[Docrwm]

Have you heard 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. I still take care of it, but I don't think it would be a disaster if I had to replace it with a K-5 II.

I've had both so can comment from an actual user standpoint. I had a genuine Pentax D-BG4 that developed a fault in the shutter button and sent it to CRIS for repair under warranty. They did a fabulous job in relatively quick time with descent communication. But I knew that I had grown very used to having the grip so I ordered the one from Amazon that had gotten rave reviews here and had it in hand the day I sent my genuine one off for repairs. The Chinese knockoff was not as well made as the genuine one but was very nice. The trays were not interchangeable with the genuine but it did come with both and the regular tray did take an extra SD card. From an operational standpoint it functioned flawlessly in the same manner as the original. Fit was good with the camera. However, there was no evidence whatsoever of any weather sealing in the grip despite it being advertised as WR. Given that it cost roughly 1/3 what the genuine grip cost I view it as a very acceptable tradeoff. If I were a surf photographer, or someone that did kayaking photography I would never, ever buy a knockoff grip. However, knowing that it was not WR meant that I did not use it in the rain and yet had it for the 99% of the time that I actually use a camera. All-in-all they are a bargain IF you know the limits of the product - that it's not WR.

[DSims]

Given that it cost roughly 1/3 what the genuine grip cost I view it as a very acceptable tradeoff. If I were a surf photographer, or someone that did kayaking photography I would never, ever buy a knockoff grip. However, knowing that it was not WR meant that I did not use it in the rain and yet had it for the 99% of the time that I actually use a camera. All-in-all they are a bargain IF you know the limits of the product - that it's not WR.

Agreed, although (to my surprise) I managed to find mine for about 1/6 the price of the genuine grip through NewEgg. I'm glad I got the genuine grip for my K-5 IIs (the buttons are a little more solid, as you suggest), but at the same time I'm just as glad I didn't spend any more than the knockoff for my second body (my K-5). I still often use both cameras (with their grips) concurrently, so I can have a different lens ready on each one. The K-5 grip feels slightly cheaper, but other than that they both work fine.

[Docrwm]

Agreed, although (to my surprise) I managed to find mine for about 1/6 the price of the genuine grip through NewEgg. I'm glad I got the genuine grip for my K-5 IIs (the buttons are a little more solid, as you suggest), but at the same time I'm just as glad I didn't spend any more than the knockoff for my second body (my K-5). I still often use both cameras (with their grips) concurrently, so I can have a different lens ready on each one. The K-5 grip feels slightly cheaper, but other than that they both work fine.

I got my genuine one for $139 so 1/3 of that is what I was going on - roughly $40.

[DSims]

I got my genuine one for $139 so 1/3 of that is what I was going on - roughly $40.

I wish I had! I think I paid the full $200 for the genuine, although the knockoff was only $35.

[Docrwm]

I wish I had! I think I paid the full $200 for the genuine, although the knockoff was only $35.

Yes, for $35-40 its a useful bargain IMHO within the limits I stated earlier.