Battery Grip K5

I am slightly confused why anyone would want one. A battery grip gives you 1 extra battery but you could buy 4 genuine Pentax battery's for the price of one grip.

If you shoot a lot in portrait you may find it easier to hold.

I have a grip for my K10D and have never used it. Mine cost about £30 new when Jessops were clearing them. For me, it wasn't worth the money.

Horses for courses really! For me personally i like the fact that you can use AA batteries as well as the D type battery, so if you run out of juice you can buy some AA's and keep shooting, very handy if you a traveling and can't charge your batteries for a few days. However, where the grip comes in handy is when you start using big lenses like DA* 200mm DA* 300mm DA* 60 250mm, it really help balance things out. I don't use my BG all the time, but I know its there if I need it, and I was able to purchase mine for a very reasonable price I am happy.

The grip can imporve the handling of the camera, even horizontally. When I hold my K-5 without the grip, my little finger hangs off the bottom uncomfortably. Being able to use AA batteries is a big help too. The first thing I bought for my SFXn & MZ-M cameras was an AA battery grip and wished one was available for my Z-1 (again better with its grip despite not having a battery or vertical release). I may have been too spoiled by my Motordrive-A & Super-A though.

Or 20 3rd party batteries

Some people like the feel of grips. I bought one for my K20D when I had it, but I never used the vertical controls in portrait orientation and just fund it all a bit heavy. So didn't get any grips for my K-5s. Pentax grips are a rip off price anyhow

Personal preference. I bought a K5 (K7) partly for the size so for me (although I have a 3rd party grip - which I bought for the AAs but in fact I've never needed it and it is just extra bulk and weight) the K5(K7) without any grip is near perfect.

Some clients are impressed by big cameras