[knoxploration]

If I buy from the US I need to pay tax on that + expensive shipping. The dollar is extremely weak vs swedish kr right now and prices here doesn't go down because of the weak dollar. Computer components is very cheap tho.

2500kr is the price with tax for a pentax grip here. Before the dollar went down 2500kr was closer to 250 dollars than 384.

Sold one of the broken grips, going to sell another too. Will probably make a profit and keeping one and noone will feel ripped off because a functional 3rd part grip in swedish stores goes for about 100 dollars (wich I got 3 for on ebay).

By your own admission, the $384 price you're quoting is only that way because of a currency fluctuation, and has little to do with real world pricing. If your stated values are really the cheapest available, the grip actually cost only ~20% more in Sweden than in the USA before the fluctuation. Your 2500 kronor didn't instantly become worth correspondingly less with the exchange rate fluctuation, and the grip's kronor price didn't get raised to ~3840 kronor, so why shout about it being "over 10 times the price" when that's simply not true?

It doesn't help your argument when you appear to be clutching at straws to try and back it up.

[Mikhail_Kriviniouk]

me too. Only actually turned it on about twice... I've got it to make the camera better to hold... no pinky dangling in space!

+1

Same here. another difference between the two types of 3d party grips - Phottix/MeiKe plastik locator pins type does enable the camera menue to select battery type when AAs are used but does not have the DOF preview on the on/off dial, the DX (no brand, metal locator pins) does not give you the option of selecting battery type but has the DOF preview on the on/off dial

[rfortson]

Interesting discussion amongst all the chatter. Looks to me like I can spend $70 on Amazon for 3 third party batteries and get the grip for free. Bonus!

If/when I pull the trigger for the K5, I'll probably get that 3rd party grip.

[Christine Tham]

I bought a third party grip (type 2?) for my K-5 which came with two batteries.

The batteries seem to be okay - I'm using them with no problems.

Initially I really liked the grip - it made taking portraits easier, and the extra weight and size help balance out a heavy lens like the DA*50-135.

But after a few weeks, I've noticed some problems.

The shutter button is sticky. Sometime, it requires a hard press to activate the shutter button, sometimes the half way point for AF does not work and only full presses do. It got to the point where I was avoiding using the shutter button and just use the one on the main body.

I've noticed the camera freezing/crashing with the grip. Typically when I'm shooting in continuous mode, and typically after an hour or so, so the battery is partially drained.

When it freezes, the only solution is to remove the grip, remove the battery from the body, and turn the camera back on again.

The freeze could be due to the batteries, but if I remove the grip completely, and reuse the battery from the grip in the body, I don't get any freezes.

So at this stage I am wishing I had bought the original grip, expensive though it may be. But I don't really need the grip to justify the price - in fact, I prefer to shoot without the grip except when I am using the 50-135.

[Osama Binhidin]

Well my type 2 failed a little condensation stuffed it. taking surf shots.I am lucky it did not damage the k5 replacement I have. I need and want weather proofing so I bit the bullet and got pentax grip From B&H. So be very carefull if using the 3rd party grip.

[tthana50]

sorry for the bump, but just saw that someone has asked about the tax ... For us who live on continental EU (I live in France), if I were about to buy anything from B&H or Adorama ::

1 - Price of Items
2 - Delivery Cost ~ variable
2 - Import Tax ~ 19.6%
3 - Handling Charge ~ 6-10%

So, for the price of DA15 that I bought, I paid 529 USD + 25% extra. The price of other items here in EU is almost the same as in the States, except that we've to pay in EUR (for example, you pay for 200 USD grip, we'll have to pay at 200 EUR instead)

[bossa]

I ordered a DealExtreme D-BG4 'special' 10 days ago and they say it's now been shipped and will take another ten days to reach me. I noticed the lack of rubber water seals on it and wondered if the Pentax seals could be bought as a spare part. Anyone?

[bossa]

I ordered my grip just over 3 weeks ago and it still hasn't shown even though DealExtreme's website tracking page said it shipped two weeks ago. I am hoping it is only stuck in Australian customs and will show any day now. Can any Aussies who bought from DealExtreme give me some idea as to how long it took to receive their grip? I'm starting to think the carrier pigeon lost my address.

[pop4]

I ordered my grip just over 3 weeks ago and it still hasn't shown even though DealExtreme's website tracking page said it shipped two weeks ago. I am hoping it is only stuck in Australian customs and will show any day now. Can any Aussies who bought from DealExtreme give me some idea as to how long it took to receive their grip? I'm starting to think the carrier pigeon lost my address.

I've bought the DealExtreme battery grip twice, sent to Sydney, and it's been a while since I got them (start of the year)so my memory's a bit hazy but:
- the first time, they didn't actually have it in stock, and I had to wait about 1 month. But once they had it in stock and dispatched it off to me, I got it pretty soon after
- the second time, they had it in stock, and I'm pretty sure it got to me in about 2 weeks or so.

[bossa]

Thanks for the reply p4. My grip was shipped on the 16th so I guess I guess 'times up' if the two week delivery time is the norm.

[bossa]

Hehe... my grip arrived but was delivered to my next door neighbour. The only complaints I have are that the on/off/DOF collar is a tad sloppy and won't probably last very long. I had thought the battery wasn't working but I was wrong about that as both types of batteries are working in this unit. So apart from the dodgy on/off collar and the lack of weather sealing it seems fine.

[darrenleow]

The battery door lever is less rigid than the original, the silkscreened button markings fade off with time, the plastic wears smooth and turns glossy, the buttons are mushy. Worth the price compared to the original though

[bossa]

I didn't expect the same standard as the original and am expecting to buy a 'genuine' from B&H sometime in the near future anyway. In OZ the original Pentax retails at AU$450 and is $400 discounted.. B&H has them for US$199 which is AU$185 at the current exchange rate. Tragic!

Re' the "buttons are mushy": The buttons on mine feel like the camera's apart from the sloppy on/off/DOF collar. That won't last more than a few weeks I fear.

[darrenleow]

The battery door lever is less rigid than the original, the silkscreened button markings fade off with time, the plastic wears smooth and turns glossy, the buttons are mushy. Worth the price compared to the original though

The battery door lever on my grip just snapped off suddenly. Since I don't use the AA tray I will probably switch the parts, although it is bound to break again. Compared it with the original grip and there's no way that lever will break. For a part that undergoes so much torque, I expected a better material to be used. Once the second lever snaps, I might spring for the original Pentax grip and relegate this cheapie to a backup.

Right now I'm on a vacation so the grip is held together by gaffer tape, and I have to unscrew the grip each time to change batteries....

[bossa]

My 'type II" grip locks up the camera when the batteries run-out and needs to be physically disconnected from the camera for the camera to power off. The camera ON/OFF switch fails to operate when this has happened on 3 occassions now. I have stopped using the grip with batteries for now and will only use it as grip for now. The lock tag is loose on the ION cover on mine and doesn't stay tucked away but hangs out of it's recess - this is not an issue as I use the AAA holder which is OK for now. I'll buy a genuine grip from B&H pretty soon though as this thing won't last all that long going by these issues.