Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!

**Lowell Goudge** · 03-20-2010, 05:59 AM

Just wondering if any one else has noticed a couple of things at low battery on the K7.

I deliberately ran the battery down until the indicator showed the battery was dead (i.e. outline with no bars showing partial charge)

While the camera still continued to shoot, when reviewing photos, the zoom behavior became eratic, once you t8urn the rear wheel to zoom, it would zoom to maximum magnification without any further input.

Also EV compensation was behaving strangely.

Then I put in my spare battery, only to discover the camera would not turn on at all.

When I got back to my hotel, I put the spare battery (which was fully charged before I left) back on the charger, and it showed fullcharge within about 10 minutes,

Installing this into the camera, everything worked fine/

I am not sure the two issues are related but this is the first odd performance I have noticed.

I am using V1.03 of the firmware.

telfish · 03-20-2010, 06:25 AM

I am not surprised that this is the case. If you run the battery flat you are dropping the voltage available to the electronics. That is going to cause unusual behavior when it reaches a certain critical level. I am guessing also that it confuses the battery memory function within the camera.

hcc · 03-20-2010, 08:03 AM

Thank you for sharing your experience of low battery with the K-7. Useful. I certainly do not want to run out of battery, but there is always the odd situation...

**Lowell Goudge** · 03-20-2010, 12:24 PM

Originally posted by telfish

I am not surprised that this is the case. If you run the battery flat you are dropping the voltage available to the electronics. That is going to cause unusual behavior when it reaches a certain critical level. I am guessing also that it confuses the battery memory function within the camera.

What suprizes me is that the shutdown point is after the ability of the electronics

**Sakura** · 03-20-2010, 01:21 PM

Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

What suprizes me is that the shutdown point is after the ability of the electronics

Could be a firmware issue.
Imho should that never happen to any battery driven equipment.

telfish · 03-20-2010, 01:26 PM

Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

What suprizes me is that the shutdown point is after the ability of the electronics

Will try it with my K7 just to see the outcome. I usually change over well before that stage. You are right though I would have thought the shutdown voltage should be above a state where it causes problems.

03-20-2010, 05:59 AM	#1
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,892	K7 low battery performance Just wondering if any one else has noticed a couple of things at low battery on the K7. I deliberately ran the battery down until the indicator showed the battery was dead (i.e. outline with no bars showing partial charge) While the camera still continued to shoot, when reviewing photos, the zoom behavior became eratic, once you t8urn the rear wheel to zoom, it would zoom to maximum magnification without any further input. Also EV compensation was behaving strangely. Then I put in my spare battery, only to discover the camera would not turn on at all. When I got back to my hotel, I put the spare battery (which was fully charged before I left) back on the charger, and it showed fullcharge within about 10 minutes, Installing this into the camera, everything worked fine/ I am not sure the two issues are related but this is the first odd performance I have noticed. I am using V1.03 of the firmware.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
In praise of the K100D's low-light performance	aerodave	Pentax DSLR Discussion	26	09-07-2009 07:19 AM
Has any preview mentioned low light performance on the K-7?	NothingInCommon	Pentax News and Rumors	11	06-23-2009 01:09 PM
K20D low-light performance	Stoosh	Pentax DSLR Discussion	10	03-03-2008 03:44 AM
A Low-Light Performance	paden501	Post Your Photos!	3	01-29-2008 12:18 PM
Low light performance of 2 kit lenses	fevbusch	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	12	05-23-2007 07:30 PM

03-20-2010, 06:25 AM	#2
telfish Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: NY Posts: 407	I am not surprised that this is the case. If you run the battery flat you are dropping the voltage available to the electronics. That is going to cause unusual behavior when it reaches a certain critical level. I am guessing also that it confuses the battery memory function within the camera.

03-20-2010, 08:03 AM	#3
hcc Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,005	Thank you for sharing your experience of low battery with the K-7. Useful. I certainly do not want to run out of battery, but there is always the odd situation...

03-20-2010, 12:24 PM	#4
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,892 Original Poster	Originally posted by telfish I am not surprised that this is the case. If you run the battery flat you are dropping the voltage available to the electronics. That is going to cause unusual behavior when it reaches a certain critical level. I am guessing also that it confuses the battery memory function within the camera. What suprizes me is that the shutdown point is after the ability of the electronics

03-20-2010, 01:21 PM	#5
Sakura Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Netherlands Photos: Gallery Posts: 438	Originally posted by Lowell Goudge What suprizes me is that the shutdown point is after the ability of the electronics Could be a firmware issue. Imho should that never happen to any battery driven equipment.

03-20-2010, 01:26 PM	#6
telfish Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: NY Posts: 407	Originally posted by Lowell Goudge What suprizes me is that the shutdown point is after the ability of the electronics Will try it with my K7 just to see the outcome. I usually change over well before that stage. You are right though I would have thought the shutdown voltage should be above a state where it causes problems.

K7 low battery performance

Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!