[Digitalis]

They have an extra SD card storage slot in the D-BG4 & 5, but neither has room for a remote

The space for the extra SD card is a blessing however the remote really bugs me, if space was really the problem why didn't they just come up with a smaller remote that could be stowed away in it? If they had a space to stash the PC sync cover and the flash shoe cover I would always get a grip - but for some reason pentax isn't doing this. Are you listening pentax?

[Arjay Bee]

Ugly-nah when traveling -no grip, when working - grip, as others have said, the extra battery life, the third sd card and the ease of use for extended time in portrait orientation are a boon.

[sergysergy]

I bought the grip for the K-5 and never used it so I sold the one I got with the K-3 right away; maybe I should have given them a try

[emalvick]

Hmm... I have the grip for the K3, but I haven't used it. Used the one for the K5 all the time. Ergonomically, the grip is nice, but I don't miss it. I've shifted to shooting all primes (wide ones at that), so I don't miss the grip in the sense that I've got a nice compact kit for shooting.

I do keep the grip because it does come in handy in the right situations, but I'm debating whether I'd be able to just keep the K5 for situations when I need the grip and eliminate the K3 grip (i.e. sell it). We'll see how the next year goes. An upcoming trip to the Everglades may make the grip appealing when I start using telephoto lenses with the K3. I haven't shot anything over 135 mm since I got the K3.

[JimmyDranox]

They have an extra SD card storage slot in the D-BG4 & 5, but neither has room for a remote. I've had that extra SD card save me once or twice.

F......k. I'm so stupid. I didn't know that the grip has a place for an extra SD card.

Thank you.

I can't believe how stupid. Of course, I never read the grip manual. And never look carefully when I change the batteries.

[narual]

The space for the extra SD card is a blessing however the remote really bugs me, if space was really the problem why didn't they just come up with a smaller remote that could be stowed away in it? If they had a space to stash the PC sync cover and the flash shoe cover I would always get a grip - but for some reason pentax isn't doing this. Are you listening pentax?

Seems like that would be fairly easy to add on yourself. Just tack a piece of museum putty onto the insert - it's got some empty space when you're not using the AA battery insert, and those are both small enough to fit. You could probably even fit the viewfinder cover, too. Maybe a little plastic box to store them together in so there's less concern of one coming loose and getting stuck in the springs.

---------- Post added 01-05-15 at 01:27 PM ----------

I think the risk from not having WR on the grip is rather minimal - the whole body is still sealed. Only the contacts on the bottom of the body could be exposed, and only if there was a lot of water that got in there. I have 1 genuine grip and 1 third-party. I think each is worth what I paid for it. It's much better to have the 3rd party grip than no grip at all. It's main drawback is that the buttons feel a little cheaper, not the lack of WR. Mine's an exact clone copy - so close that I can swap the battery trays between them, and they still work.

So you don't think the grip getting wet when the camera is running on the grip's battery might cause problems? I've seen threads where people's cameras have been fried by going gripless without the rubber cap over the spot the grip communicates through. I used a third party grip on my nikon without any problem, but it wasn't a weather sealed camera, so I kept it out of poor weather.

[Docrwm]

The space for the extra SD card is a blessing however the remote really bugs me, if space was really the problem why didn't they just come up with a smaller remote that could be stowed away in it? If they had a space to stash the PC sync cover and the flash shoe cover I would always get a grip - but for some reason pentax isn't doing this. Are you listening pentax?

The tray for AAs is probably the reason given the physical dimensions of it using 6 AAs. I agree that those would be nice, but I think I would rather have the availability of using AAs in a pinch myself. I really don't ever want to do without the extra SD storage though, its saved me several times.

[Trudger1272]

I need an quick opinion please? I plan to order a grip last Thursday night and ran across third party grips w/ batteries made by company called DSTE Pro on Ebay. They claim the grip is weather/dust sealed like the K-3. Does anyone know of them? Are they a decent company? Or should I just stick with Pentax?

[m_r_j]

i dont know

[savoche]

Don't know anything about 3rd party grips - other than they are not WR.

However, I have recently gotten a new flash, and I quickly discovered that shooting for any length of time with on-camera flash is quite tiresome with no grip. The grip helps a lot, even when shooting in landscape.

[cbope]

I think the risk from not having WR on the grip is rather minimal - the whole body is still sealed. Only the contacts on the bottom of the body could be exposed, and only if there was a lot of water that got in there. I have 1 genuine grip and 1 third-party. I think each is worth what I paid for it. It's much better to have the 3rd party grip than no grip at all. It's main drawback is that the buttons feel a little cheaper, not the lack of WR. Mine's an exact clone copy - so close that I can swap the battery trays between them, and they still work.

You'll be thankful you have a genuine grip with WR when that cheap Chinese knockoff lets water get inside, shorts out and fries the body it's attached to. I would never trust a non-genuine part like a grip in any situation where water MIGHT be present. Remember, those Li-Ion batteries pack a LOT of juice.

I rarely take off the grip on my K-5, it's just so much more balanced in my hands, especially since I usually have one of my DA* zooms attached. I ordered my K-3 with free grip from B&H, would not have ordered a body only. I do not mind the added weight or size of a grip. If I need something smaller, I will take my Fuji XQ1.

[Trudger1272]

Don't know anything about 3rd party grips - other than they are not WR.

However, I have recently gotten a new flash, and I quickly discovered that shooting for any length of time with on-camera flash is quite tiresome with no grip. The grip helps a lot, even when shooting in landscape.

I haven't had a chance to experience the added balance it give to long lenses or on-camera flash yet. Maybe I'll put my macro the K-5 today!

[Docrwm]

F......k. I'm so stupid. I didn't know that the grip has a place for an extra SD card.

Thank you.

I can't believe how stupid. Of course, I never read the grip manual. And never look carefully when I change the batteries.

Oh yes. It's saved me more than once when I've left an SD card in the computer! Glad the info was useful for you.

---------- Post added 01-07-15 at 12:45 PM ----------

I need an quick opinion please? I plan to order a grip last Thursday night and ran across third party grips w/ batteries made by company called DSTE Pro on Ebay. They claim the grip is weather/dust sealed like the K-3. Does anyone know of them? Are they a decent company? Or should I just stick with Pentax?

None of the K5 knock off grips was, even when they claimed they were.

[Trudger1272]

You'll be thankful you have a genuine grip with WR when that cheap Chinese knockoff lets water get inside, shorts out and fries the body it's attached to. I would never trust a non-genuine part like a grip in any situation where water MIGHT be present. Remember, those Li-Ion batteries pack a LOT of juice.

Well I won't be buying third party!!
I actually like the added weight and bulk. The size makes it perfect for me with the pinky placement and it's not really that much weight. About ordering without the grip, I had got the money to buy the K-3 and "The 3 Amigos" all at once, so being so excited, the last thing I could do was think straight. But now it would be very hard to get me to buy a body without one unless the body was pretty big to begin with.

---------- Post added 01-07-15 at 09:57 AM ----------

Oh yes. It's saved me more than once when I've left an SD card in the computer! Glad the info was useful for you.

---------- Post added 01-07-15 at 12:45 PM ----------



None of the K5 knock off grips was, even when they claimed they were.

That right there!!! I wasn't sure if I could believe them and I'm not the one to experiment, but the prices are tempting.


Thanks everyone!

[DSims]

You'll be thankful you have a genuine grip with WR when that cheap Chinese knockoff lets water get inside, shorts out and fries the body it's attached to. I would never trust a non-genuine part like a grip in any situation where water MIGHT be present. Remember, those Li-Ion batteries pack a LOT of juice.

Do you know of this happening to people, or is this just speculation?

In any case, I have the genuine grip on my K-5 IIs, and that's usually my first choice for a body anyway. If the water's really coming down I'm likely to use only it, with just the one lens attached to it. But quite frankly, my K-5 isn't worth enough anymore for me to be too worried about it - better to get the use out of it and take a small chance unless the weather's really bad. I still take care of my K-5, but I don't think it would be a disaster if I had to replace it with a K-5 II.