Third party grips

I have a third party grip on my K-5 and am perfectly happy with it - no problems at all. It claims to be weather sealed, but I doubt it is really, and I'm sure the quality is not as good as the Pentax item, but it does the job just as well, still feels fairly robust, and if it should break, well, I can buy 5 of these for the price of 1 Pentax grip.
I'd rather spend the extra on a lens.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

It is indeed the £32 Amazon item I've been looking at.

A search on the net brought up loads of gripes about cheap grips, seems the one that has plastic pins is to be avoided at all costs whilst the one mentioned on this thread is OK.

I also bought one of those - mainly to give a better balance on the K-5 with a long lens on it, and it certainly does do that.

OTOH, the eBay advertiser's pictures here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330642170821&ssPageName... are a little contradictory - the top shot shows it having metal locating pins, whereas the lower shot appear to show plastic pins, and those are what mine has!

Not too worried at this point, but I will be careful when I fit/remove the grip to ensure I don't break those pins!!

Yes, the BOWER has the steel locator pins. And the buttons and wheels feel very similar to those on the K7.

I see you got the K5 then Dave don't blame me if you don't like it.

Nor me .

I won't, the boss might, but I won't!

Hello Hardgravity Sir, why do you need a Grip at all?? Yes Yes I know all the excuses - vertical shots, extra battery power, use of ordinary AA cells, I have bigger hands, looks very Pro and hep, etc etc. I used all the same excuses to buy the original Pentax Grip, and HARDLY EVER USE IT NOW. The novelty has worn off. In fact it can be a pain/nuisance as the buttons keep getting pressed by no fault of mine.
Please use the fund to buy a faster better lens like a Tammy f2.8.
Regards.

[quote/]

.... In fact it can be a pain/nuisance as the buttons keep getting pressed by no fault of mine.
Please use the fund to buy a faster better lens like a Tammy f2.8.
Regards.[/quote]Does your grip not have an ON-OFF switch as the one I have does have one and when it is set to OFF, the buttons on the grip don't do anything?

I had a grip for my K20D. I never used it for vertical shots preferring to use the regular controls in that position. Only benefit was not having to change battery so often.

When I got my K-5s I didn't bother getting grips, and get over 2,000 shots per battery anyway.

Sure, I define 'waste' as the practice of buying something like a third party grip when it's affordable, only to replace it later with the OEM one.

Used OEM equipment nowadays is undervalued already. A third party grip would be almost unsaleable in used condition. Hence, waste.

Why not just wait until one can afford the OEM one, either used or new.

I have a grip on myK200 and find it makes the camera more comfortable.

That's the reason I'm looking at a grip for my K5,nothing to do with image(look I've got a big..) but all to do with comfort.

Can you fit a quick release plate on the bottom of the BG

Yes, but take into consideration the extra total weight of the camera when using a tripod.

I use one of the copied ones. I don't see the point of a weatherprooofed grip. The body is fully weatherprooofed so any water that gets in between the grip and body is not going to harm the body itself I would have thought....