Customer Reviews

Pentax D-BG4 Battery Grip for Pentax K-7 Digital SLR (Retail Packaging)

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

 

 

The D-BG4 battery grip features high quality build and allows you to use either a D-LI90 or AA batteries. Grip is fitted with controls for shutter release, depth of field preview, e-dails, exposure lock, green button and ISO. Very convenient accessory to have if you have large hands or are a composing vertical shot. Like the K-7, it is weather sealed.

For those of us with larger than average hands, the small size of the K-7 makes it a bit less comfortable than the larger K20 despite the great ergonomics of the K-7. The answer is this battery grip. It is an essential addition to the K-7, greatly improving handling, comfort and ease for portrait-oriented shots. It is built with the same solid feel of construction and weather sealing as the camera. I especially like the dual battery tray option for standard K-7 battery or six AA batteries. Unfortunately, after returning two K-7 cameras, I have an excellent battery grip sitting around waiting for another K-7.

When I purchased the Pentax K7, I agonized over which battery grip I should purchase - the Pentax BG4 or the Chinese knock-off available here and on the auction site. I went with the imitation and, never having used the real Pentax, it seemed adequate. But I had issues - the silkscreened button labels rubbed off, the rubber veneer began to peel back, and the wheel and buttons were wobbly and cheap feeling.

After purchasing the Pentax K5, I decided to get this grip - the real Pentax BG4. What a pleasure it was to take this out of the box and wheel it onto my camera. The fit and finish are impeccable and the button/wheel action mirrors the camera's own. It's also worth noting that the rubberized sections have a nicer look and texture. I believe this product will last a long time.

For those on the fence regarding either the genuine or counterfeit grip I recommend the genuine artifact. I sympathize with you regarding the high cost but, then again, you did purchase a $1500 camera.

Final notes:

- The grip is plastic, not magnesium alloy but is tough, well-balanced and feels like the latter.

- The grip is waterproof whereas the imitations are not

- The tripod mount thread is off-center as it is on the imitation.

I mainly purchased this so I could continue using the camera even if the normal (special) batteries became hard to get, since it can handle either AA or the special batteries. So far it has worked well. The extra controls are very handy when using the vertical orientation, but the extra switch will not turn on the camera, it only enables the extra set of controls. The total bulk is a bit bigger, but the handling is still good. I have only had a few longer shooting sessions so far, but there has been no sign of running out of "juice" when using both battery sets. Unlike several other brands, this one does not displace the normal camera battery when attached. That makes changing the normal camera battery a bit more involved (but still not hard) but reduces the extra bulk.

Works well, well made extra controls make verticals much easier.

The K5/K7 battery grip comes with 2 holders, one for AA batteries and one for a LI ON battery. The unused holder will fit in a Pelican 1030 case when not being used.

The case is longer than the holder, however it is a snug fit and will not move around.

Pelican 1030 Black 1030-025-100 Micro Case with Clear Lid and Carabiner

I like grips on my cameras. I can hold it better and do Portrait position with ease.

This grip also has weather sealed features. No problems on my K5 after a year of use!

The Pentax K-7 is a wonderful camera, but I found that its small size, especially when coupled with larger lenses, made it awkward to handle.

The D-BG4 Battery Grip solves this problem, balancing out the camera while giving you extra battery power and extra control when composing vertically-framed shots.

The build quality is top notch.

If you own a K-7 and can afford the D-BG4 Battery Grip, I recommend it without hesitation.

Compré la empuñadura para mi nueva K5, la cual he tenido que devolver debido a los graves problemas de enfoque que tenía con ella. El conjunto cámara + empuñadura es cómodo, aunque a mi parecer, menos de lo que era el mismo conjunto en mi K10, ya que la empuñadura junto con la K5 me parace mucho dura de angulos y por lo tanto menos agradable al tacto que la D-BG2 + K10. Espero que Pentax solucione los`problemas con el enfoque de la K5 para poder volver a comprarla, ya que después de 30 años siendo fiel usuario de Pentax, me parece inaceptable lo que han hecho sacando al mercado un producto tan inestable. Si la solución no se produce en breve tiempo venderé la empuñadura y haré algo a lo que siempre me he resistido hasta ahora que es cambiar de marca, ya que además Pentax no ha comunicado oficialmente dichos problemas, lo que aún me parece más inaceptable.

I didn't want to spend all the money for a brand name battery grip (I wasn't really sure I wanted a battery grip) so I decided to get an off brand one for less than half the price. You have to be a little carful when attaching to get proper alignment, as this one does not have the guide rods that the Pentax one has. That being said the thing works great. I'm no professional so I don't even leave the grip on all the time. I am over 6 feet tall so my hands maybe a little bigger than average, but the thing feels really great in my hands. It improves the ergonomics of the camera 100%. And when it comes to vertical shots (weddings, birthdays etc.) you can't beat the thing. Just like the Pentax model it holds a remote shutter release, extra battery of course, and extra SD memory card. I use a sock to protect the grip and toss it into my camera bag. The grip has all the controls for shutter, both front and back wheels and green button as well as AE lock button. I will never have another SLR without a battery grip, and this one works great!