Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!

DogLover · 10-10-2013, 03:49 PM

Originally posted by jatrax

I've never used a grip, I think it might be useful for me taking portrait shots, but I always have a tripod quick release plate on the camera so how does the grip work with a plate? Do you have to take off the plate to put on the grip? If so, that's a deal breaker for me.

Yeah, you have to keep the plate on the grip. My wrist/hand strap attachment is also my QR plate, so it works great for me. But if I was someone who only occasionally wanted the grip, then it would be a hassle.

**Ex Finn.** · 10-10-2013, 03:49 PM

The grip gives more control and makes the already superb ergonomics even better.
As far as the extra battery goes, it is nice to have but I always fill my 16 gig. San-disk before running out of juice

Vylen · 10-10-2013, 03:52 PM

Originally posted by Ex Finn.

The grip gives more control and makes the already superb ergonomics even better.
As far as the extra battery goes, it is nice to have but I always fill my 16 gig. San-disk before running out of juice

The dual SD card slots might help you a bit then

**Ex Finn.** · 10-10-2013, 03:56 PM

Originally posted by Vylen

The dual SD card slots might help you a bit then

I know, I want it...resistance could prove to be futile

.

alan_smithee_photos · 10-10-2013, 04:21 PM

Like several others here I always use the grip. Better ergonomics (for me), love never worrying about having enough juice, convenient storage for an extra card (yes I'd prefer a real extra slot). The camera feels so *dinky* without it!

krebsy75 · 10-10-2013, 04:51 PM

The grip is 50/50 for me. It detracts from the camera's portability. The off-center tripod thread is annoying. And you need a bracket when shooting portraits on a tripod.

DogLover · 10-10-2013, 05:05 PM

Originally posted by krebsy75

And you need a bracket when shooting portraits on a tripod.

Not really. I just knock mine over in the slot on my ballhead. With any decent tripod it doesn't cause any stability issues. Though I get that a bracket does make it easier to make small adjustments, I think you really only NEED a bracket if you're doing panos in portrait position. My ballhead is flexible enough to make a bracket an extravagance. Though I'd probably still buy one if somebody made one that wasn't exorbitantly priced and fit the K-5/K-3 with a grip.

**rbefly** · 10-10-2013, 05:06 PM

To the OP,
It's just a matter of choice. If you don't see a need for it, nothing we say here will convince you.
Some like' em some don't. That's why they're an option.
Pentax bodies are generally smaller than most DSLR's and my last two fingers seem to get lost looking for a place to hang onto that's comfortable. This dates back to the film days, until I tried a winder on my ME Super and never looked back. I have a winder or grip for every body I own and never leave home without them. I actually don't use the winder in continuous mode, it's just there as a grip.
FWIW, I have run out the main battery several times, at car shows, air shows and concerts. 300 + frames in RAW+ will chew up the MAh pretty quick, not to mention (Oh, My Gawd!) chimping. Video and on-board flash are major energy-eaters too.
So, you go ahead and carry your spare battery (and spare SD card?) in your pocket. I'll carry mine in the grip.
Last, I don't shoot verticals as much as some, but when I do, it's very handy to NOT contort my wrist and fingers across the right side of the body, to reach the shutter. Have you tried this? Pretty uncomfortable, isn't it?
In addition to the (vertical orientation) shutter release, there's a button for ISO, Exposure Compensation, AE lock, AF button, Green button, front and rear thumb wheels and on/off/DOF switch. Same major controls as landscape orientation.
But, hey, different horses for different courses.
Ron

jon404 · 10-10-2013, 05:23 PM

@sledger -- re grip for K-30 and K-01... well, just my 'fake' grip, the round Slik tripod quick-release plates I keep attached to the cameras. Give you something to hang on to. Buy a K-3? Not right now... but maybe a K-IIs if the price gets down to around US $500. Crazy, isn't it? Th K-5 II and IIs were new just a year ago, weren't they? Tough business to be in.

@rbefly -- 300+ shots at car shows... so true. So many cars, so little time to take pictures! Yes, I can understand how the battery grip would help. But you might need to hire a helper to sort through all those pictures. This is probably an unsolvable problem... because at a good car show, they are ALL interesting!

@everybody -- am noting how important the ergonomics are here -- how that grip helps you hold the camera, for a variety of reasons. Maybe Pentax should make a modified K-3 with the grip as an integral part of the camera...

tabl10s · 10-10-2013, 05:46 PM

Originally posted by rbefly

To the OP,
It's just a matter of choice. If you don't see a need for it, nothing we say here will convince you.
Some like' em some don't. That's why they're an option.
Pentax bodies are generally smaller than most DSLR's and my last two fingers seem to get lost looking for a place to hang onto that's comfortable. This dates back to the film days, until I tried a winder on my ME Super and never looked back. I have a winder or grip for every body I own and never leave home without them. I actually don't use the winder in continuous mode, it's just there as a grip.
FWIW, I have run out the main battery several times, at car shows, air shows and concerts. 300 + frames in RAW+ will chew up the MAh pretty quick, not to mention (Oh, My Gawd!) chimping. Video and on-board flash are major energy-eaters too.
So, you go ahead and carry your spare battery (and spare SD card?) in your pocket. I'll carry mine in the grip.
Last, I don't shoot verticals as much as some, but when I do, it's very handy to NOT contort my wrist and fingers across the right side of the body, to reach the shutter. Have you tried this? Pretty uncomfortable, isn't it?
In addition to the (vertical orientation) shutter release, there's a button for ISO, Exposure Compensation, AE lock, AF button, Green button, front and rear thumb wheels and on/off/DOF switch. Same major controls as landscape orientation.
But, hey, different horses for different courses.
Ron

Both K-5's...fully gripped with batteries plus two Li-ON's and about 12 extra Eneloops and all the lenses I ownincluding two Metz 58's(except the '77/'31/'21/'15 quad I just sold)carried every time i go out.

PePe · 10-10-2013, 05:58 PM

I shoot a lot with long and heavy telephoto lenses. The grip makes the combo a lot easier to handle. The extra battery capacity iis a plus out in the wilderness.

**Eric Auer** · 10-10-2013, 06:14 PM

Originally posted by tabl10s

Both K-5's...fully gripped with batteries plus two Li-ON's and about 12 extra Eneloops and all the lenses I ownincluding two Metz 58's(except the '77/'31/'21/'15 quad I just sold)carried every time i go out.

Why?

I hope its not separation anxiety......

skyoftexas · 10-10-2013, 06:21 PM

Originally posted by jon404

Years ago, I had a Nikon FM-3a with the Nikon battery winder/grip. That was a film camera; the autowinder grip made it easy to take pictures fast... which made it valuable even though it added a lot of weight.

Digital is different, though, If I can get 300 pictures off one regular battery, and then carry a backup in my shirt pocket, why on earth would I need to put up with all that extra weight?

I guess it's for the video people, so they could run out the full 25-minute recording time, swap in a few more AA batteries, and shoot that scene over again. If the Pentax HD format is close to or the same as Hollywood's 4K video standard, the K-3 would make a GREAT field camera for nasty, watery, muddy on-location filming. See 4K resolution - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I've considered getting a grip just because I like the way they look on cameras. But I wouldn't like the weight, or the amount of room they would take up in my camera bag. I rarely run out of juice until 1/4 of a way into my second 16 GB card, so we're talking 700 plus images. I'm sure the vertical position would feel good, but I think the Pentax in-camera level is the most helpful tool for shooting verticals. Don't have any heavy zooms, but I could see how a grip could help balance one. Hmmm.

Steve.Ledger · 10-10-2013, 06:44 PM

Originally posted by jon404

maybe a K-IIs if the price gets down to around US $500. Crazy, isn't it? Th K-5 II and IIs were new just a year ago, weren't they?

It's about choice isn't it. I doubt you'll see any new K-5II bodies selling at that price unless the 'Pentax Holy Grail' is released next year.

But you might pick up a pre loved body around that price.

SpecialK · 10-10-2013, 06:48 PM

I have a grip for the K20D and used it all the time. Besides the battery, it holds an extra SD card and the remote.

No spot for the remote in a K5D grip so I do not have one for it.

10-10-2013, 03:56 PM	#19
Ex Finn. Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Maryland. Espoo. Kouvola. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,975	Originally posted by Vylen The dual SD card slots might help you a bit then I know, I want it...resistance could prove to be futile.

10-10-2013, 05:06 PM	#23
rbefly Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Denver, Colorado Photos: Albums Posts: 2,030	Get A Grip! To the OP, It's just a matter of choice. If you don't see a need for it, nothing we say here will convince you. Some like' em some don't. That's why they're an option. Pentax bodies are generally smaller than most DSLR's and my last two fingers seem to get lost looking for a place to hang onto that's comfortable. This dates back to the film days, until I tried a winder on my ME Super and never looked back. I have a winder or grip for every body I own and never leave home without them. I actually don't use the winder in continuous mode, it's just there as a grip. FWIW, I have run out the main battery several times, at car shows, air shows and concerts. 300 + frames in RAW+ will chew up the MAh pretty quick, not to mention (Oh, My Gawd!) chimping. Video and on-board flash are major energy-eaters too. So, you go ahead and carry your spare battery (and spare SD card?) in your pocket. I'll carry mine in the grip. Last, I don't shoot verticals as much as some, but when I do, it's very handy to NOT contort my wrist and fingers across the right side of the body, to reach the shutter. Have you tried this? Pretty uncomfortable, isn't it? In addition to the (vertical orientation) shutter release, there's a button for ISO, Exposure Compensation, AE lock, AF button, Green button, front and rear thumb wheels and on/off/DOF switch. Same major controls as landscape orientation. But, hey, different horses for different courses. Ron

10-10-2013, 05:23 PM	#24
jon404 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 696 Original Poster	@sledger -- re grip for K-30 and K-01... well, just my 'fake' grip, the round Slik tripod quick-release plates I keep attached to the cameras. Give you something to hang on to. Buy a K-3? Not right now... but maybe a K-IIs if the price gets down to around US $500. Crazy, isn't it? Th K-5 II and IIs were new just a year ago, weren't they? Tough business to be in. @rbefly -- 300+ shots at car shows... so true. So many cars, so little time to take pictures! Yes, I can understand how the battery grip would help. But you might need to hire a helper to sort through all those pictures. This is probably an unsolvable problem... because at a good car show, they are ALL interesting! @everybody -- am noting how important the ergonomics are here -- how that grip helps you hold the camera, for a variety of reasons. Maybe Pentax should make a modified K-3 with the grip as an integral part of the camera... Last edited by jon404; 10-10-2013 at 05:31 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Do You Need Permission To Take A Photo With A Chair In It? You Might In France...	interested_observer	Photographic Technique	25	03-02-2012 11:14 AM
Do you Do you use AA battery tray in your battery grip?	LFLee	Pentax K-5 & K-5 II	16	02-04-2012 11:23 PM
Got it! How do you load battery in BG-4?	schmally	Pentax DSLR Discussion	7	10-01-2009 05:25 PM
Camera collection-what do you have + how do you show it?	lesmore49	Photographic Technique	23	05-26-2009 10:43 PM
Do I really need a flash/battery grip?	paolojackson	Flashes, Lighting, and Studio	17	12-17-2007 03:52 PM

10-10-2013, 03:49 PM	#16
DogLover Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 2,054	Originally posted by jatrax I've never used a grip, I think it might be useful for me taking portrait shots, but I always have a tripod quick release plate on the camera so how does the grip work with a plate? Do you have to take off the plate to put on the grip? If so, that's a deal breaker for me. Yeah, you have to keep the plate on the grip. My wrist/hand strap attachment is also my QR plate, so it works great for me. But if I was someone who only occasionally wanted the grip, then it would be a hassle.

10-10-2013, 03:49 PM	#17
Ex Finn. Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Maryland. Espoo. Kouvola. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,975	The grip gives more control and makes the already superb ergonomics even better. As far as the extra battery goes, it is nice to have but I always fill my 16 gig. San-disk before running out of juice

10-10-2013, 03:52 PM	#18
Vylen Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,262	Originally posted by Ex Finn. The grip gives more control and makes the already superb ergonomics even better. As far as the extra battery goes, it is nice to have but I always fill my 16 gig. San-disk before running out of juice The dual SD card slots might help you a bit then

10-10-2013, 04:21 PM	#20
alan_smithee_photos Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 844	Like several others here I always use the grip. Better ergonomics (for me), love never worrying about having enough juice, convenient storage for an extra card (yes I'd prefer a real extra slot). The camera feels so dinky without it!

10-10-2013, 04:51 PM	#21
krebsy75 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Chester County, Pa. Posts: 804	The grip is 50/50 for me. It detracts from the camera's portability. The off-center tripod thread is annoying. And you need a bracket when shooting portraits on a tripod.

10-10-2013, 05:05 PM	#22
DogLover Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 2,054	Originally posted by krebsy75 And you need a bracket when shooting portraits on a tripod. Not really. I just knock mine over in the slot on my ballhead. With any decent tripod it doesn't cause any stability issues. Though I get that a bracket does make it easier to make small adjustments, I think you really only NEED a bracket if you're doing panos in portrait position. My ballhead is flexible enough to make a bracket an extravagance. Though I'd probably still buy one if somebody made one that wasn't exorbitantly priced and fit the K-5/K-3 with a grip.

10-10-2013, 05:46 PM	#25
tabl10s Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Sacramento(formerly from B'Ham, England). Posts: 1,424	Originally posted by rbefly To the OP, It's just a matter of choice. If you don't see a need for it, nothing we say here will convince you. Some like' em some don't. That's why they're an option. Pentax bodies are generally smaller than most DSLR's and my last two fingers seem to get lost looking for a place to hang onto that's comfortable. This dates back to the film days, until I tried a winder on my ME Super and never looked back. I have a winder or grip for every body I own and never leave home without them. I actually don't use the winder in continuous mode, it's just there as a grip. FWIW, I have run out the main battery several times, at car shows, air shows and concerts. 300 + frames in RAW+ will chew up the MAh pretty quick, not to mention (Oh, My Gawd!) chimping. Video and on-board flash are major energy-eaters too. So, you go ahead and carry your spare battery (and spare SD card?) in your pocket. I'll carry mine in the grip. Last, I don't shoot verticals as much as some, but when I do, it's very handy to NOT contort my wrist and fingers across the right side of the body, to reach the shutter. Have you tried this? Pretty uncomfortable, isn't it? In addition to the (vertical orientation) shutter release, there's a button for ISO, Exposure Compensation, AE lock, AF button, Green button, front and rear thumb wheels and on/off/DOF switch. Same major controls as landscape orientation. But, hey, different horses for different courses. Ron Both K-5's...fully gripped with batteries plus two Li-ON's and about 12 extra Eneloops and all the lenses I ownincluding two Metz 58's(except the '77/'31/'21/'15 quad I just sold)carried every time i go out.

10-10-2013, 05:58 PM	#26
PePe Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Helsinki, Finland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 597	I shoot a lot with long and heavy telephoto lenses. The grip makes the combo a lot easier to handle. The extra battery capacity iis a plus out in the wilderness.

10-10-2013, 06:14 PM	#27
Eric Auer Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,211	Originally posted by tabl10s Both K-5's...fully gripped with batteries plus two Li-ON's and about 12 extra Eneloops and all the lenses I ownincluding two Metz 58's(except the '77/'31/'21/'15 quad I just sold)carried every time i go out. Why? I hope its not separation anxiety......

10-10-2013, 06:21 PM	#28
skyoftexas Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: United States Posts: 156	Originally posted by jon404 Years ago, I had a Nikon FM-3a with the Nikon battery winder/grip. That was a film camera; the autowinder grip made it easy to take pictures fast... which made it valuable even though it added a lot of weight. Digital is different, though, If I can get 300 pictures off one regular battery, and then carry a backup in my shirt pocket, why on earth would I need to put up with all that extra weight? I guess it's for the video people, so they could run out the full 25-minute recording time, swap in a few more AA batteries, and shoot that scene over again. If the Pentax HD format is close to or the same as Hollywood's 4K video standard, the K-3 would make a GREAT field camera for nasty, watery, muddy on-location filming. See 4K resolution - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I've considered getting a grip just because I like the way they look on cameras. But I wouldn't like the weight, or the amount of room they would take up in my camera bag. I rarely run out of juice until 1/4 of a way into my second 16 GB card, so we're talking 700 plus images. I'm sure the vertical position would feel good, but I think the Pentax in-camera level is the most helpful tool for shooting verticals. Don't have any heavy zooms, but I could see how a grip could help balance one. Hmmm.

10-10-2013, 06:44 PM	#29
Steve.Ledger Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Far North Qld Posts: 3,301	Originally posted by jon404 maybe a K-IIs if the price gets down to around US $500. Crazy, isn't it? Th K-5 II and IIs were new just a year ago, weren't they? It's about choice isn't it. I doubt you'll see any new K-5II bodies selling at that price unless the 'Pentax Holy Grail' is released next year. But you might pick up a pre loved body around that price.

10-10-2013, 06:48 PM	#30
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,482	I have a grip for the K20D and used it all the time. Besides the battery, it holds an extra SD card and the remote. No spot for the remote in a K5D grip so I do not have one for it.

Battery grip -- do you need it?

Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!