[malcolmsmill]

I've bought a D-BG4 grip/ battery holder for my k5 (fits several others.

can it be left on the camera whilst using the camera LiOn battery for normal useage?

I want it as the emergency backup reserve for when the camera battery goes flat (like it is at present) and not in normal use.

I know its easy to put on/ off but its a pfaff and not really convenient

[macman24054]

Yes it most certainly can. I just use mine the other way around. I use the grip battery first with the body battery as my backup.

[pepperberry farm]

I leave the battery grip on my K-5IIs permanently, but only keep the battery in the grip, not the camera...

I have the grip for ergonomic reasons, rather than extra battery life....

[aslyfox]

I too leave the battery grips on my cameras

I set it up so the battery in the grip is used first

[Kobayashi.K]

I have a K5-II with grip (which is permanently attached) but I still don't know how it works. With 'priority' you can select with Body first, Grip first and Auto settings which battery is used first, but does the camera actually switch to the other battery when the selected battery becomes depleted?

What happens for example when you select Auto. The battery with the most power is selected by the camera, then during use it looses power and the other battery becomes dominant. So, does the camera permanently switch between the two until both are depleted?

And if the camera does not automatically switch between batteries, and you have selected Body first, and this battery becomes depleted the camera switches off. So in that case the grip is there for no reason, or you must detach it from the body to swap batteries by hand (which actually happened to me lately).

[catfishjohn]

I have a K5-II with grip (which is permanently attached) but I still don't know how it works. With 'priority' you can select with Body first, Grip first and Auto settings which battery is used first, but does the camera actually switch to the other battery when the selected battery becomes depleted?

It switches automatically. Its good to check your battery level indicator occasionally. A few times it has switched unnoticed by me and left me with one dead and one near dead battery. All the while thinking I still had one fully charged. Time goes by fast when your having fun a long way from a charger.

[Kobayashi.K]

This is yet another example Ricoh is unable to logically explain in the user manual how their cameras work (the pixel shift feature is another example). And it has become even worse with the newest models because they thought is was a good idea to cut down the volume of the manuals.

[mikesbike]

Manuals have been inadequately written for a loooong time!

[Kobayashi.K]

I've bought a D-BG4 grip/ battery holder for my k5 (fits several others.
can it be left on the camera whilst using the camera LiOn battery for normal useage?
I want it as the emergency backup reserve for when the camera battery goes flat (like it is at present) and not in normal use.
I know its easy to put on/ off but its a pfaff and not really convenient

Remember that the camera has also an auto power off function with a time set in the Tools menu. So, during shooting you can keep your camera switched on (with the main switch) and only switch it off when you come home.