Pentax D-BG6 Battery Grip

This is a battery HOLDER only. It does not generate any power.

The normal Pentax D-LI90P Li-Ion battery that is compatible with the camera and the Battery Grip is rated at 7.2 volts and 1,860 mAh. The AA cell tray that comes with the D-BG6 Battery Grip holds 6-AA cells. Standard AA zinc-carbon or alkaline battery cells put out 1.5 v, thus 6-cells would provide 9 v. Cheaper alkaline batteries would not be rechargeable but would probably last longer because the higher voltage would probably require less current drain. Rechargeable AA cells are typically Nickel-metal Hydride (NiMH), Lithium, and Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd). NiMH AA cells put out 1.2 v, thus 6-cells would provide 7.2 v. Lithium AA cells rated at 1.5 v are available and 6 would provide 9 v. NiCd AA cells put out 1.2 v, thus 6 would provide 7.2 v. Any of these would “work” fine. But the amount of use time before having to charge might be higher for the higher voltage cells. A higher mAh rating would also be desirable as this number is indicative of how much use can be obtained before recharge is necessary. There are many tradeoffs, but convenience, availability, quality and cost are the real drivers. For example, cheaper cells might tend to leak sooner than more expensive ones. This can mess up good equipment. Don’t leave AA cells in unused equipment for extended periods. You get what you pay for. Personally, if I’m going to spend the money for the Battery Grip in the first place, I would invest in a charger for the standard Li-Ion batteries made for the unit and buy some extra camera/grip Li-ion batteries. In an emergency you can always purchase some standard 1.5 v alkaline AA cells. They’re cheap and can be tossed when expended.

For the K-3, you need the BG-4. The BG-5 is for the K-1 only.

The power switch on the camera still controls the camera power. The switch on the battery grip is used to transfer controls from the camera body to the grip. This can be handy for vertical shots. If the camera switch is on and the grip switch is off, then the camera controls work normally and the grip controls are not functional. (At least by my memory.)

For the K1 it is a must have as it improves my grip and command of the camera. I cannot image using the K1 without it. I do not believe it will work with the K-S1.

Short answer: no.Long answer: every grip is a slightly different shape to match the contours of the body it is paired with. That aside, the grip for the K1 does not use pins for contact to the body like previous models, but flat contacts instead.