Battery grip for D600...

I haven't seen any MB-D14 battery grips available here yet. I have seen a few places advertising replacement (third party) grips though. Given just how expensive genuine Nikon accessories are, is it worth a look at the others, if/when they are available. They could be as little as one quarter to one fifth of the cost at a guess. Or is it a matter of "you get what you pay for"..?? I've never had a replacement on the others, just genuine stuff...

Mind you, a late thought... I've bought a decent camera and lens,, might as well stick to the "right" stuff... I'll chew on it for a while...

It's available for Pre-order on B & H Photos and Adorama. Amazon has it for sale, but at a higher price.
Amazon.com: Nikon MB-D14 Multi Battery Power Pack for Nikon D600 Digital SLR: NIKON: Camera & Photo

I think the main difference about the 3rd party grips is that they don't read chipped batteries. For some people, the only purpose of getting a grip is the battery storage option it has, and also it adds heft and balance to the camera and lens. This is just my theory, though, and not meant to be taken as actual fact.

I'm not too worried about the battery chip not reading so much,, although I once used a replacement battery in the D80 and it wouldn't read properly in a genuine grip, and it gave no end of trouble in the charger and it eventually died a horrible premature death after about only 6 months, so I threw it into the wilderness and cursed the day I bought it. Actually it seemed to to affect the charger, why, I don't know but after it refused to fully charge up a few times, the charger then began to act erraticlly charging my genuine Nikon batteries, somtimes telling me that the batteries were charged after about 5 minutes from basically flat or about 10% charge. I took it into the local camera shop and showed them what had gone wrong but would you believe it, as soon as I showed them on the counter, all was ok,, Murphy's law in reverse.. So I spent the huge sums of money and bought another Nikon battery and never had another problem. So it's definitely genuine batteries but I thought the grip was just a hunk of plastic and my first use was for the extra grippage, even if I didn't have another battery inside it...

Thanks for the replies... I think I might just wait to see just how much the genuine ones cost - GULP...!!!

Very wise indeed. Especially while it's still under warranty. Nikon techs are able to tell if you are using a 3rd party grip. If a problem occurred your warranty would be Void.

salvatore said:

Very wise indeed. Especially while it's still under warranty. Nikon techs are able to tell if you are using a 3rd party grip. If a problem occurred your warranty would be Void.

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This very thought was actually crossing my mind just as I was typing the last reply, hence me changing my mind at the end. That reply was in real-time...

In New Zealand, we have the local Nikon agent who can be a bit pushy at times and I have heard of more than just a few niggles with them when it comes to what is/isn't covered or honoured under warranty, so thanks for that trinket of info about being able to tell when 3rd party stuff is used... Genuine Nikon it is...!!!

I found a Nikon MB D14 battery grip at a local camera store for $299 + tax.

Just picked up my MB-D14 for $329cdn. Love the feel, added weight, and (obviously) additional battery power. Expensive for what it is, but what are you going to do...

Got a phonecall from a local camera shop yesterday asking to confirm if I want a grip or not as apparently there are a few others too wanting them. They are going to try to force the issue with Nikon distributor, but they advised me not to hold my breath...

More news,
just checked the local Nikon site and the MB-D14 grip has appeared on it at last. Checked the local camera shop who phoned the Nikon importer/distributors and they are due in, about 2 weeks or so... Great stuff. Good way the round off the week.

It's Friday afterrnoon 3:10pm, nice n sunny, and the MB-D14 is one its way...

Got my MB-D14 and I have to admit, it's very very solid. My previous D90 had the phottix grip and it felt plasticky and hollow compared to the original one.

Thank goodness for the price match, I got the price down from $329.99 to 289.99 CAD. Less the $100 gift card, paid around $230 for this grip...IMO, well worth the $230. However, if I was to pay full price, I'd have to think again.

I know that feeling. Genuine prices needs genuine thinking, doesn't it.? However, I need the grip and I was told that the price would be quite a bith less than the one for the D300 when I bought it a handful of years back now. When I first saw my brothers d200 with a grip on it, it looked huge and bulky and I thought it made the camera look awful, until I held it and tried it. Then I saw the use for it. At the time I had a D80 and immediately bought one for it,, then the D300 and now the D600. Must have...!!!

Nikonitus said:

I know that feeling. Genuine prices needs genuine thinking, doesn't it.? However, I need the grip and I was told that the price would be quite a bith less than the one for the D300 when I bought it a handful of years back now. When I first saw my brothers d200 with a grip on it, it looked huge and bulky and I thought it made the camera look awful, until I held it and tried it. Then I saw the use for it. At the time I had a D80 and immediately bought one for it,, then the D300 and now the D600. Must have...!!!

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Yep. Don't leave home without it.

I don't do many vertical shots but when I do, the grip is most handy alright. Just the other day I pulled up at my brothers place and he has this ginormous (gigantic/enormous) tree, I think a Norfolk pine, outside the front of his section and I thought it might make a nice shot, so I flipped the D600 over on its side and nearly lost it.. Just reaction as if I was still using the D300 gripped as I tried to grab thin air. Mind you, I had the strap around my neck but you know what I mean...

I think shelling out a few hundred might be more mind easing than a few thousand. That plus it's so much easier to hold all-round and tip with a grip on - FullStop...!!!

Click on the link below. Scroll down and check out the metal in the MB D14. Solid.




http://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-d600

Yeah, I've seen that shot (metallic grip - inner) maybe on a different site. Nice to know you are getting something that will hold the camera on a tri/monopod without breaking or buckling.

Thanks for that link. Man, some wicked looking photos of that mountain scenery. Who'd have thought that green and yellow would be such a good contrast to make such a beautiful shot(s). Ecxcellent... OK, I'm off to read that review...

Cheers and regards...

Finally got one (grip) yesterday afternoon. The shop actually phoned me to say they got just the one in and "Do you want?"
"Of course I want,, be in asap..."

Cost was a lot cheaper than I expected - $349 NZ which equates to about $280 US. Don't know if that's a good price compared to overseas but I thought it was great...

Anyway, at last - Done Deal...!!!

Nikonitus said:

Finally got one (grip) yesterday afternoon. The shop actually phoned me to say they got just the one in and "Do you want?"
"Of course I want,, be in asap..."

Cost was a lot cheaper than I expected - $349 NZ which equates to about $280 US. Don't know if that's a good price compared to overseas but I thought it was great...

Anyway, at last - Done Deal...!!!

Click to expand...

That's not a bad deal, relatively speaking. I paid $299 USD, plus sales tax, which was another $30, almost.

I paid $274 from Adorama.

Camera now feels "normal" to hold. Messed around with it today and at last I feel a lot more confident tipping on its side to get those special shots... I think it was on the first day I bought it that I plain forgot it didn't have the grip and I tipped it over and nearly lost it but for the strap which was around my neck.