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Battery Grip

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Ranger59

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I have a question regarding the Battery Grips offered by Pentax. Other then having extra power for when the battery dies in the camera, is there a good reason to have a battery grip? Is it an essentional piece of equipment or just nice to have one?

Thanks for any advice on the matter.
 
I never had one before K20D. At first I thought it's annecessary piece of luxury, I can carry extra batteries in my pocket and change it as needed. But when I saw one and it's extra hide outs for the remote (which was hard to find in my bag) and extra SD card and the bottons for vertical shooting I decided to buy one. For vertical shooting it's very useful and my hands hold it very comfortably. Then I noticed that the balance of the camera with heavy lenses is much better especially over a monopod. I even believe that my hold is much better for normal shooting when the grip is in place and my pinky is much more comfortable.
So, now I rarely detach it from my camera.
 
how important it is depends on the user. The extra battery power is not insignificatn if you're on a paid shoot and the alternate controls make shooting in portrait orientation easier for some people. There is also the factor of the size being beneficial for some people.

That said, I don't use one. I don't need bigger and would prefer smaller. I don't do shoots where I take 700 photos without a break to change batteries. I have no problem with portrait orientation with the camera.

For me, it's unnecessary for others it's essential.
--
Patrick T. Kelly
Oaxaca, Mexico
 
I think it's something of a personal thing.

I took my 20D grip off after two weeks of use and it's been in its box ever since. Even with big lenses I didn't find it contributed to better handling or balance, just extra weight to carry. I haven't even considered getting one for my K-7.

I guess it might be pretty useful if you are doing a lot of portrait work. Others will have differing points of view.
 
Some advantages:
  • Vertical shooting: esp when wearing a hat (as I do when travelling) having your hand on top of the camera gets in the way of the hat. But it makes vertical shooting more comfortable in the whole.
  • Balance: a grip greatly improves balance with longer, heavier lenses.
  • Battery power: not just more pictures on a charge, also allows for a spare battery in the camera. I setup the camera to use the grip first, and replace the battery at the first opportunity after the grip battery dies. The battery in the camera keeps it going at all times, thus enabling you not to have to change the battery immediately when it dies. Of course you need to recharge the camera battery from time to time to keep this safety...
  • Storage: in some cases you can use the grip for an extra SD card or an IR remote.
Wim

--
Belgium, GMT+1

 
i've been thinking about getting a k7 grip. but 2 things concern me. k7 battery is 9v and the battery grip holds 6 AA batteries, for nimh battery 6x1.2=7.2v which is way lower than the k7 lithium. does that affect the performance of the camera?

the grip and the camera are splash proof. what about the connecting pins at the bottom of the camera? does water get the the pins when the grip is connected to the camera
 
new type said:
i've been thinking about getting a k7 grip. but 2 things concern me. k7 battery is 9v and the battery grip holds 6 AA batteries, for nimh battery 6x1.2=7.2v which is way lower than the k7 lithium. does that affect the performance of the camera?

the grip and the camera are splash proof. what about the connecting pins at the bottom of the camera? does water get the the pins when the grip is connected to the camera
Click to expand...
Well, don't be concerned then. The grip also has an alternate tray for the regular K-7 battery instead of AAs. The grip to camera connection is sealed.

My opinion is that the storage of battery, SD card, and remote are convenient, but that certainly shouldn't be a reason to use it. It's all about whether you like the extra size and grip area. I really like it for any time where I'm not concerned with the size or weight being an issue (80% of the time).
 
thanks. but the k7 battery is expensive and if I use AA, i can share them with my k200d
 
new type said:
i've been thinking about getting a k7 grip. but 2 things concern me. k7 battery is 9v and the battery grip holds 6 AA batteries, for nimh battery 6x1.2=7.2v which is way lower than the k7 lithium. does that affect the performance of the camera?
Click to expand...
You are incorrect about the voltage of the K-7 lithium battery; it is 7.2V, not 9V. See this picture of the battery, taken from the DPR review of the K-7:



So, using NiMH AA batteries in the grip actually matches the voltage of the standard lithium ion battery. And if you use alkaline or lithium AA batteries (at 1.5V each), the resulting 9 volts will be substantially higher than you get with the standard battery or rechargeable AAs. Not that I would actually recommend using alkalines (except in an emergency, of course) -- but lithium AAs should work very nicely, and in theory the higher voltage might even drive the in-body AF motor a little faster than the lower-voltage options would be able to.

--
Greg
 
new type said:
i've been thinking about getting a k7 grip. but 2 things concern me. k7 battery is 9v
Click to expand...
Where did you read that.?

Lithium supplies 3.6v per cell so only multiples of this are possible

3.6, 7.2,10.8 etc.

The k20d is 7.2 and I'd be very surprised if the k7 was different.
new type said:
and the battery grip holds 6 AA batteries, for nimh battery 6x1.2=7.2v which is way lower than the k7 lithium. does that affect the performance of the camera?

the grip and the camera are splash proof. what about the connecting pins at the bottom of the camera? does water get the the pins when the grip is connected to the camera
Click to expand...
Note to self

Must remember to read to end of thread before commenting see pic above ;-)
--
My PPG

http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/home#section=ARTIST&subSection=1471087&subSubSection=0&language=EN
My Photo Stream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/awaldram/
 
As one who generally uses larger lenses I find I prefer the extra weight and size the grip adds. I have hardly owned a camera that didn't have either a battery grip or motor drive add on since the M42 days. After buying the *ist D + grip I did not buy another Pentax body till the K10D came out with a grip also. I just feel that without the extra mass the camera feels more like a P&S without it.
Kent Gittings
 
Ranger59 said:
I have a question regarding the Battery Grips offered by Pentax. Other then having extra power for when the battery dies in the camera, is there a good reason to have a battery grip? Is it an essentional piece of equipment or just nice to have one?
Click to expand...
If you are using a large lens like a DA*60-250 or DA*300, then a grip is very handy for that added extra support especially with the K-7 as it is a little smaller than the K20D/K10D.

The K-7 grip is really a great piece of kit as it is very nice added to the K-7, I think it is better than the grip for the K10D/K20D. It also allows for the use of AA Lithiums and you can just leave the Pentax battery in the camera and just top up the batteries in the grip.

Even with a large zoom like the DA*16-50 f2.8, the grip can assist with portrait orientation.

I removed the grip when I was using the K20D, but the grip on the K-7 is really very nice.

--
Lance B
http://www.pbase.com/lance_b

 
new type said:
i've been thinking about getting a k7 grip. but 2 things concern me.
Click to expand...
The K-7 battery is 7.2V, so 6 x AA rechargeables is 6x 1.2v = 7.2volt, therefore they will work perfectly.

k7 battery is 9v and the battery grip holds 6 AA batteries, for nimh battery 6x1.2=7.2v which is way lower than the k7 lithium. does that affect the performance of the camera?

On the other hand. 6 x AA Lithiums is 6 x 1.5V = 9 volts, but there is a voltage regualtor which keeps the voltage to the max 7.2V.
new type said:
the grip and the camera are splash proof. what about the connecting pins at the bottom of the camera? does water get the the pins when the grip is connected to the camera
Click to expand...
No, there is a seal around the connection pins and a couple of other delicate parts.

--
Lance B
http://www.pbase.com/lance_b

 
Lance B said:
I removed the grip when I was using the K20D, but the grip on the K-7 is really very nice.
Click to expand...
I don't have the K-7, but in trying it in the store, I agree that the K-7 feels better with the grip. I have small hands, I usually buy women/s large gloves, so I didn't really think I was going to have an issue with the size of the K-7. It was surprising to me to find the K-7 uncomfortable without it. I also think the AA feature is pretty cool.

I do have the grip for the K10/20D and it mostly sits off the camera. This probably is mostly because I never expected to own a grip, so didn't invest in camera bags that work well with the grip. I also carry in the bag, (out of sight, out of a mugger/thief's mind), not on a neck strap, so getting in and out of the bag inefficiently gets old fast.

I imagine the grip on the *istD or the K200D are much easier to live with as they are also smaller bodies. The K200D grip at $40 makes getting one for it a no brainer for me.

Thank you
Russell

--
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/do_i_know_you/
 
Ranger59 said:
I have a question regarding the Battery Grips offered by Pentax. Other then having extra power for when the battery dies in the camera, is there a good reason to have a battery grip? Is it an essentional piece of equipment or just nice to have one?

Thanks for any advice on the matter.
Click to expand...
I used on one my K10D, I have one on my DS, I have one on my K-7 but only have the battery in the grip and not in the camera.

Pete
 
Well after thinking and looking at the battery grip for the K200D, I finally took the plunge and order one from Ritz that was on their clearance rack. Total cost with shipping was $35.95. I do hope it is a new one like they said in there website but I figure at this price it is worth the gamble and even if it a demo model, as long as it works and does not look too beat up, I'll be happy. Thanks for the comments.
 
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