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Battery grip for Pentax k-1

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Terry K1

Terry K1

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Hello Folks,

I just received my new k-1 today. I love the build quality, but it does feel short in my hand. I feel like the battery grip will improve the handling for me, but I don't want to continue removing it. Can I leave the battery out of the camera, and use the one in the grip only? Will I need to remove the camera battery door in order to mount the grip? Your help is appreciated.

Terry
 
4children said:
Hello Folks,

I just received my new k-1 today. I love the build quality, but it does feel short in my hand. I feel like the battery grip will improve the handling for me, but I don't want to continue removing it. Can I leave the battery out of the camera, and use the one in the grip only? Will I need to remove the camera battery door in order to mount the grip? Your help is appreciated.

Terry
Click to expand...
I love the grip. I'm convinced the extra weight helps with holding the thing steady. I don't know if you can leave the camera's internal battery out, haven't tried that as it seems to partly defeat the purpose. The grip mounts on the bottom of the camera and doesn't affect the camera's battery door. However, to get to the camera battery to take it out for charging you do need to take the grip off. HTH.
 
4children said:
Hello Folks,

I just received my new k-1 today. I love the build quality, but it does feel short in my hand. I feel like the battery grip will improve the handling for me, but I don't want to continue removing it. Can I leave the battery out of the camera, and use the one in the grip only? Will I need to remove the camera battery door in order to mount the grip? Your help is appreciated.
Click to expand...
AFAIK you can use the camera with battery (or AA batteries) only in the grip. Or you could keep the battery in the camera as a backup, but use primarily the one from the grip.

You do not remove the camera battery door in order to mount the grip. You only have to remove the contacts covers from both the camera and the grip (there's space to store them on the grip).

Alex
 
Thank you very much, Alan. Have you noticed if taking the grip on and off causes any wear to the bottom of the camera? Also, does it take the same battery as the camera? I definitely need the extra room to hold, but I don't want it marking up my camera body.

Terry
 
Thank you Alan. That's good to know. I'm just afraid that taking it off and on again might mark up the bottom of my camera. Do I order the same battery as the camera has?

Terry
 
4children said:
Thank you Alan. That's good to know. I'm just afraid that taking it off and on again might mark up the bottom of my camera. Do I order the same battery as the camera has?

Terry
Click to expand...
I didn't get the grip for any of my DSLRs, so I'm not speaking from experience - but I'd be surprised if it does mark up the bottom of the camera. You just put it on the camera and tighten the screw that goes into the tripod socket.

Yes, the K-1 grip can use the same battery as the camera, or 6 AAs.

Alex
 
Great! Thank you very much. Better order one now before my heavy lens comes.

Terry
 
I don't buy cameras that don't have available vertical grips (battery grip= just more power, vertical grip= more power plus extra controls so the K-1 grip is a vertical grip not a battery grip as battery grips are only made for the low end cameras). I run mine in alternate battery mode not in peak power mode. In peak power mode it uses the one with the most power which generally means they both run out at the same time. Alternate mode lets you pick one as the primary and the other as backup. Pick the grip battery as primary, that way the camera never runs out of power when you need to make a shot because the camera battery is not used unless the grip battery is too low. That way you can switch to another battery in the grip on the fly so that the camera is still live. Only change the camera battery away from a shoot when you can put it in fresh. This is only possible because Pentax designed it to still use the internal battery. My Canon 60D does not do this as both batteries go in the grip so I have to be more careful if using that at a shoot.

Kent Gittings
 
Hi Terry,

From the istD on i always bought the Pentax cams (K10/20&K-1 now) with the battery grip.

From the istD and onwards i had the choice to select the battery.

K-1: menu Settings-4-SelectBattery. My setting is always 'Grip first'.

For years i've only used the batt. in the grip. In fact, my grip is so tightly screwed on, i wouldn't be able to just open/losen it fast to change a batt-in-cam.

If Pentax builds in the possibility to charge the batteries while in the cam i'll shurely place my second battery in the cam to have 2 batt: 1 in the cam and 1 in the grip. Until than, i'm a happy shooter without it :-)

--
;-) rgrds. Henk (K-1+DBG6 & -01, GF2+14042X & LBA).
 
Last edited:
Welcome to those who know what a vertical grip is for. Like you I followed the same camera progression, *ist D, K10D, K20D, K5II, K5IIs, and K-1. Nothing in between interested me unless it had a vertical grip.

Kent Gittings
 
4children said:
Thank you very much, Alan. Have you noticed if taking the grip on and off causes any wear to the bottom of the camera? Also, does it take the same battery as the camera? I definitely need the extra room to hold, but I don't want it marking up my camera body.

Terry
Click to expand...
No, ikt won't cause any wear. You simply hold the grip against the bottom of the camera and the screw thread sort of keeps the grip away from the body. As you tighten the thumb wheel it draws the grip against the body, so no lateral movement, just a gentle controlled getting-closer approach, if you follow my meaning! possible downside is the temptation to over-tighten and thus difficulty in taking it off. The wheel's not the easiest thing to get a good hold on.
 
… and… your K-1-with-b-grip stays WR… 👍
 
Hi Kent,

This is so helpful, thank you. I was just thinking about it this morning. What I really want to do is run a battery in the grip only, and none in the camera. I don't want to keep taking the grip off. I would just change the battery in the grip, when needed. Is this possible? I have the K-1, the 24-70 comes today, and the grip tomorrow.

Regards,

Terry
 
Great. This is good to know. My grip comes tomorrow. Thank you very much.

Terry
 
CallMeAlan said:
4children said:
Hello Folks,

I just received my new k-1 today. I love the build quality, but it does feel short in my hand. I feel like the battery grip will improve the handling for me, but I don't want to continue removing it. Can I leave the battery out of the camera, and use the one in the grip only? Will I need to remove the camera battery door in order to mount the grip? Your help is appreciated.

Terry
Click to expand...
I love the grip. I'm convinced the extra weight helps with holding the thing steady. I don't know if you can leave the camera's internal battery out, haven't tried that as it seems to partly defeat the purpose. The grip mounts on the bottom of the camera and doesn't affect the camera's battery door. However, to get to the camera battery to take it out for charging you do need to take the grip off. HTH.
Click to expand...
Damn! You think the K1 needs "extra weight" to help you hold the thing?? That's really funny. I guess everyone's bodies are balanced differently hahaha :-)

I too am looking into getting the battery grip, but not because I want extra weight but because I shoot a lot of portraits and I need the button on top to avoid the annoying chicken wing position.

By the way, are there any excellent third party battery grips for the K1?

CallMeAlan said:
--
My daughter says I only have two faults:
1: I don't listen
2: Something else
Click to expand...
 
Batdude said:
CallMeAlan said:
4children said:
Hello Folks,

I just received my new k-1 today. I love the build quality, but it does feel short in my hand. I feel like the battery grip will improve the handling for me, but I don't want to continue removing it. Can I leave the battery out of the camera, and use the one in the grip only? Will I need to remove the camera battery door in order to mount the grip? Your help is appreciated.

Terry
Click to expand...
I love the grip. I'm convinced the extra weight helps with holding the thing steady. I don't know if you can leave the camera's internal battery out, haven't tried that as it seems to partly defeat the purpose. The grip mounts on the bottom of the camera and doesn't affect the camera's battery door. However, to get to the camera battery to take it out for charging you do need to take the grip off. HTH.
Click to expand...
Damn! You think the K1 needs "extra weight" to help you hold the thing?? That's really funny. I guess everyone's bodies are balanced differently hahaha :-)
Click to expand...
So pleased to have brightened your day. I don't think my body is vastly different from most other peoples'. I mean, I'm of average height and weight.
Batdude said:
By the way, are there any excellent third party battery grips for the K1?
Click to expand...
Have you ever heard of some very clever technology called Google?
 
4children said:
Hi Kent,

This is so helpful, thank you. I was just thinking about it this morning. What I really want to do is run a battery in the grip only, and none in the camera. I don't want to keep taking the grip off. I would just change the battery in the grip, when needed. Is this possible? I have the K-1, the 24-70 comes today, and the grip tomorrow.

Regards,

Terry
Click to expand...
What Kent said.

I really like the longer grip as well as the vertical grip.

I have 3 batteries: one in the body, one in the grip, and a spare in the bag. I use the grip one first. When it runs out, the K1 automatically uses the one in the body, until i change the one in the grip. You don't have to turn the camera off to change the grip battery.
 
CallMeAlan said:
Batdude said:
CallMeAlan said:
4children said:
Hello Folks,

I just received my new k-1 today. I love the build quality, but it does feel short in my hand. I feel like the battery grip will improve the handling for me, but I don't want to continue removing it. Can I leave the battery out of the camera, and use the one in the grip only? Will I need to remove the camera battery door in order to mount the grip? Your help is appreciated.

Terry
Click to expand...
I love the grip. I'm convinced the extra weight helps with holding the thing steady. I don't know if you can leave the camera's internal battery out, haven't tried that as it seems to partly defeat the purpose. The grip mounts on the bottom of the camera and doesn't affect the camera's battery door. However, to get to the camera battery to take it out for charging you do need to take the grip off. HTH.
Click to expand...
Damn! You think the K1 needs "extra weight" to help you hold the thing?? That's really funny. I guess everyone's bodies are balanced differently hahaha :-)
Click to expand...
So pleased to have brightened your day. I don't think my body is vastly different from most other peoples'. I mean, I'm of average height and weight.
Click to expand...
Yes thank you.
CallMeAlan said:
CallMeAlan said:
By the way, are there any excellent third party battery grips for the K1?
Click to expand...
Have you ever heard of some very clever technology called Google?
Click to expand...
Ooooooooooh good come back :-)

FYI I was just joking with you :-)
 
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