Customer Reviews

Pentax 39687 Battery Grip BG3 (for K200D) (Retail Packaging)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Pentax DBG3 Battery Grip is a must have accessory for anyone who spends extended time in the field with their K-200. It mates solidly to the body and maintains the camera's weather resistance (I've used both in light rain and the high humidity of South Florida's swamps without a hitch). It functions very well when shooting vertically and also retains a tripod mount receptical - so no need to remove it to use a tripod or monopod. While the DBG3 obviously adds some weight, this is more than compensated by the extended power range, vertical grip / shutter release capability and overall better balanced feel to the camera with a larger lens attached. Add some Sanyo Eneloop batteries and this grip will keep you shooting all day.SANYO eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries

It's a great idea to have this which is why I bought it. Looks cool too. But, it caused my camera to freeze up. I had to take the batteries completely out of the camera after removing the grip just to get it to shut off. Pentax chat customer care was very helpful and helped me determine it was the grip that was the problem and not the camera. Regardless, the lithium batteries that came with the camera are still going and I'm around 2,000 shots taken already without this grip (which I returned). They still show on full charge. Amazing!! By the way, I LOVE the K200D!! Takes awesome shots! Saving up for the 18mm - 250mm Pentax zoom 3.5 - 6.5 lens.

I ordered this because the price was too good though I wasn't sure how much I would use it. It has been on my camera 75% of the time since I got it. I do like it and will keep using it for many reasons, but mostly because of how good it makes the camera feel in my hand.

Pro's:

Improved Ergonomics, the K200D has great ergomomics to start with, this just adds to it. I REALLY like having a place for my pinky to grip the camera it just feels more solid.

Vertical/Portrait orientation shooting is a snap and doesn't crank on my wrist.

Increased battery capability, 4 more AA's really helps.

You look WAY more professional.

Con's:

No thumb wheel, for some reason I thought it had one, all it has is a power on/off slider like on the camera, shutter release and an AE-L button.

No Card storage slot like with the BG-2 for the K10/20D.

Not much texture to the surface, and thinner ridge for finger grip than I would like.

Makes the camera quite bulky.

Summary: This grip improves handling, and battery power, but lacks thumb wheel and other control buttons. As the only grip for this camera it is sufficient but very plain and lacking advanced control buttons, it also does increase the size substantially. It is a "buy" but not a "Have to Have" accessory.

Very well made product that is a must for anyone looking to extend battery life. If you're shooting using a lot of on camera flash, bracketing exposures, or using the shutter burst mode for action sequences or sporting events this is a very sound investment.

PRO's -
* Loaded with lithium batteries you will be amazed at the number of shots you get.
* Vertical shooting button with AE Lock feature
* Standard tripod mount
* Easy to pop on and off
* Build quality
* Camera will auto-switch between battery packs (almost foolproof)
* Provides a little more heft and gripping area (my personal preference)

CON's
* Adds weight (no kidding right?)
* Added width means that it won't fit into most holster type camera bags

The pro's seriously outweigh the cons on this one. Highly recommended.

Great item doubles battery life. You can choose to auto switch, use camera battery first, use grip battery first, or manual choice of battery in menu screen. Has vertical shutter release for portraits and vertical AE lock button. Also makes camera feel more balanced with longer lens.

I've always wanted one of these, and being an amateur photographer for over 30 years, this is my first battery grip. The overriding reason I tried it is the current discounted price - an unbelievable bargain at around $40. It does work well (when seated correctly - just make sure you attach it right), is automatically detected by the camera, gives the camera more surface area to grip and hold, and obviously doubles your battery life, which is great when indoors with flash. On the down side, it does (noticeably) makes the camera heavier, more clumsy (the camera leans onto the lens when placed on a surface), and does not fit into my Pentax shoulder DSLR bag when attached. So, I attach it when I anticipate needing it (that takes one minute), and I am really enjoying the $40 investment. For five stars, I would have wanted it to be lighter and thinner.

The k200d battery grip is cheap, it's also very basic. You can turn on/off the grip's shutter button, exposure lock, shoot and pre-focus with the grip. If you have eneloop batteries, the grip is almost excessive. I have not had to change or recharge after months of shooting. I am still on my first set of batteries. However, the grip does improve ergonomics and the balance of the camera. This I feel is its main feature. Shooting with the grip feels much more stable and the added weight just feels good. I would have liked to see an extra e-dial to change exposure, shutter speed and f-stop settings. Having to go back to the on camera controls makes this accessory kind of redundant. For the price, it is worth owning, but certainly not a must.

The Pentax K200 has always been an extraordinarily complete camera at a ridiculously low 'entry-level' price. The BG3 makes it even nicer to handle - especially when taking portraits (for wedding photography it is a must) and the extra grip it affords is especially useful when using larger/heavier lenses. The additional batteries effectively double the camera's battery life (hardly necessary given that a set will last for around 700 frames) and the whole thing is weatherproofed like the camera body. It is as superbly finished as the K200 and add to its already professional appearance. This combination looks and feels comparable to the Canon, Nikon or Sony models two tiers up the range, at double the price!
My only gripe is that a replicated control dial on the back would have improved functionality.

Clumsy big but works as advertised. They could have made it a lot less bulky. It gives you room for four AA batteries and also a shutter for the portrait mode.

This is the second Pentax grip I've bought for my K200D. The first still works, sort of. This is to say it has the same problem another reviewer mentioned - it will lock the camera up. You have to remove the grip, and then any batteries in the camera body. Then you reverse the process, batteries back in, grip back on, etc. until it happens again. I've noticed that at first it seemed to happen only when I had lithium batteries in both the grip and the camera body. But now, it will happen with any type of batteries

However, that's the bad half of the story. On the positive side the grip is well made - Pentax made, strong and seems to be water resistant like the camera body. I use it a lot in my travels, as I go to Central America and take nature shots in the rain forests, and any given shot may be vertical or horizontal. This grip is great for those vertical shots, as the Pentax K200 does have some serious weight and can be uncomfortable after holding it for an extended period of time when its coupled with an older glass and metal (not plastic) telephoto lens. After the first grip started to go weird on me, I picked up a cheapo clone at half the price. It doesn't have the problem of locking up the camera, but it feels cheap, the plastic is slippery, and the on/off switch is very flimsy - it's just not Pentax quality. So I bought another Pentax grip, and this time I'll try not to use lithium batteries in it.