it's original manufacturer you should simply get exchanged.

George Lama · 12-04-2009, 10:36 AM

I've left the battery out of both my K10D and K20D for over 10 hours and have never had settings reset. Definitely sounds like memory backup power is faulty.

mattdm · 02-22-2010, 08:37 PM

Originally posted by cnielsen

Thanks, all. I'm hoping it's just a random fluke and a quick fix, nothing more complicated or serious. There were no other symptoms, thankfully. Both customer service reps I spoke to suspected the capacitor as the culprit.

So, it's off to Arizona for repairs. And I'm counting the days until its return...

I'm curious -- how long did it take?

distudio · 02-23-2010, 04:00 AM

Originally posted by ytterbium

Well most likely it's a supercap, capable holding it's charge longer than few minutes.

So unless you are changing your batteries with camera on (that could drain the supercap rapidly) or in any other odd configuration, it is most likely a defective part from it's original manufacturer you should simply get exchanged.

I agree, it's likely that a supercap is employed to maintain the user settings, if it can't manage to keep the settings for more than a few minutes with the batteries out then the camera is probably defective.

For anyone who wasn't aware of the Supercap type devices (which also come in the form factor of a small button cell) see:

Electric double-layer capacitor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

chain1969 · 02-23-2010, 04:39 AM

mine works well....

12-01-2009, 09:05 AM	#1
cnielsen New Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 4	K-7 Capacitor Issues? Hello all -- I've been lurking for a while, finally got motivated to speak up... Just curious -- has anyone run into problems with the capacitor in the k-7? Whenever I take out the battery to charge (about once/week, usually overnight), the camera loses all of the date & time settings, and I have to re-set. I spoke with Customer Service & they agreed it sounds like a warranty issue... But it breaks my heart to have to send it away & be without it for the next month. Back to my *istD ...

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12-01-2009, 04:27 PM	#2
Arpe Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,452	No such problem for me.

12-01-2009, 07:25 PM	#3
TheTenaciousOne Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Adelaide, SA, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 111	To fit a capacitor in the K7 it'd have to be fairly small and i doubt it would hold its charge for more than a few minutes at best. I'd be thinking more of an internal battery to keep power to the date settings and such

12-01-2009, 07:39 PM	#4
SteveM Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Vancouver Island, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,294	Mine is fine....

12-01-2009, 07:46 PM	#5
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	I don't think this is a common issue but best to get it looked at now and not have it linger after the warranty expires. Also to a post above, a capacitor to keep the settings would easily be very tiny and most likely the cause. They haven't used internal batteries since the *istD series.

12-02-2009, 06:22 AM	#6
cnielsen New Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 4 Original Poster	Thanks, all. I'm hoping it's just a random fluke and a quick fix, nothing more complicated or serious. There were no other symptoms, thankfully. Both customer service reps I spoke to suspected the capacitor as the culprit. So, it's off to Arizona for repairs. And I'm counting the days until its return...

12-02-2009, 12:37 PM	#7
pkata New Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bucharest, Romania Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 24	Never had this problem. I think that's not a normal behavior. I'm also charging overnight, but the camera has always kept the settings.

12-02-2009, 12:47 PM	#8
ytterbium Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,076	Well most likely it's a supercap, capable holding it's charge longer than few minutes. So unless you are changing your batteries with camera on (that could drain the supercap rapidly) or in any other odd configuration, it is most likely a defective part from it's original manufacturer you should simply get exchanged.

12-04-2009, 10:36 AM	#9
George Lama Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Buffalo/Rochester, NY Photos: Albums Posts: 1,133	I've left the battery out of both my K10D and K20D for over 10 hours and have never had settings reset. Definitely sounds like memory backup power is faulty.

02-22-2010, 08:37 PM	#10
mattdm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,948	Originally posted by cnielsen Thanks, all. I'm hoping it's just a random fluke and a quick fix, nothing more complicated or serious. There were no other symptoms, thankfully. Both customer service reps I spoke to suspected the capacitor as the culprit. So, it's off to Arizona for repairs. And I'm counting the days until its return... I'm curious -- how long did it take?

02-23-2010, 04:00 AM	#11
distudio Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sydney Photos: Albums Posts: 450	Originally posted by ytterbium Well most likely it's a supercap, capable holding it's charge longer than few minutes. So unless you are changing your batteries with camera on (that could drain the supercap rapidly) or in any other odd configuration, it is most likely a defective part from it's original manufacturer you should simply get exchanged. I agree, it's likely that a supercap is employed to maintain the user settings, if it can't manage to keep the settings for more than a few minutes with the batteries out then the camera is probably defective. For anyone who wasn't aware of the Supercap type devices (which also come in the form factor of a small button cell) see: Electric double-layer capacitor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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02-23-2010, 04:39 AM	#12
chain1969 New Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Milan Posts: 1	mine works well....