[JayR]

Ive spotted a few on eBay for between $65-$80- apart from not being weather sealed (im not intending to use mine outdoors) anyone have any comments, good or bad about non-genuine grips?

ie not great with tripods, some types unresponsive buttons etc...

I'll stick with Pentax gear for more important items like the flash, but a battery grip isnt exactly rocket science - they retail here for A$400 new, so an ebay job is a bargain by comparison.

And yeah, i have searched the forums, but didnt come across much in the way of reviews, more discussions.

thanks!

[pxpaulx]

Here is a lengthy discussion regarding the 3rd party grip sold by deal extreme. It is also likely the one you'll receive when you buy on ebay (mine was):

battery-grip-k-7-$54-77

[Adam]

Here are some reviews of the generic grip:

D-BG4 K7 Battery Grip (Generic) - Pentax Accessory Review Database - Flashes, Grips, Camera Bags

AFAIK the only main issue is the fact that it doesn't have weather sealing.

[Leaf Fan]

I have one of the third party grips. I got it for $60 from E-Bay and figured vs. the $250+ price of an authentic one I'd give it a try.

For the money, it's fine, but I acknowledge I'm very careful if there's any chance of rain/sand/etc. I won't use it as I don't want to jeapordize my camera just for the sake of having the grip.

That being said, the grip is fine. You can tell it's not high quality in the buttons, and particularly in the power switch, it just feels plastic and cheap. Other than that, it provides all the functions I need and gives the camera the extra size for holding.

Give it a try, and like me, you'll promise yourself that one day you'll get the original weather sealed one, but I probably never will. Can't beat $60 for a battery grip (and IIRC mine came with an extra battery as well).

[imtheguy]

I have one of the third party grips. I got it for $60 from E-Bay and figured vs. the $250+ price of an authentic one I'd give it a try.

The D-BG4 authentic Pentax is available from CalumetPhoto on the bay for between $130-140...I know, I just got one. I guess you can find one for less from shady sources but I didn't look. There were just too many threads of issues with some of the knockoffs (missing buttons for example) for $75 to sway me. The grip stays on 99% of the time in my case its part of the camera. For someone who rarely uses one then a knock off may be appropriate.

[Osama Binhidin]

Well the 3rd party type 2 grip I had failed, not water resistant as advised in product maual. Now I have genuine on the way From B&H

[SlickYamaha]

I also purchased a 3rd party. Before I even mounted it on the camera, I switched the trays from the AA to the regular battery, it immediatly got stuck, and the little tab that they have is so small and thin, i thought it was going to snap when i twisted it. After 10 min, I grabbed a thin punch and pushed the lock around. Ended up coming apart and i put it right back in the box and shipped it out for returns.

It may save you some money, but how much money are you going to lose when the battery door jams in the field and you cant change your dead batteries.