[Sakura]

I got the 3rd party grip a couple of days ago.

.............

. I'm not saying it looks cheap, but it's definitely not as well made as the original one.

But for the price I paid, I'm not complaining

You said you bought in in China, so i presume you didn't order it at DX?

The grip i have, has really no noticable difference in "leatherlook" as the camera itself. You really can't see the differance. Of course i can't compare it to the original because i don''t own an original



Today my camera has had a havy duty test. The shutter counter is 2200 higher than this morning

And it is almost frightening, i have two accu's in use, one in the cam and one in the grip, and the display still says they are fully loaded.
In the battery selection menu i selected grip battery first. And when i browse trough the menu to battery selection right now, the battery in the grip is still 2/3 loaded.

[frank]

You said you bought in in China, so i presume you didn't order it at DX?

The grip i have, has really no noticable difference in "leatherlook" as the camera itself. You really can't see the differance. Of course i can't compare it to the original because i don''t own an original

Yes I bought mine from China, but it looks exactly the same as the one from DX, even the packing (box) looks the same. I'm guessing the one from DX is also made in China? Mine looks almost exactly the same as the original one, including all the screws and holes, they look like from the same molds. But the materials used for both grips are different.

Again, I'm not saying it's cheaply made, but it's definitely not as well made as the original one which I compared with.

[Sakura]

As i said, i can't compare it to the original one, but i really can't see any differance between the material of the camera itself and the grip. Even the edges are perfectly alligned.
So i really think it is an other build than the DX one.

One picture says more than 1000 words, so here are 3000 words

I really wonder if you're 3-rd party grip has the same build, because you ARE able to compare the original against the 3-rd party.

[LeDave]

My K-7 almost looks exactly like yours Sakura, with the ACMAXX LCD protector and DX grip, but except I don't have the 18-55 WR. I have to say that yes the grip is very well built, every edge is aligned and enclosed, the weight and the plastic feels very solid. However the only thing is the buttons feel a bit different and cheaper than the K-7 but by no means is it near bad at all, it's very solid and high-quality for 55 bucks. The DX grip is certainly a steal with the finish and quality, it adds a very genuine feel to the grip. In fact using this grip feels like it is genuine Pentax and is part of the K-7 and not some cheaply made grip, just wish the buttons were more of quality, but otherwise it's near perfect. I have no regrets at all and will find a way to WR the grip when I have time.

[lochest]

just wanna ask something:

A friend of mine bought a 3rd party grip and stated that the battery compartment is for keeping the battery only,so that you can replace the battery in k-7 with it,so no contacts for li-ion battery,only a drawer.

Can you confirm that this DX model(one with the video on dealextreme)is,unlike my friend's grip,able to fill in the original's shoes by effectively using the battery,with the option to use in grip or in body batteries?

[PFH]

The DX-grip have contacts so that you can use the battery in the grip, you even have the option to use six AA batteries in the grip.
As far as I can see it works exactly like the original grip. You can choose in the menu what battery to use first.

[lochest]

yesss..ordering noww!!thanks...

[falconeye]

The grip mentioned by the OP is a counterfeit consumer good.

Production, sale, import and purchase are illegal.


This grip is Illegal, folks!


Most of you may not have developed a sensitivity for this kind of things but here in Germany, most companies with nice products face the fact that some (or all) of their products are copied by Chinese companies and even exhibited on German trade shows!

German customs have now special executive forces to shut down sales booth, shops and online stores selling counterfeit consumer goods.

If the grip tried to be different (like the 3rd party grip for the K20D) it would be leagl. However, this one tries to imitate the original which is why it is illegal. It doesn't matter if the grip is sold as "genuine Pentax" or "3rd party made in China". The Chinese grip is an imitation and imitations aren't legal. Just like a copyright infringement. The criminal act is the infringement on intellectual property rights. And of course, photo stores could sell the grip as if it were genuine.

We in the west should not tolerate counterfeit consumer goods because they are going to destroy all our employers and because China is getting really aggressive about this. The Chinese government seems to back up product pirating, not officially but by judging from its acting.

[knoxploration]

Glad to see principles still exist. ;-) I bought the original grip, and were I to buy again, I'd buy the original grip again - price difference or not.

These third-party knockoffs are frequently terribly made -- especially on the inside where it counts, as well. Despite some people's assertions to the contrary, they can (and occasionally do) damage your camera body. Heck, they could conceivably hurt you, the photographer, too.

Read some of the reviews of folks who've opened them up to find things like electrical contacts almost touching each other (or great big blobs of solder nearly touching between contacts) that could short out a high energy density lithium-ion battery and cause a fire. Or the folks who've found parts falling off their third-party grips within days of receipt, batteries failing to contact properly (or sometimes even fit in the first place). Or found they wouldn't even fit on their camera body properly because the design was out of spec. Etc, etc. - there are plenty of bad reviews out there for most of the main brands that produce these knockoffs.

The reason their products are so cheap is that there's no design costs, no marketing costs, no warranty costs, no certification, possibly no tooling costs if they're ghost shift products, and the absolute bare minimum of quality control if any at all. You're taking a gamble when you buy these products, whether you care to admit it or not.

You're also taking profit away from the company who spent a fortune designing and making your cameras and lenses (and with relatively thin margins, especially on the camera bodies themselves, where the DSLR market is rapidly becoming as cut-throat as the compact market did). Take away their opportunities to profit and the next time you're considering buying a replacement for your camera body, they may just not be around any more to make one for you.

Personally, I'd rather support the company whose system I've bought into, which makes quality products with good warranties and no risk of personal injury.

[mysterick]

I wonder why Pentax has these made in China if they are getting "knocked off" so much and Hoya/Pentax is losing so much money. If there is a ghost shift, it must be in the subcontracted plant, right? I buy after market parts for my car, lawnmower and, well my cameras. I have never had a problem with them. And I would imagine GM (or whomever) might be a little upset about it if they were 3rd party and said they were "Genuine GM parts". If it doesn't say Pentax...and if that's a problem build them in Japan, Pentax!

[knoxploration]

I wonder why Pentax has these made in China if they are getting "knocked off" so much

It's significantly less expensive because the cost of doing business (employees, property, etc.) are cheaper. Were they to make them in Japan, it'd be even more (comparitively) expensive.

[Rondec]

The grip mentioned by the OP is a counterfeit consumer good.

Production, sale, import and purchase are illegal.


This grip is Illegal, folks!


Most of you may not have developed a sensitivity for this kind of things but here in Germany, most companies with nice products face the fact that some (or all) of their products are copied by Chinese companies and even exhibited on German trade shows!

German customs have now special executive forces to shut down sales booth, shops and online stores selling counterfeit consumer goods.

If the grip tried to be different (like the 3rd party grip for the K20D) it would be leagl. However, this one tries to imitate the original which is why it is illegal. It doesn't matter if the grip is sold as "genuine Pentax" or "3rd party made in China". The Chinese grip is an imitation and imitations aren't legal. Just like a copyright infringement. The criminal act is the infringement on intellectual property rights. And of course, photo stores could sell the grip as if it were genuine.

We in the west should not tolerate counterfeit consumer goods because they are going to destroy all our employers and because China is getting really aggressive about this. The Chinese government seems to back up product pirating, not officially but by judging from its acting.

Falconeye is right. It doesn't matter what the product is -- Nike Shocks, an I Pod, or a Pentax grip; if someone copies it and sells a direct reproduction, it is illegal. Each company needs to start from scratch with these items, not just buy one and then copy it. Sure, it is cheaper, but imagine if you are in the shoes of the one being copied.

The issue really isn't the danger, it is the intellectual property rights of someone who spent time to design a product, only to have it stolen. China needs to clean up its act. If a US company started doing this to a German company or vice versa, they would be shut down yesterday.

[gmturner]

Got and used my DX-grip today, seems fine except the power switch is useless on it, doesnt turn the camera on or off, which is fine because it aint that critical. How is it meant to function though. If the main switch on the body is off will it switch the system on?

[knoxploration]

Got and used my DX-grip today, seems fine except the power switch is useless on it, doesnt turn the camera on or off, which is fine because it aint that critical. How is it meant to function though. If the main switch on the body is off will it switch the system on?

Presuming it functions identically to the factory grip, it's not a power switch. It simply enables or disables the portrait-mode shutter release button on the grip, so that you don't accidentally trigger or half-press it by bumping it against something.

[Sakura]

The grip mentioned by the OP is a counterfeit consumer good.


We in the west should not tolerate counterfeit consumer goods because they are going to destroy all our employers and because China is getting really aggressive about this. The Chinese government seems to back up product pirating, not officially but by judging from its acting.

This is absolutely noncence. Do you really think all the people who would buy a 3rd party grip would also buy one if there weren't cheap 3-rd party grips?

I know for sure that if Pentax would sell there grip for a normal price there would not even exist a 3rd-party grip.

I never ever will buy a product like this grip that is way way way overprized.
It is absolutely crazy that Pentax dares to ask $300 for a stupid plastic box with some switches and some wiring.