Third party grips

Having just bought a K-5 I'm looking at a battery grip for it.

Now, the Pentax original is around £200,almost half what I paid for the camera and a little(lot?) out of my budget.

What experience have users of the 'cheap copies' had?

Are they OK or should they be avoided at all costs?

Advice please.

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Cheers, HG

K110+DA40, K200+DA35, K5+Tammy 18-250, a bag of lenses, bodies and other bits.

Mustn't forget the Zenits, or folders, or...

I've some gallerieshere CLICKY LINK! and my PPG entries.

I bought a 3rd party grip from a forum member and the grip was one of the "better" copies ie the correct amount of screws etc. Since then the lock handle which is very thin has split but I'm sure could be repaired if I can find a long philips type screw driver as there is one screw I can't get at (isn't it always the case) Will look around and I'm sure I'll find one. The grip itself functioned as it should. I had it on grip first for battery use. It's surprising the addition weight with this attached but as soon as I can repair the lock I'll be using it again ( with a lookalike battery as I was doing ). There is a post online somewhere showing the differences in the copies (can't recall where I just googled it) the better ones are identical to pentax. Much better for taking snap with camera in portrait position, but sometimes forgot to turn it off

Ps where did you get a K5 for £400 quid I'm thinking of getting one. Next year the Bigma

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Regards
Stan

To My Snaps...

PPG

The body was a used bargain at £500, which has left me a little over £60 to play with Stan.

I'll have a google for the comparison site, thanks.

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Cheers, HG

K110+DA40, K200+DA35, K5+Tammy 18-250, a bag of lenses, bodies and other bits.

Mustn't forget the Zenits, or folders, or...

I've some gallerieshere CLICKY LINK! and my PPG entries.

I bought one of these for the K7, I'm 99.9% sure they fit the K5, ( well the Pentax version is interchangeable ).

I has never been off the camera since I got it about a year ago, and it has never let me down.

It also comes with a couple of 'pattern' batteries, which I have used and have had no problem with, the original Pentax one in the body and the pattern one in the grip.

There is also an adapter which allows you to use double 'AA's in the grip.

If you do a search for the various versions of the grip, this one with the metal locating pins seems to come out on top. There are others with no locating pins and some with rubber locating pins, they seem to generate quite a lot of negative comments.

Hope that gives you some information to start you off, get back to me if I can help any more.

John

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Could be mine

Duh, forgot the link

Get a Grip

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Could be mine

That's the grip I was looking at Galoot, but on Amazon, it's cheaper there.

There's also this one and seeing as I just got a battery for £2.98..

I just did a search and it seems the plastic pin ones are to be avoided.

Any more comments?

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Cheers, HG

K110+DA40, K200+DA35, K5+Tammy 18-250, a bag of lenses, bodies and other bits.

Mustn't forget the Zenits, or folders, or...

I've some gallerieshere CLICKY LINK! and my PPG entries.

Looks like the same unit. Just lacking the batteries.

I think when I bought mine it was about £47, so there is a bit of inflation.

I agree, the ones with plastic / rubber pins are to be avoided, according to those in the knowledge.

Seems a very good price, and if you are going through Amazon, you have a bit more protection than eBay, not a lot, but maybe an easier fight ?

John

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Could be mine

Looks like I may be ordering over the week end..

...unless anybody has an original for sale at around £50?

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Cheers, HG

K110+DA40, K200+DA35, K5+Tammy 18-250, a bag of lenses, bodies and other bits.

Mustn't forget the Zenits, or folders, or...

I've some gallerieshere CLICKY LINK! and my PPG entries.

£50 ????? Good luck.

Get one for me too

I'd like the original, but put the money I saved on the 'cheapo', into into my LBA, probably more worthwhile in the long run !

Certainly worthwhile, as I'm trouble free and still happy a year on

John

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Could be mine

Try this. I wouldn't waste my money on a third party grip.

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Peter E Smith

Body: Pentax K5, K5-II, K20D + BG's, MZ-6, Super-A
Prime: Pentax A28, FA31/43/77 Ltd, M50/1.7, FA50 Macro, DA*55, D-FA100mm Macro, Sigma EX180 Macro.
Zoom: Pentax DA12-24, DA*16-50, DA*50-135, Sigma 70-200mm EX DG OS HSM, 150-500 DG OS HSM.
Flash: Pentax AF240FT(2), AF500FTZ(2), AF540FGZ(2), AF160FC Ringflash.
Software: Adobe Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS4, Photomatix Pro, Noise Ninja, iWatermark, Picasa 3.

My flickr Photostream

"Knowledge is knowing that a Tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad."

I think you would have to define 'waste', Peter.

From my own experience, grip + 2 batteries on the camera full time for £47, just checked, bought 15 months ago, all still working.

Bought a Pentax A-50mm f2.8 macro recently with the money I saved on the original Pentax price ?

Even from the price in your link, I still saved.

I'm not sure where the 'waste' comes in ?

I imagine it all comes down to affluence, if you struggle to pay your £200 electricity bill and desire a £200 grip, then £30 odd for your desire is cheap.

John

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Could be mine

I looked st that link Pete, thanks, it looks like it's gone.

Unfortunately £150 is a little outside my current budget, whereas I can afford a cheap copy.

And please let's not descend to quibbling, there's far too many lenses out there that I'd like but can't afford, likewise bodies to go with them...

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Cheers, HG

K110+DA40, K200+DA35, K5+Tammy 18-250, a bag of lenses, bodies and other bits.

Mustn't forget the Zenits, or folders, or...

I've some gallerieshere CLICKY LINK! and my PPG entries.

I had a Meike branded DB G4 copy on my K5 - bought off ebay for around £35.

For the price - excellent value. The only negatives compared to the original:

1. No WR
2. Not quite as tight a fit as the original

I used it for 6 months without any issues and for a budget grip - could not fault it. Only stopped using it as I managed to get an original from Jessops when they were virtually giving them away a few months ago.

Carl

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No matter how many lenses I have owned - I have always needed just one more

I bought a BOWER for my K7. No problems, works well.

£32 on Amazon UK

I have one of these link on my K5. good quality, well made grip.

Dave

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Auto110,MZ-30, K5, loads of Black Tubes with Glass in.