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01-10-2017, 02:02 AM   #1
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Pentax K3 3rd party battery grip

Hi all!

I'm having issues with a 3rd party battery grip for the K3 (CS - Cameron Sino) bought on Amazon.
The grip fits nicely, all buttons/dials work but the grip battery (OEM or Hahnel) don't work that well!

The battery status bar sometimes just drops to 1 bar or empty for the grip battery! If the battery caddy is reinstalled it's full again!
The contacts on the batteries and the grip are fine and making a good contact!

Would an OEM grip solve that problem? Because I can't be without one

01-10-2017, 02:36 AM   #2
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I wonder if there's a short somewhere? I have an OEM grip for my K-5 and that certainly works very well.
01-10-2017, 02:40 AM   #3
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You have a choice in the menu, spanner page 3, to select battery. You have the choice of Auto ( both batteries used together ) or body first, or grip first. Seems to me like you have grip first set. Hope this is the information you need.
01-10-2017, 03:14 AM   #4
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It's on the grip first!

The issue is that the battery drops down in less than 1h of use before the camera switches to the internal battery. Can't even do 200 shots with the grip battery (OEM or Hanhnel inserted) it makes 0 difference!


Last edited by Pentax_SLO; 01-10-2017 at 03:28 AM.
01-10-2017, 03:39 AM   #5
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It sounds like something in the grip is either drawing more current than it should and draining the battery, or providing an incorrect reading of the battery capacity.

Unfortunately, quality control on some of these inexpensive 3rd party products can be quite hit and miss (I had one for my K-5 that worked fine except that the rear control wheel had two spots where it didn't change the value). Then again, some of these products are just poorly designed (I returned two Yongnuo lenses for my Canon film SLR because they caused battery drain even with the camera switched off ).

I use the Pentax D-BG5 on both my K-3 and K-3II without the problem you're experiencing, using both OEM and 3rd party batteries.
01-10-2017, 03:46 AM   #6
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Will do some tests to see if the grip is the culprit!

I would bet on the incorrect reading for the battery but isn't this a job of the camera not the grip?
01-10-2017, 03:59 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by Pentax_SLO Quote
Will do some tests to see if the grip is the culprit!

I would bet on the incorrect reading for the battery but isn't this a job of the camera not the grip?
I don't know whether the camera reads the battery status directly through the grip terminals, or if the grip reads it and passes the values to the camera.

You mention that the terminals on the grip are fine, but I'd recommend cleaning them with isopropyl alcohol or an alcohol wipe... same for the terminals on the underside of the camera body. I've had several occasions where those contacts looked clean, but the grip didn't function at all until I cleaned them, so it's worth doing this just to be certain it's not a grip-to-camera contact issue.

01-10-2017, 05:25 AM - 1 Like   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
I don't know whether the camera reads the battery status directly through the grip terminals, or if the grip reads it and passes the values to the camera.

You mention that the terminals on the grip are fine, but I'd recommend cleaning them with isopropyl alcohol or an alcohol wipe... same for the terminals on the underside of the camera body. I've had several occasions where those contacts looked clean, but the grip didn't function at all until I cleaned them, so it's worth doing this just to be certain it's not a grip-to-camera contact issue.
this is a silly question but

have you switched out the battery in the grip with the one in the body??

could it be the fault of the battery??
01-10-2017, 05:42 AM   #9
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Tried both the original (OEM) and the Hahnel in the grip (switched around) and the issues is almost the same (it takes a bit longer to get noticed on the OEM because its capacity is bigger).
01-10-2017, 05:52 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by Pentax_SLO Quote
Tried both the original (OEM) and the Hahnel in the grip (switched around) and the issues is almost the same (it takes a bit longer to get noticed on the OEM because its capacity is bigger).
ok, I knew it was a silly question
01-10-2017, 05:55 AM   #11
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Try cleaning all the electric contacts between the grip and the body. A little bit of oxidation can act as a resistor and waste energy. Don't bother with alcohol; it is only going to clear grease and grime. Go to an electronics or computer repair shop and get a cleaner designed to handle oxidation on electrical contacts.
01-10-2017, 07:22 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Aslyfox Quote
ok, I knew it was a silly question
I think it was legit, good trouble shooting q!
01-10-2017, 07:52 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by bobbotron Quote
I think it was legit, good trouble shooting q!

It is the easy type of mistake that some people can and do make
01-10-2017, 07:53 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by JimJohnson Quote
Try cleaning all the electric contacts between the grip and the body. A little bit of oxidation can act as a resistor and waste energy. Don't bother with alcohol; it is only going to clear grease and grime. Go to an electronics or computer repair shop and get a cleaner designed to handle oxidation on electrical contacts.
Many electrical contact cleaners are just compressed air and isopropyl alcohol. I agree that alcohol won't remove oxidation, but it's an excellent contact cleaner if a decent grade is used, and usually it's only grease and grime that affects these contacts.

For oxidation, a q-tip dipped in white vinegar is very effective indeed, followed by a final wipe with alcohol to remove any residue.
01-10-2017, 07:55 AM   #15
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me again, does your battery grip let you choose AA batteries and if so, what is the result if you try them??
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