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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-23-2022, 06:55 AM
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My K-x is my first Pentax digital and it cost the measly sum of $100 together with 18-55 L kit lens. I’m in love with it.
I’ve found a program that determine shutter count, and it was under 3,000 when I got it.
I’ve had other digital cameras, bigger point and shoots and bridge cameras, that used four AA batteries and those worked fine. My K-x would not even power up with generic NmHd batteries. It ate Eeneloops quickly, it lasted only a bit longer on alkaline. On the expensive lithium batteries it did work.
A K-x is supposed to have three updates and mine has never been updated. The first update more or less fixed the battery life problem. The last two were other minor improvements including using SDXC cards.
When I use 1.5 volt lithium batteries the camera operates snappily and with instant review, and seem to last forever. Using any 1.2 volt rechargeable batteries means it works, but not as fast and especially not quick photo review.
I’ve not tested how long the new 1.5 rechargeable lithium batteries last, but they seem identical to the disposable lithium batteries in performance so far.
Some more observations:
1. The new batteries are light, like the disposable lithiums. Four black Eeneloop batteries are weighty.
2. If you lose your specific charger (especially true for the USB-C port EBL batteries) you have disposable $7.50 each lithium batteries again.
3. They will give no warning (or very little) before they discharge.
4. Neither charger has any provisions for direct 110 volt AC charging. Not a problem these days when there are phone chargers all over every house and plugged in every car, but evidently the chargers want a constant 5 volts or less to charge. The generic set I bought were almost fully charged, and the EBL took an hour and a half on a phone charger to turn the orange lights to blue, then they shut off automatically.
The battery life of the old style disposable lithium batteries in my K-x was almost 2,000 shots. The set I had in there had been used over a thousand times and still registered full charge.
I’m going to shoot these new batteries until they drain, unless I get tired of waiting for them and recharge them. In reading the online reviews, the new type recharge quickly, and are rated over 1.200 cycles.
If you can call EBL a name brand, it seems it’s the only name brand producing these. My others were generic but the charger and little script reads Kratex. Here’s what’s in my Pentax now.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Double-AA-1-5V-USB-Rechargeable-Lithium-Ion-Batteri...-127632-2357-0
Here’s a link to the EBL batteries that dangle and show lights while they charge:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/EBL-Lot-USB-Rechargeable-Lithium-AAA-AA-Batteries-1...-127632-2357-0
There has to be a reason. If these are good they’ll quit making the others the same as NmHd drove those old ni cads off the market.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-23-2022, 12:11 AM
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A couple of weeks ago, when I got my K-x it was really unusable with any kind of rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries except the the top of the line Eeneloops. An update on camera made a night and day improvement as to battery life from all batteries, and so far I’ve gotten a thousand shots from the best Energizer lithiums.
I’ve been fooling with rechargeable batteries for fifty years. The NiMh rechargeable ones are good, but only output 1.2 volts.
I didn’t know, they made constant 1.5 volt discharge, lithium high voltage rechargeable batteries. They did not a few years ago when I was trying to find the best solution for rechargeable AA batteries.
I ordered two sets, different brands, both $25 for four and both with rechargers.
The literature says you must use the specified charger. One was conventional, but the EBL brand uses a USB-C port in each individual battery.
These are “smart” batteries, in that each has when fully charged 3.7 volts, then a tiny voltage regulator reduces the output to a constant 1.5 bolts until they suddenly die.
Both types recharged quickly and the conventional ones are in my K-x right now and working the best.
One set was rated 3,500 milliamperes and the other 3,300, and I see where they go up to a rated 5,000.
If you’re looking to avoid replacing expensive lithium batteries I hope these prove out as well as their reviews online.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-17-2022, 08:42 AM
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I’m taking apart an old Vivitar 70-300 PK-A/R and I’ve removed the Ricoh pin.
But looking at the complexity of the gadgetry associated with the Infamous Ricoh pin, that was intentionally put on there for a reason, back in the day.
What was the original purpose of the Ricoh pin?
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-14-2022, 04:44 PM
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What I’ve learned in accumulating about $200 worth of K mount glass that fills a large camera bag is this:
1. If it reads Ashai SMC M Pentax, oh my goodness, it’s a top of the line, jewel like lens. I want more of these.
2. If it’s Sears but made by Ricoh it’s a well built, good lens, just not to Ashai Pentax standards of finish.
3. Third party lenses generally decline in build quality as they get newer. A Vivitar or Focal isn’t junk, but they had to be cheaper than a real Pentax.
4. When digital very nearly killed off 35mm SLRs the old lenses were wonderful.
5. That Pentax should be the only DSLR any amateur photographer should consider, because image quality is equal or better than the same quality of Nikon or Canon, but only a Pentax can ALWAYS shoot any old K mount or earlier Pentax M42 mount lens.
If my $100 K-x can mount and shoot all that old glass, just think what more fun could be had with a new K-1!
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-14-2022, 08:01 AM
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:):)
I’m going to be taking my $25 Tamron 70-210 Auto apart to clean off some haze and spots of dirt inside.
I’m surprised it works as well as it does.
You’ve heard of lens creep, this one has lens PLOP back and forth. :)
When I have this apart, is there any way to realign it at home?
What I like about it is, the Auto feature still works. I can shoot Program, Tv, Av, and even Scene modes with it.
Plus on my K-x it seems to focus to infinity at full stop. I shoot lots of MFT with adapted lenses and there, if you get infinity focus at all it’s never at full stop. This is an overwhelming advantage an old Pentax DSLR has shooting legacy glass over using adapters for MFT.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-13-2022, 07:30 PM
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Last week I received my Pentax K-x and I was able to shoot every old K and M mount lens I owned. I had to either use stepped down green button metering, or shot Av wide open, but a happy man was me!
Then a $25 Tamron 28-210 Auto KP/AR lens arrived, I removed the Ricoh pin, and now my K-x shoots that lens set on Auto with full connection for Program, Tv, Av, even the Scene modes. What a wonderful lens! All I do is focus and shoot!
Now I’ve won an FA 100-300 lens for $ 24.40 in an auction with four other bidders.
As I understand old Pentax lenses, a few FA lenses are still being made and they are full frame autofocus lenses that are current for the K-1 and work on all other modern Pentax APC DSLRs, including my K-x.
An FA isn’t optimized for digital, but why are they and other old Pentax lenses so cheap?
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-12-2022, 02:53 PM
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Thanks for the advice!
Removing Ricoh pin was easy.
Now I have a working Auto lens that communicates with my Kx and works in Manual, Av, Tv, and Program.
The Macro even works.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-12-2022, 01:30 PM
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Today I dug out a Ricoh pin equipped Tamron 28-210 PK/AR Auto lens (not autofocus) and in five minutes time (thanks to help from a forum member) removed the evil Ricoh pin. It was easy. I took out four little cross point screws from the back ring , bent up a plate, removed the Ricoh pin, saved it for whatever reason) and reattached the back ring exactly as it was, and done.
Now, for only $25, I have a lens I must autofocus, but this lens communicates with my K-x and I can shoot Manual, and Aperture priority and Speed Priority and even Program if I set the lens to A.
I’ll need to clean this lens on the inside when I get a kit to work on lenses, but it’s not too shabby as found.
I found I need to add about .7 EV to get exposure right. No need to green button meter. Point, focus, and shoot.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-10-2022, 12:01 AM
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I’ve been buying a bunch of K mount lenses to adapt to my MFT cameras, and got to thinking it would be nice to buy a modern Pentax DSLR that would shoot those lenses without adapters.
In looking on eBay there’s so many models of modern Pentax DSLRs it’s difficult to chose one.
I settled on a Pentax K-x with a kit lens, complete for $100. How bad could it be, if I didn’t like a hundred dollar camera and lens? Besides, they took 4 AA batteries.
Today it came in the mail, and I’m as happy as a kid under the Christmas tree!
It has all kinds of goodies on it, it’s fast and snappy, highly customizable, and I found out I need to update it so it can take rechargeable batteries, and maybe other improvements, but as it came back in 2009 the K-x was a capable, fun, neat little camera!
I’m sure the latest models are better, but Pentax makes a wonderful DSLR.
The kit lens is fun, but tomorrow I’ll try out all my old legacy glass.
I have a feeling this is my first, Pentax DSLR, not my last.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
02-03-2022, 09:17 AM
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I’ve recently rediscovered the ME Super as well.
I’m sending it off to have a the light seals replaced and cleaned and adjusted, and meanwhile I’m using the lenses on my Olympus MFT cameras.
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