| Author: | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2011 Location: Uppsala, Sweden Posts: 4,439 | | Review Date: February 13, 2014 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | Build (plastic but solid), weather-sealed, nice fit, buttons as good as on the camera | | Cons: | Off-center tripod mount, hard to get to the body battery, bad designed lock to camera that can be hard to loosen | |
Generally the build is nice, no weak points that makes you question its longevity. The seals for WR seems well designed. Buttons and wheels have a nice feel to them although some positioning are a bit odd compared to the ones on the camera body.
The off-center tripod mount is bit of a bad design for anyone trying to get total balance in their tripod setup. The locking wheel that locks it to the body is hard to grip and tends to get hard to unscrew after a while in use, I've gotten both broken nails and gotten blisters when fighting to remove the grip. Temperature shift seems to have a part in this. This is especially troublesome if you need to get to the body battery out in the field to change it or if the camera locks up for some reason.
All in all a good build but could have been better designed with an easier to use lock and a center-placed tripod mount.
| | | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: October, 2012 Location: Lietuva, Vilnius Posts: 627 | | Review Date: August 8, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Better grip both horizontally and vertically | | Cons: | Expensive, lack of features. | |
The grip is really an essential accessory. With it my K-5IIs feels excellent in the hand.
Things I like:
1. Improved ergonomics.
2. Ability to use AA's (Battery life is just awesome with good AA's)
3. Build quality is OK (just).
4. WR.
Things I didn't like:
1. Very expensive (C'mon for 200$ you can get Nexus 7, which is a wonderful piece of technology, and the grip is mostly just a piece of plastic)
2. Lack of features like Wi-fi, GPS, real SD card slot.
3. Control wheels are a little too deep in the grip.
4. AF button placement (a little too low for my taste).
5. No buttons/dial to change AF point.
6. The pin that locks battery door doesn't look very sturdy (even though I have absolutely no complains yet)
To sum up, I can't give more than 7. Still, recommended!
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: March, 2010 Location: south west Posts: 775
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 28, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | much needed accessory that helps hold the camera more steadily especially in vertical position and/or with bigger / heavier lenses | | Cons: | price; contacts plastic cap doesn't stay in place well; lack of a tripod holder pin hole; hard to unscrew; mine has started malfunctioning! | |
Pros:
i'm happy i got this (for my K-7 in 2010) especially after i also got a 3rd-party one at a quarter of the price a couple of years later (when i also added a K-5) too ...
sadly, the cheaper one was fully damaged and turned to garbage when it received its first splash of sea water at a beach ... (it's not even quite good for parts anymore! i have a report of that broken grip with photos somewhere in this forum, possibly within these pages but can't find it right now ...) ... the original Pentax grip did also undergo the same fate in the same incident, but it is still working fine after 4 or 5 years because it is splash-proof, while the cheaper 3rd-party one wasn't! (i have another problem with the original Pentax grip though, see below please ...)
Cons:
some people (including myself) consider this item a little too pricey! yes, but given its overall build and performance (especially compared to the faulty cheaper 3rd-party offers) i guess we have to agree it's reasonably priced after all ... so, i don't know if we should mention the price among the cons or pros or just leave it really!?
others have criticized the Pentax DBG-4 grip for its off-center tripod screw ... understandable, but since i don't use the camera on a tripod while its grip is attached too, not all the time at least, it's of no particular concern for me anyway, especially when the camera's going to be used in the vertical position while on the tripod and the extra bulk and weight of the grip with an extra battery inside make it rather cumbersome if a light weight tripod is in use ... speaking of the the extra bulk and weight of the grip, well, i don't criticize that item either because that's simply the way it is: attaching a grip to any camera adds to its overall bulk and weight too, right? i also agree this grip is hard to unscrew when you attach it to the camera, especially if you screw it a little too tight ... but, well, it's probably because Pentax designers and makers decided that extra tightness helps two things: a- the contact pins on the grip touch their mates on the camera's bottom plate more securely, and b- moisture and dust won't get to the 'exposed' pins and contacts ... (am i right about that Pentax / Ricoh?)
i believe the little yet important contacts plastic cap that doesn't stay in place well is really important though, because if it did stay securely in place then you wouldn't have to worry about those fragile pins when you leave the grip loosely inside a camera bag ... and then the lack of a tripod holder pin hole; well, as i said already, i don't use the camera with the grip attached on a tripod very often but that 'holder pin hole' thingy is certainly missing on the Pentax camera bodies at least! surely that's an item that's mostly needed on video cameras rather than still photography cameras, especially when used on video-specific tripods that do offer that extra holder pin (most photography tripods don't even bother with that item) but nowadays many DSLR (as well as majority of non-DSLR) cameras do video too, don't they? besides, such an item is a great help to hold a camera (and possibly its grip just as well) even sturdier, especially when the camera is mounted vertically on a video tripod ... of course i know of almost no other DSLR (or non-DSLR) photo-video cameras offering that holder pin hole, but maybe it's about time Pentax as well as everybody else started doing something about it, don't you think so?
_ _ _
lately though, i have found out there is a problem with the original Pentax grip: it's been a while its rear dial is showing erratic behavior! i have set it to control the ISO (which is the same as the camera's rear dial) but it jumps or skips between ISO settings! when i turn the camera on first and then the grip on too, it may or may not read the ISO already set on the camera correctly and when i turn the dial right or left to set the correct ISO i want, it behaves drunkenly all the time and may change the ISO in the opposite direction and in no particular order, or skip some settings just as well!
to give a clearer picture, if the camera was set @ ISO 200 when i turned it off, after i turn it on again, it's still on the same ISO because it's the only thing i want the camera's memory to retain for me when i turn the system back on later ... but when i turn the grip on too, it may set the ISO lower or higher than 200 all by itself occasionally but not always! then when i want to turn it back to 200, or merely change the ISO to another setting using the grip's rear dial, it may jump to 1600, or on the next move of the rear dial when i want to turn the ISO digits back down to reach 400 for example, it may jump to 12800 or even higher ISO settings instead of back down to 800 first and then 400 and so on ... now if i turn it the other way again and in the opposite direction to correct the error, it may go up or down as well as skipping some settings again! it malfunctions when i try to change the ± exposure compensation too!
long story short, it works so badly i just have to quit using the grip's rear dial eventually and go back to the camera's own rear dial which works just right ... all other buttons and the front dial on the grip still work fine and correctly but for the rear dial ... (my Pentax K-x's only dial on the camera's rear also started to behave erratically a while ago when trying to change the ISO or aperture!)
i have tried cleaning the dial's whereabouts and even slightly pushing a special cleaning brush a little further inside the dial's housing; cleaned the contacts on the camera's bottom plate as well as on the grip; tested it without battery, or with both weak as well as freshly recharged batteries (all genuine Pentax batteries that are still working great btw) but the problem is still there ... i switched it between K-5 and K-7 and the problem has remained unsolved! changed the order of how the two batteries are to be used, no use! (i set that option on Auto in the menu most of the time anyway, or sometimes to grip-first because that way it's easier to remove the grip's finished battery for recharging and i won't have to remove the grip to reach the other battery inside the camera itself for quite a while ...) even tried 'hard-resetting' the grip by live-removing the battery while the camera and the grip are both on, but to no avail! (the only thing i have not tried is resetting the camera to factory defaults ...)
dunno if i did the right thing to talk about this here or should i have posted it in another page of the forum, asking for help?! if anyone knows anything about this odd behavior, then please let me know too! thanks.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: September, 2014 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 1,037
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 12, 2016 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 8 |
|
It's a quality piece. Gets the job done. A grip is one accessory though where I would pony up for the real deal and skip the knock-offs.
There are no real downsides. Design-wise though I find that this grip feels more like an after thought for the k-5/k-7 line compared the the grip for the K10d/k20d line which seems to have a much more integrated design and personally I feel has better ergonomics. But I'm nit-picking here which tells you how good the D-BG4 actually is.
| | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: December, 2007 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,249
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 24, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Fits well to the body, supports AA batteries | | Cons: | off-center tripod mount, no more place for the remote, expensive | |
Overall this is a good complement to the K-5/K-7. It fits very well in the hand and it doesn't ruin the style of the body like some other makes.
Positive aspects:
- Support AA batteries through a special tray (supplied)
- Easy to attach to the camera
- Can fit a SD card (only with Li-On tray)
- Add balance for heavy lenses
- Can be turned off
Negative aspects:
- Very expensive for what it is, no wonder there are cheap 3rd party alternatives at a fraction of the price.
- Tripod mount is off-center (but I don't use it on tripod anyway)
- Add bulk to the camera (I most often use it without a battery to avoid that)
- Doesn't add any special feature (no GPS, no dual SD card or additional performance)
- The K10D grip had a place to put the wireless remote. No more.
- Wobbly attachment, the K10D grip felt more secure, it's no big deal but doesn't feel like the camera and grip are one
| | | | | amateur dirt farmer Registered: December, 2014 Location: probably out in a field somewhere... Posts: 41,766 | | Review Date: December 16, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $60.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | quality build, form, and function | | Cons: | adds to bulk of camera | |
I bought this 'used' copy from B&H and cannot tell it was ever out of the box - mounted to my K-5 IIs and away I went...
I only use the battery in the grip - not one in the body - since I want the grip for ergonomics, not extra battery life.... and it's perfect for that!
highly recommended, especially if you ever use your camera in portrait mode...
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: February, 2009 Location: Lévis, Canada (Québec) Posts: 144
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 9, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $275.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Nice fit, feels solid | | Cons: | | |
Excellent build quality, weather sealed, with all the buttons in the right place. My only complaint would be that it forces me to remove the grip if I want to remove the battery from the body. I see the advantage of that: you can remove the battery grip whenever you want to make your camera lighter, and keep shooting immediately. Since I used to shoot for long periods of time (music festivals, documentary, etc.), it ends up being more of a hassle for me.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2014 Location: Newfoundland Posts: 501
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 29, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Rock solid build quality. Superbly compliments the camera for grip. Makes a huge difference for shooting portraits. | | Cons: | Heavy. Tripod mount is off-center. Easy to over-tighten, difficult to remove if over-tightened. | |
I shoot mostly primes, so adding a grip for balance wasn't needed. I purchased the D-BG4 (pre-owned) for power supply flexibility when travelling and for workflow when shooting portraits. The retail price is expensive. The K-5II feels like a brick with the grip attached but not in a bad way. The K-5II / D-BG4 combo still fits well in my camera bag. If you plan on leaving the grip attached as I do, change your camera strap to a Crumpler Industry Disgrace and the weight will not be an issue. If you shoot in cold weather the grip is a must.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: August, 2013 Location: Iloilo City Posts: 2,276 | | Review Date: February 10, 2014 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Weather Resist, Dials and buttons are as accessible as the ones on the camera, accepts AA batteries | | Cons: | The grip can only handle one D-LI90. You have to remove the grip to have the first battery on the camera, Pricey | |
I like the grip particularly the location of the buttons and the dials. It just doesn't keep the camera balance when shooting with longer lenses but, it's really nice to shoot the camera with the grip on it. It can also provide power through AA batteries so that you can use the camera if your D-L190 battery is unavailable.
One thing I don't like is It can only accommodate one D-L190. You need to remove the grip to install the first battery on the body if you want more power on your camera.
Still highly recommended.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: February, 2009 Location: Cork Posts: 1,882
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 2, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $165.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Nice balance with heavier lenses | | Cons: | Using portrait, fingergrip not that deep | |
I can see both the pros and cons of having this. On the pro side it does balance the K-5 nicely with the heavier primes i.e. DA*55 and does lend an altogether more serious look to the body and mounted lens combo for those that take notice of that kind of thing 
Battery life is doubled and means that I can use the internal flash with impunity for over 6hrs at gigs or parties. I also like the little slot for a spare SD card.
On the con side.. weight, the look at me aspect, bulk and also the fairly uncomfortable grip while in portrait more. Obviously the base has to be flat but the indent for your fingers has too tight a radii for me and its not deep enough so it means my hand is digging into the sharpish corner. Lastly there is no dedicated space for the Remote F like the D-BG2 on the K10/20 series which is a pity.
So to sum up, if i'm using my K-5 with a DA* prime or zoom I will use the grip, if I have a Limited mounted I will take the grip off for the more discrete look  , means my K-5 has a Jekyll and Hyde personality.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2011 Location: ON, RH Posts: 2,181
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 10, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $275.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Fits nicely and works without flaws | | Cons: | Very expensive and missing remote compartiment (as on k10d grip) | |
A great tool that will improve your portrait photography.
Controls are placed in good position and intuitive. Except at the beginning when I had to get use to the placement, I have never looked at them again. Camera is still nicely balanced.
The battery door seems a little flimsy and I always handle it with care because I am afraid not to brake the little knob that you twist to open/close. Very light and I like that it comes with an additional door that holds AA batteries (mind you I've never used it though).
Things I miss - the compartment for the remote control. I've found that very useful on my K10D.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2013 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 391
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 22, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Well built, solid, matches body well, ascetically pleasing | | Cons: | Pricey, plastic-y | |
Overall, this battery grip is amazing... I first bought an off brand one of these (Bower) and had all kinda of problems with it, from the e-dials not working correctly, to it messing with the AF system while it wasn't even on, etc, etc. I decided for $100 more I may just as well get the OEM one, and I am rather glad I did. However I may be sending it back due to its high price, I may also be keeping it for the reason I bought it... Because Pentax is using this thing called 'PRO-SUMER SIZE' and I hate it... The K-5 is a little to small to comfortably fit in my hand, so I got this to make it more comfortable to hold and it does just that and then some! While it is made of plastic, it's rugged, and has a fair weight to it, which really help with my bigger/older lenses, such as my 28-300 Sigma, however, it still isn't heavy enough to balance out my 21-35mm Sigma  It makes the camera look THAT much better. And it really just takes me back to my days of using my K-10D (I really like the heavy camera body). Looks great, feels great, works great, is great, however VERY pricey for what it is... I think if Pentax were to reduce the price of this by even $50 it would be a much bigger turn on to so many more people.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: May, 2010 Location: Hong Kong / Irvine, CA Posts: 636 | | Review Date: January 18, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $140.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | very well build and feels | | Cons: | pricy | |
I got it used.
what you paid is what you got.
I used the 3rd part one.
This one feels much better and looks much better, with WR.
If you use the grip all the time, definitely worth it to invest the money on this genuine one.
It would be better if they can put a slot to fit the remote like the BG2
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2010 Location: Manila Posts: 2,185 | | Review Date: January 4, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $182.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | WR, ergonomic controls, light, sturdy | | Cons: | tripod mount | |
The Pentax DBG-4 is one of the greatest innovations from Pentax, I think.
Build and construction:
It's weather-sealed to complement the K-7 and K-5, adding more security. What I like about it is that it fits to the body without ever having to take off the battery compartment door as opposed to some Canon/Nikon models, making it easier to carry off the body too. The grip also sports nice rubber areas for easier handling, designed as well with the depressed portion like the grip in the body for the middle finger to settle in. Although it's not made of magnesium alloy as the body, it still feels tough and dependable, with all points looking secure, even the top screws.
The battery cradles require a little pushing when being inserted into the grip, but all in all it only provides a better sense of security. Two guide pins ensure the grip is installed properly on the body, and also eliminate chances of the grip moving due to accidental bumps.
The additional SD card storage space in the D-LI90 cradle provides an excellent spot for hiding a backup card in case another is immediately needed, but it would've been better if it was an actual SD card slot.
Controls:
It adds 7 control points aside the power switch, namely 2 e-dials, the Optical preview switch, EV compensation, ISO, AF and green button, making control as easy as it is when held in vertical position. This is very handy as my hand can get to the basic controls I want without having to look. It would've been nice if it had the top screen too... but that would be stupid also, lol.
Operation:
Everything operates as it would on the body. So far no leaks or any malfunction with my K-5 IIs. I find it a bit awkward when I put it on my tripod though... the weight shifts to the other side so I have to make some adjustments.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2010 Location: New York Posts: 1,071 | | Review Date: April 27, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Makes camera easier to hold, duplicates controls for vertical shooting, allows extra battery or AAs to be used | | Cons: | None | |
Used on Pentax K-5. This makes the camera considerably easier to hold, since it extends the normal grip downward, and it makes vertical shooting easier because of the duplicated controls. It also enables an extra rechargeable battery to be used, or AA batteries should both rechargeable batteries run out (very unlikely). Highly recommended.
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