[stevejo]

I recently acquired a battery grip, mainly to have it as an option but generally don't put it on when I am just walking about. Mainly use it at home when doing still lifes/macros as I use live view mostly then so the extra endurance is useful. I only have the smaller batteries and probably will stick with that. Although handling with the grip is good, I still appreciate the smallness of the naked KP and have even reverted to the small grip. I now use a peak design clutch hand strap so I can just walk around with it attached to my hand and ready for action. This feels very secure and makes up for not having the finger wrap around of other grips.

[fsge]

I am thinking about buying one, so far I used a charged spare to swap when needed in the day. I guess I would mostly need this d-bg7 3 to 4 weeks per year which makes purchasing price quite steep for limited use. Most of the time I enjoy the small form factor of my KP but when in the mountains I would need more autonomy. Also I shoot a couple of kids play dates per year and not worrying about batteries and whether they are properly charged is a big plus when shooting 1000 pics in an afternoon...

[K2 to K50]

Well, folks - I just sprung for the genuine Pentax D Li90 battery and charger during the recent C R Kennedy 15% sale and it arrived today. The battery wasn't fully charged, so it is charging now. Looking forward to seeing how much longer I can go without a battery change, with the 109 in the body, and the Li90 in the grip - which I pretty much leave on permanently now, even though it may make the camera sit high on the tripod.

[Wenwald]

The larger batteries last significantly longer. Coming from a K5, I was surprised how quickly the KP small batteries lost their mojo. Adding the grip with the larger battery is a big improvement. Neither charger will accommodate the other battery. You need both.

I am interested in the grip, particularly to get the larger battery. I only have the KP's battery charger. Am I understanding this correctly that I would need all of the following?

• D-BG7 grip
• D-Li90 battery
• K-BC90 charger

The charger for the KP will not work?
Thanks.

[aslyfox]

unless you went for a third party charger such as this that would accommodate both battery sizes

ProMaster Travel + Battery Charger for Interchangeable Lens Camera Batteries

Works with these batteries:
. . .

Pentax D-Li109
Pentax D-Li50
Pentax D-Li50
Pentax D-Li68
Pentax D-Li90

. . .

ProMaster Travel + Battery Charger for Interchangeable Lens Camera Batteries #9176

[Biff]

Yes, you are correct. The D-Li90 battery does not work on the D-Li109's charger. It needs it's own charger. You can find them made by Pentax, or there are several after market brands.

My KP grip arrived today. I was able to buy an open box one from Adorama. I'm looking forward using it along with my the DA 55-300 PLM that I ordered. Will have to wait a little longer as the lens is on back order.

Will report back on thoughts using the grip.

[Wenwald]

I ordered the KP battery grip now as well. The price has been discounted various places. The KP, even with the large interchangeable grip can strain my fingers when I have the 55-300 PLM attached - hoping the grip gives my fingers more to hold onto. The extra battery slot will be welcome as well.

I will see how I like it when it arrives.

[K2 to K50]

I ordered the KP battery grip now as well. The price has been discounted various places. The KP, even with the large interchangeable grip can strain my fingers when I have the 55-300 PLM attached - hoping the grip gives my fingers more to hold onto. The extra battery slot will be welcome as well.

I will see how I like it when it arrives.

Not just the extra battery slot, but a place to hold a spare memory card. And when you want to take a pic in portrait mode - remember to turn the battery grip on - the grip's shutter button is in exactly the position your finger expects it to be. I have yet try out my new D-Li90 battery.
Another trick I like to do is to set the camera to always use the battery in the grip first, because when the grip is on the camera, the camera's battery door is inaccessible, but if you mainly keep on using the grip's battery it can be changed without separating the grip and the camera.

I use 'em on all my cameras, and only removed to do battery maintenance. Only problem with 'em is that I sometimes forget to switch 'em off. I think they ought to be made to be sensitive to the camera's on-off switch. And, yes, they fit in the bag, though it's a good-sized backpack. All three of the ones pictured here are so equipped, two with lenses attached, and one of them is a 150-600. (Snapshot camera, since the "good ones" are in the picture.)

[noelpolar]

Not just the extra battery slot, but a place to hold a spare memory card......

Haha.... I 've been looking for a couple of my memory cards and haven't been able to find them.... then read your post and the light went on.....they'll be in the grips.... doh!

[Wenwald]

Only problem with 'em is that I sometimes forget to switch 'em off.

I did not realize the battery grips had their own on/off switches.

If they are turned off, does the camera instead use the regular non-grip battery?

I assume the battery grip buttons (shutter, etc) do not work unless the grip is turned on?

If you forget to turn off the grip, does the grip’s battery drain? Does the grip have a fall-asleep-after-a-period-of-time functionality like the camera itself?

I did not realize the battery grips had their own on/off switches.

If they are turned off, does the camera instead use the regular non-grip battery?

Not necessarily, both batteries are still available to the camera.

As to which battery it uses, that depends - there's a menu option in the camera for which battery you want to have priority, or assign equal priority.

I assume the battery grip buttons (shutter, etc) do not work unless the grip is turned on?

True.

If you forget to turn off the grip, does the grip’s battery drain? Does the grip have a fall-asleep-after-a-period-of-time functionality like the camera itself?

Yes, and I don't know - there's really no way to tell if the camera's off, whether the grip's battery is in use or not. It may be documented somewhere, but if so, I haven't seen it. But yesterday, having found that I'd done it again, I checked the batteries, and the one in the grip was down by about a third. I had assigned that one priority, since it's easier to swap out to charge up, so that will have been drained first when using the camera two days ago anyway. So I don't know whether it was actual use or sleepy-bye drainage.

[aslyfox]

per the KP operating manual - http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/man-pdf/kP.pdf

pg 41 camera automatically turns off

pg 33 how to adjust time before it turns off and selection of which battery to use first

if the camera is turned off would there be a drain on the battery other than time after charging ?

[Wenwald]

I got my KP battery grip along with the bigger Li90 battery. My verdict is that the grip is a great item - it really improves the ergonomics of the KP, for my hands at least, especially for big lenses like my 55-300. The vertical dials / shutter button on the grip are really handy. The downside is it makes the camera larger and a bit heavier.

I still was able to fit it in my bag (Ruggard 34), but I needed to remove some dividers and it is a tighter fit with two lenses (one attached to the body and one not attached).

[idontstairs]

I've had a grip on my KP since they were first released. Even with the grip on there isn't room for my pinky finger. It ends up jammed in the awkwardly angled corner of the grip. Without the battery grip the camera is way too small.