Battery grip for K-X?

FattyMcJ · 04-07-2010, 09:05 PM

Originally posted by flippedgazelle

The problem (from Pentax's POV) is that the availability of a grip for the K-x might dissuade a few folks from a K7.

Ah, good point.

But on the flip side, for those wanting a more robust "pro-ish" camera...would a grip be enough to persuade someone to buy the cheaper (lesser) K-x from a K-7?

Personally, yes, it would. But I'm by no means a "pro"

jct us101 · 04-07-2010, 09:07 PM

The K-x isn't really a grippy kind of camera. It takes away the small form factor of it. I guess the same could be said about the Canon Rebel series, and they all have grips avaliable, but with the AA batteries in the K-x I would assume the grip connections would be a little harder to do for Pentax.

SMPhoto · 04-07-2010, 09:08 PM

Truthfully, I'd be happy with just a third-party 'chinacon' grip for the K2000 and K-x that has nothing more than a shutter release. I don't need any of those other, silly features.. :P

phzy2003 · 04-07-2010, 10:15 PM

maybe not, because there is nothing can connect with the grip on the body

rawr · 04-10-2010, 02:26 AM

Pentax isn't unique in not giving the K-x a battery grip option. It's worth noting that in Nikon-land, entry level DSLR's like the D3000 and D5000 also do not have battery grip options.

flippedgazelle · 04-10-2010, 09:26 AM

Originally posted by rawr

Pentax isn't unique in not giving the K-x a battery grip option. It's worth noting that in Nikon-land, entry level DSLR's like the D3000 and D5000 also do not have battery grip options.

Yeah, but a 3rd party grip is available for $50.

Battery Grip for Nikon D5000 + 2x EN-EL9a

knoxploration · 04-10-2010, 11:08 AM

Originally posted by flippedgazelle

Yeah, but a 3rd party grip is available for $50.

Battery Grip for Nikon D5000 + 2x EN-EL9a

The likelihood of third party accessories for any product increases with the sales of the product in question (and other products on which the same accessory can be used, obviously).

aerodynamics · 04-10-2010, 11:36 AM

As much as I'd like to see a K-x vertical grip - third party or otherwise - it won't happen. Or rather, it would be pointless. In order to have a shutter release, it would have to implement some sort of IR/remote function since the K-x doesn't have the jack for cable release. This would not only be costly for R&D, it would be unreliable as your hand could block the IR's line of sight. Producing a grip without shutter release means you'd have to use your left hand to press the shutter button, which is now on the left due to vertical orientation. It would be a real awkward way to shoot.

Not saying it's impossible, but I doubt it will happen.

knoxploration · 04-10-2010, 01:00 PM

Originally posted by aerodynamics

In order to have a shutter release, it would have to implement some sort of IR/remote function since the K-x doesn't have the jack for cable release. This would not only be costly for R&D, it would be unreliable as your hand could block the IR's line of sight. Producing a grip without shutter release means you'd have to use your left hand to press the shutter button, which is now on the left due to vertical orientation. It would be a real awkward way to shoot.

As noted by somebody earlier in the thread, a grip with IR shutter release would also preclude use of image stabilization, given that the K-x assumes if you're using the IR remote, the camera must be mounted on a tripod (usually a pretty fair assumption). It hence automatically disables stabilization whenever the IR remote is in use.

rawr · 04-20-2010, 11:14 PM

Anyone used this Travor battery grip on the K-x?

DealExtreme: $68.20 Travor 2200mAh P100Pro Li-Ion Battery Vertical Grip with Charger for Pentax K100D/Samsung GX100

It looks as if it might fit on the K-x, maybe with a bit of a wiggle and a tweak.

knoxploration · 04-20-2010, 11:47 PM

Originally posted by rawr

Anyone used this Travor battery grip on the K-x?

It looks as if it might fit on the K-x, maybe with a bit of a wiggle and a tweak.

You'd have to wiggle it pretty darn hard, given that the battery door will be in the way (and there's nowhere for it to go). ;-)

rawr · 04-21-2010, 02:31 AM

Originally posted by knoxploration

You'd have to wiggle it pretty darn hard, given that the battery door will be in the way (and there's nowhere for it to go). ;-)

They got around that problem. The battery door stays fully open and attached to the camera, and just slides into the open slot you can see behind the battery stack on the grip. That's how it works with the K100D and it could easily work the same way with the K-x, I guess.

The instruction sheet (visible below) describe how it works. It says at (4) 'insert the battery chamber cover into the camera battery chamber cover storage slot'...

The slot, as can be seen below, certainly seems big enough to accommodate the camera battery compartment door on the K-x:

knoxploration · 04-21-2010, 09:43 AM

Originally posted by rawr

They got around that problem. The battery door stays fully open and attached to the camera, and just slides into the open slot you can see behind the battery stack on the grip. That's how it works with the K100D and it could easily work the same way with the K-x, I guess.

The instruction sheet (visible below) describe how it works. It says at (4) 'insert the battery chamber cover into the camera battery chamber cover storage slot'...

The slot, as can be seen below, certainly seems big enough to accommodate the camera battery compartment door on the K-x:

Ah, didn't notice the slot. I'd say it's pretty unlikely it'll fit - it'd rely on the distance between the tripod mount and battery locations being identical *and* the battery door being the same size or smaller, and the same distance from the tripod mount, *and* the battery door and batteries having identical orientation with respect to each other.

That's a lot of ands - and they're not likely to pan out for you given that the K100D / K110D are bigger than the K-x in every dimension, and have a different battery door design.

gkreth · 04-21-2010, 11:55 AM

knoxploration said:

Quote:

Ah, didn't notice the slot. I'd say it's pretty unlikely it'll fit - it'd rely on the distance between the tripod mount and battery locations being identical *and* the battery door being the same size or smaller, and the same distance from the tripod mount, *and* the battery door and batteries having identical orientation with respect to each other.

That's a lot of ands - and they're not likely to pan out for you given that the K100D / K110D are bigger than the K-x in every dimension, and have a different battery door design.

But, perhaps some clever person will develop a 3rd-party K-x battery grip using a similar design - just different measurements, to fit the K-x's dimensions....

Greg

knoxploration · 04-21-2010, 02:31 PM

Originally posted by gkreth

But, perhaps some clever person will develop a 3rd-party K-x battery grip using a similar design - just different measurements, to fit the K-x's dimensions....

As was discussed, that's possible but unlikely.

* Firstly because a grip doesn't match the design ethos of the camera (what's the point of getting such a small camera only to increase the size by a third for the grip).

* Secondly, because the grip can't have any controls on it (except maybe a compromised shutter button which works by IR remote, and I say compromised because that would require a bulge on the back of the camera so the IR transmitter could be seen by the receiver, wouldn't work if your hand got in the way, and wouldn't allow use of image stabilization).

* Thirdly because the grip removes the ability to use the AA batteries, hence meaning that to have any meaningful improvement in battery life, you've basically got to have enough power in the grip to replace that achievable by the AAs *and* whatever extra you want (unlike most standard grips that add their power to the camera's own) - meaning that either there's likely to be no improvement in battery life, or a very heavy grip.

Those three things combine to make it a fairly redundant product, of use only to people who solely want batteries other than AAs. For people who want portrait controls, compactness, or extended battery life it's unlikely to be of any use.

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04-07-2010, 09:05 PM	#31
FattyMcJ Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Littleton, CO Posts: 84	Originally posted by flippedgazelle The problem (from Pentax's POV) is that the availability of a grip for the K-x might dissuade a few folks from a K7. Ah, good point. But on the flip side, for those wanting a more robust "pro-ish" camera...would a grip be enough to persuade someone to buy the cheaper (lesser) K-x from a K-7? Personally, yes, it would. But I'm by no means a "pro"

04-07-2010, 09:07 PM	#32
jct us101 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 3,793	The K-x isn't really a grippy kind of camera. It takes away the small form factor of it. I guess the same could be said about the Canon Rebel series, and they all have grips avaliable, but with the AA batteries in the K-x I would assume the grip connections would be a little harder to do for Pentax.

04-07-2010, 09:08 PM	#33
SMPhoto Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ Photos: Gallery Posts: 185	Truthfully, I'd be happy with just a third-party 'chinacon' grip for the K2000 and K-x that has nothing more than a shutter release. I don't need any of those other, silly features.. :P

04-07-2010, 10:15 PM	#34
phzy2003 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Gold Coast, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 167	maybe not, because there is nothing can connect with the grip on the body

04-10-2010, 02:26 AM	#35
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Pentax isn't unique in not giving the K-x a battery grip option. It's worth noting that in Nikon-land, entry level DSLR's like the D3000 and D5000 also do not have battery grip options.

04-10-2010, 09:26 AM	#36
flippedgazelle Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NJ, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 1,270	Originally posted by rawr Pentax isn't unique in not giving the K-x a battery grip option. It's worth noting that in Nikon-land, entry level DSLR's like the D3000 and D5000 also do not have battery grip options. Yeah, but a 3rd party grip is available for $50. Battery Grip for Nikon D5000 + 2x EN-EL9a

04-10-2010, 11:08 AM	#37
knoxploration Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Posts: 846	Originally posted by flippedgazelle Yeah, but a 3rd party grip is available for $50. Battery Grip for Nikon D5000 + 2x EN-EL9a The likelihood of third party accessories for any product increases with the sales of the product in question (and other products on which the same accessory can be used, obviously).

04-10-2010, 11:36 AM	#38
aerodynamics New Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: San Francisco Posts: 16	As much as I'd like to see a K-x vertical grip - third party or otherwise - it won't happen. Or rather, it would be pointless. In order to have a shutter release, it would have to implement some sort of IR/remote function since the K-x doesn't have the jack for cable release. This would not only be costly for R&D, it would be unreliable as your hand could block the IR's line of sight. Producing a grip without shutter release means you'd have to use your left hand to press the shutter button, which is now on the left due to vertical orientation. It would be a real awkward way to shoot. Not saying it's impossible, but I doubt it will happen.

04-10-2010, 01:00 PM	#39
knoxploration Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Posts: 846	Originally posted by aerodynamics In order to have a shutter release, it would have to implement some sort of IR/remote function since the K-x doesn't have the jack for cable release. This would not only be costly for R&D, it would be unreliable as your hand could block the IR's line of sight. Producing a grip without shutter release means you'd have to use your left hand to press the shutter button, which is now on the left due to vertical orientation. It would be a real awkward way to shoot. As noted by somebody earlier in the thread, a grip with IR shutter release would also preclude use of image stabilization, given that the K-x assumes if you're using the IR remote, the camera must be mounted on a tripod (usually a pretty fair assumption). It hence automatically disables stabilization whenever the IR remote is in use.

04-20-2010, 11:14 PM	#40
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Anyone used this Travor battery grip on the K-x? DealExtreme: $68.20 Travor 2200mAh P100Pro Li-Ion Battery Vertical Grip with Charger for Pentax K100D/Samsung GX100 It looks as if it might fit on the K-x, maybe with a bit of a wiggle and a tweak.

04-20-2010, 11:47 PM	#41
knoxploration Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Posts: 846	Originally posted by rawr Anyone used this Travor battery grip on the K-x? It looks as if it might fit on the K-x, maybe with a bit of a wiggle and a tweak. You'd have to wiggle it pretty darn hard, given that the battery door will be in the way (and there's nowhere for it to go). ;-)

04-21-2010, 02:31 AM	#42
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Originally posted by knoxploration You'd have to wiggle it pretty darn hard, given that the battery door will be in the way (and there's nowhere for it to go). ;-) They got around that problem. The battery door stays fully open and attached to the camera, and just slides into the open slot you can see behind the battery stack on the grip. That's how it works with the K100D and it could easily work the same way with the K-x, I guess. The instruction sheet (visible below) describe how it works. It says at (4) 'insert the battery chamber cover into the camera battery chamber cover storage slot'... The slot, as can be seen below, certainly seems big enough to accommodate the camera battery compartment door on the K-x:

04-21-2010, 09:43 AM	#43
knoxploration Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Posts: 846	Originally posted by rawr They got around that problem. The battery door stays fully open and attached to the camera, and just slides into the open slot you can see behind the battery stack on the grip. That's how it works with the K100D and it could easily work the same way with the K-x, I guess. The instruction sheet (visible below) describe how it works. It says at (4) 'insert the battery chamber cover into the camera battery chamber cover storage slot'... The slot, as can be seen below, certainly seems big enough to accommodate the camera battery compartment door on the K-x: Ah, didn't notice the slot. I'd say it's pretty unlikely it'll fit - it'd rely on the distance between the tripod mount and battery locations being identical and the battery door being the same size or smaller, and the same distance from the tripod mount, and the battery door and batteries having identical orientation with respect to each other. That's a lot of ands - and they're not likely to pan out for you given that the K100D / K110D are bigger than the K-x in every dimension, and have a different battery door design.

04-21-2010, 11:55 AM	#44
gkreth Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 68	knoxploration said: Quote: Ah, didn't notice the slot. I'd say it's pretty unlikely it'll fit - it'd rely on the distance between the tripod mount and battery locations being identical and the battery door being the same size or smaller, and the same distance from the tripod mount, and the battery door and batteries having identical orientation with respect to each other. That's a lot of ands - and they're not likely to pan out for you given that the K100D / K110D are bigger than the K-x in every dimension, and have a different battery door design. But, perhaps some clever person will develop a 3rd-party K-x battery grip using a similar design - just different measurements, to fit the K-x's dimensions.... Greg

04-21-2010, 02:31 PM	#45
knoxploration Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Posts: 846	Originally posted by gkreth But, perhaps some clever person will develop a 3rd-party K-x battery grip using a similar design - just different measurements, to fit the K-x's dimensions.... As was discussed, that's possible but unlikely. * Firstly because a grip doesn't match the design ethos of the camera (what's the point of getting such a small camera only to increase the size by a third for the grip). * Secondly, because the grip can't have any controls on it (except maybe a compromised shutter button which works by IR remote, and I say compromised because that would require a bulge on the back of the camera so the IR transmitter could be seen by the receiver, wouldn't work if your hand got in the way, and wouldn't allow use of image stabilization). * Thirdly because the grip removes the ability to use the AA batteries, hence meaning that to have any meaningful improvement in battery life, you've basically got to have enough power in the grip to replace that achievable by the AAs and whatever extra you want (unlike most standard grips that add their power to the camera's own) - meaning that either there's likely to be no improvement in battery life, or a very heavy grip. Those three things combine to make it a fairly redundant product, of use only to people who solely want batteries other than AAs. For people who want portrait controls, compactness, or extended battery life it's unlikely to be of any use.