Peter Smekal wrote: > Pentax recommends to use the AC adapter K-AC10 when updating Firmware to > the *istD. Is that really necessary? Would new CR-V3 lithium batteries be > enough? Any other advice what to think about when updating is welcome > Peter
Hi Peter!
Let me step in where I don't necessarily belong...
I don't own a *istD, but I am familiar with the use of AC adapters to save battery life.
I do have a digital camera that has a very short internal capacitor charge-holding life, and it will lose the date and time settings while you change the batteries. So, I hook up the AC adapter while doing this job. That works.
Secondly, I have an otherwise normal digital camera (another brand and model) that either 1) depletes the internal battery during the course of uploading the memory card's contents to the computer (5 minutes!) or 2) falsely tells me the battery is depleted.
Since I don't know which it is, all I know is that I hate to recharge the battery every time I upload some memory card images to my computer!
In this instance, I find that if I first take the battery out of the camera, and attach the AC cord for power, the battery stays charged and I avoid that "depletion" conundrum.
All of which leads to the advise I'm about to give.
Updating firmware is a critical operation. It has to be done right, or you stand a chance of messing up the camera's internal computer, and you might even make it inoperative from then on!
This is why some manufacturers will not give out instructions to camera owners to upgrade their firmware themselves.
Part two of this advise is, if you depend on the camera's internal battery to provide the power source during this firmware upgrade, and the battery runs out of sufficient power to finish the job, what will you do then? Will a partial firmware installation be the same as an improperly done installation, where you make a mistake or two?
Either way, you take a chance that something bad might happen to your camera.
I say don't take a chance, and do attach your AC power line to the camera, and assure you have an uninterrupted firmware installation.
That way, if something does go wrong with the installation, you can't blame it on bad or depleted batteries! <g>
keith whaley
