This is a test of the Pentax Kx camera. This is the second camera I have purchased, the first one had a battery issue and would not function with NiMH batteries. This video, Part 1 of the test, shows the camera being powered on for the first time with the supplied Energizer Lithium batteries. Part 2 of this video shows the camera being powered on using NiMH rechargeable batteries. You can find out more information regarding the Pentax Kx battery issues at the following two threads at dpreview.com: Part 1 – forums.dpreview.com Part 2 – forums.dpreview.com
Video Rating: 3 / 5
Simply amazing they didn’t test it with rechargeables.. unreal.
I returned the camera over a year ago. I believe the K-x has been replaced with a newer model, the K-r. If I’m not mistaken, the new K-r uses a Lithium battery. For that reason alone I’d recommend it over the older K-x.
Why did you return your k-x? Wouldn’t you recomend it?
It’s possible to use CR-v3 batteries instead of AA batteries? someone says that is possible use normal CR-V3 but not Rechargeable RCR-V3 Lithium batteries (or however rechargeable batteries)
Pentax’s site. Or you can take it to an authorized dealer, and they should be able to help. Failing that, right to Pentax, if they are close to you. I was lucky. I bought mine at Henry’s in Toronto, and the regional dealer had already come round to install the firmware on every camera in the shops in his area. Nice. No battery problems.
When the K-x was first released it had problems working with rechargeable batteries. When using rechargeable batteries you would not see a green battery indicator, or if you did it was for a short period. The camera would not function correctly. With the latest firmware versions I believe the battery issue has been fixed, but can’t say for sure as I returned my K-x (actually two) soon after I purchased it.
Why does the video keep stating “battery indicator remains green”? Is that a problem? I just got my K-x today, and it works fine with the supplied Energizer batteries.
update the firmware and you’re done
oh the irony of being forced to use canon battery on that camera!
how do you like your higher low-light sensitivity guys? was that picky batteries eater, 200 pics per charge, foundling with 4 oriented differently batteries dropping 2 on the ground while missing the shot because it died without warning all worth it? 
))
I returned the first to the original store of purchase but did not want to get another one there as they were from the same manufacturing run. I got my money back, went to a different store which had cameras from a different run and purchased it there. The second camera, although better, still had issues so I returned it as well, got my money back and purchased a different camera brand from a different store.
In Australia you can return products not working (<12 months generally).Or for some other reason you had to buy the second ?( I dont mean the problem but why you cant return it to the retailer?)
where would you get this firmware? thanks
There are rechargeable battery issues with this camera… be aware of this problem…. many owners are returning this camera because of this reason.. otherwise a good camera with regular lithium batteries..
use higher quality NiMH batteries, my friends K-x not turning on with Hama NiMH 2700MAh battery, but with much higher quality Energizer NiMH 2500MAh run great, he using now Canon NiMH 2500MAh battery and he uses the old firmware!
That problem has been fixed almost 3 months ago, so don’t worry
it hasn’t my batteries only last about 5 min
The Pentax K-x camera has an issue with rechargeable batteries. This is a video of my experience turning on my second K-x for the first time. The first one would not work at all with NiMH batteries. Apparently the issue has been fixed somewhat with the latest firmware. I can’t confirm this as I no longer have a K-x to test.
cool video but whats the point of a battery test.
I’m sure you’ll find the K-x to be a fantastic camera. The image quality at higher ISO levels is excellent. It definitely betters the GF1 in this regard, but at lower ISO levels they’re very similar in performance. The K-x was not the right camera for me at this time. I also had concerns with Pentax lenses which is why I ended up switching brands. When you consider that the 20mm lens that comes with the GF1 is $500, making the camera cost roughly $600, it doesn’t end up looking like a bad deal.
i had been salivating over the GF1 for a while before I diverted my attention to the K-X. I’m curious how IQ stacks up against the K-X, considering the fact that the sensor is so much smaller. My beef with the Panny is price. Seems over-priced for a bridge camera. I guess HD is outstanding though. Given that, I’d say HD vid is going to be less than 10% of my usage, so unless the 1.01 didn’t do the trick, I’ll give the K-X every chance to fail before moving on. I’ll be in town for a month.
The first K-x did not work at all with rechargeable batteries. The second worked fairly well with rechargeables and I’m sure would have been even better with the new 1.01 firmware which supposedly addresses some battery issues. The K-x had fantastic image quality and for a DSLR it’s a nice small size (I’m used to using larger DSLR cameras). I didn’t like the AA batteries, movie quality (audio noise), and a few other issues. Mostly I wanted something even smaller and went with the Panasonic GF1.
wow, you bought TWO? what prompted you to return them each time? loud shutter action? battery (even with firmware upgrade)? image quality?
I’d love to get your honest opinions, and am curious to know what you ultimately bought.
I purchased the first camera from Henry’s, the second from Future Shop. If you’re looking for a good price, Future Shop or Black’s are good places to start, but service/knowledge is generally lacking (although both have great return policies). If you’re looking for information, Henry’s, Vistek, Aden Camera and Downtown Camera are all okay. I returned the camera and have not purchased a replacement. I decided to move away from the Pentax brand for a few different reasons.
i see you set up toronto in the menu. i’ll be in town in a few days. just wondering where you purchased it, and whether the staff were helpful and knowledgeable.
have you been happy with the camera thus far?
Yes, the shutter is very loud. Even louder than the K10D/K20D. The SR technology also makes a lot of noise during movie recording. Of course you can turn SR off, but that defeats the purpose of in body stabilization.