[TER-OR]

Anyway, I'm still loving this camera. I seem to be able to get the images near perfect with in-camera settings. I'm starting to feel like I don't really need to shoot raw anymore. The K-30 is truly a revelation (but I need a @#%$ GRIP!).

Pentax doesn't oversaturate and over-sharpen by default as do some of its competition - at least on the introductory and mid-range models.
Personally, i shoot RAW because I want the control.

Grip? I like the smaller body, and generally have the camera out in the field.

You might want to look for an L-bracket or other grip which attaches to the tripod mount. Perhaps a nice wood-handled unit is available which does what you want and looks fantastic. Probably there are some non-slip plastic/rubber grips too, but I haven't looked. I know some are built to hold a flash as well.

[nomadkng]

it's unfortunate, the OP didn't realize the K-30 didn't have a compatible grip. I personally love the styling of the K-30 and seriously considered upgrading to it from my old K20, UNTIL I found out it wouldn't have a grip. I'm a bigger man with larger hands and I shoot with larger lenses so the whole balance and comfort factor dictates I need a grip. I now have a K5iis and the only time the grip comes off the camera is to replace the body battery.

It's one thing I'm hoping for in the next gen of Pentax cameras, is that the mythical FF body is more the size of the K20. The heftier body just balances so much nicer when handholding larger lenses

[tkj365]

Full Frame is overrated...

[jcagara08]

I think one day, RICOH might hear our cries, hey is this site moderated by their PR team?
I would love to have a battery grip for my Pentax k-50 arriving soon from Adorama.

RICOH Battery grip please for mid to low end bodies!!!!
Chinamen, start off your genius 3rd party factories!!!

[Trudger1272]

Next month I'll have my K30 a year, I've never had a problem shooting vertical, when I see grips online I think: horizontal to vertical & back, I'd change my hold twice; have to remove it to get to the body battery or store it in my bag; have another button to power on & off; Don't have camera/lens balance issues, my lenses are light; reason for owning a grip (speaking for myself) is the cool factor. Still yes, I want one but, don't need one.

A student myself, alone in Los Angeles, it feels third world sometimes but, I love photography & I love Pentax. I've spent way more than I have. Still I can't complain. Being a photo major, I feel it's an investment.

As for Pentax quality & features: at my current skill level (and a few levels higher), I know my gear could easily out perform me!
In fact, the only issues I've had with my gear(PRAISE GOD!!!), are only user errors which, I usually solve myself.

[Sandy Hancock]

To the OP. What do you want the grip for?

If it is for extra battery life, are you aware you can get a AA adaptor for the K-30?

If it is for portrait orientation, get over it. I sometimes take 4000 shots in a day at a music festival, and maybe a third of those are in portrait orientation. I own grips for both my K-5 IIs and K-3, and now usually don't bother to carry them; the extra weight and wheels/buttons you can alter accidentally are not worth it. I take two or three spare DLi90's instead.

[flixter416]

Wow - did this comment just slip by everyone?

What a cool idea! Ricoh, are you listening?

(I'm not sure how that would play with the viewfinder & pentaprism - requires some additional thinking)

Not sure if this is what you had in mind but Panasonic had a multi-aspect sensor on their gh2. basically, it would maintain its 16 mp file size no matter what aspect ratio you shoot (4:3, 16:9, 2:3, 1:1, etc.). they achieved this by having an over sized sensor ( I believe that it was an 18 mp).


Could apply the same concept so that you could change the aspect ratio depending on the orientation you are shooting in (portrait instead of landscape and vice versa e.g. 3:2 instead of 2:3)


But I would imagine that the body would have to be bigger to accommodate the larger sensor umm like a ff body perhaps?


Cheers!

[Parallax]

I think one day, RICOH might hear our cries, hey is this site moderated by their PR team?

No, but it's moderated by a team that doesn't take kindly to such inflammatory posts. You just joined today and one of your first posts is one insulting the moderation team. Not a good plan.
This may be a good time for you to evaluate the benefits of changing your tone.

[DonnaMarie]

Give me weather sealing over a grip any day....

Absolutely, Weather resistant any day over the battery grip. If you need extra battery power then get an extra lithiom and or the battery holder for extra doble AA's and be done with ti. I have both ways with my K-30's and two extra lithiom's for my K-3 that I can carry in a converted magazine case.

[jatrax]

hey is this site moderated by their PR team?

Maybe they meant 'monitored'? As in they are reading this forum? <shrug> language struggles?

[jcagara08]

Maybe they meant 'monitored'? As in they are reading this forum? <shrug> language struggles?

Alright I stand corrected..I thought your going to tell me about that usual misktake in the internetz "they're" grammar police is real!

---------- Post added 06-30-14 at 11:47 AM ----------

No, but it's moderated by a team that doesn't take kindly to such inflammatory posts. You just joined today and one of your first posts is one insulting the moderation team. Not a good plan.
This may be a good time for you to evaluate the benefits of changing your tone.

Alright matey thanks for the reminder

[DSims]

To the OP. What do you want the grip for?

If it is for extra battery life, are you aware you can get a AA adaptor for the K-30?

If it is for portrait orientation, get over it. I sometimes take 4000 shots in a day at a music festival, and maybe a third of those are in portrait orientation. I own grips for both my K-5 IIs and K-3, and now usually don't bother to carry them; the extra weight and wheels/buttons you can alter accidentally are not worth it. I take two or three spare DLi90's instead.

If you shot 80-90% portrait at one of those events you'd change you tune, and you might be telling battery grip naysayers to "get over it!" - but hopefully not, since you'd then sound unaware of the good reasons others have for not using one.

We have many forum members well past retirement age. Some have shaky hands or poor eyesight. Some absolutely relay on accessories or features which are frivolous to others.

Perhaps a poster even deserves a mild insult for overtly complaining or blaming when he didn't do his research, but having a certain need should be respected.

[Parallax]

There is a fine line between need and desire, and either or both are legitimate reasons for wanting something. It is not, however, Pentax's responsibility to notify every individual on earth, personally, of the features and limitations of each of its various models.
We live in an age when, with a few keystrokes and mouse clicks, we can know just about everything about anything.

[Rondec]

If you shot 80-90% portrait at one of those events you'd change you tune, and you might be telling battery grip naysayers to "get over it!" - but hopefully not, since you'd then sound unaware of the good reasons others have for not using one.

We have many forum members well past retirement age. Some have shaky hands or poor eyesight. Some absolutely relay on accessories or features which are frivolous to others.

Perhaps a poster even deserves a mild insult for overtly complaining or blaming when he didn't do his research, but having a certain need should be respected.

I just don't think (assuming a grip is an absolute necessity) that it would be a particularly expensive propostition to sell the K30 and buy a used K5 or K5 II. That's what I would do, assuming I needed some feature the K30 didn't offer (faster frame rate, deeper buffer, 12 bit processing or whatever). If you don't really need the grip that much, then stick with what you have. It isn't a big deal either way, but railing against Pentax's decision on a camera that is no longer produced seems somewhat futile.

[DSims]

We live in an age when, with a few keystrokes and mouse clicks, we can know just about everything about anything.

And this is truly a wonderful fact (most of the time)!