Dicain SG-II Vertical Shutter Release and grip
Many of us purchased our Pentax K100D or K100D Super not only because of the image quality and the reach feature set, but for its size. I preferred a camera that was lighter and easy to carry rather than one of those over sized DSLR's. Soon after getting this camera and getting accustomed to it, I realized that shooting in the portrait position was not only strange but very uncomfortable. I realized now that the extra shutter button and the extra size were very important, and I would not be happy without these items. I also found out that compact size and weight makes a difference when shooting with a long lens and slower shutter speeds. So I was at a cross roads and had to either change cameras which I couldn’t afford, or find a Vertical Shutter release that would work with the K100D Super. After doing a bunch of searches on the Internet I found a few alternatives, but none suited my needs. One contained a battery but no shutter release and another contained both, but was a strange device that fit under the camera and had two exposed wires that plugged into the two jacks on the left of the camera. That was out of the question for both esthetic and practical reasons. The main concern was the door on the camera being to vulnerable to damage when hanging open. While doing my searches I remembered that Dicain (www.dicain.co.kr) made one for the *ist DS series, so I contacted them to ask if one was in the works. I was informed that there was, but it was a few months off. Remembering that Dicain made the cover for my LCD and I was extremely happy with its quality I decided to wait for there version of the vertical shutter release. I have now received the Dicain unit and my impressions are below.
General Information for Dicain SG-II
5.03” Wide (128mm)
2.87” Deep (73mm)
1.53” high (39mm)
3.99 ounces (113g)
First Impressions
My first impressions were that the grip is made out of a good quality material and that the color and texture is a very good match to the finish of the K100D. Even the leather grain looks very good. All in all it looks and feels good and sturdy. The grip adds no real weight to the camera, but does make it feel great in my hands.
Product Review
The unit comes in two pieces, the main unit or grip, and a piece with two male plugs that I call the bridge. The grip installs on the camera to the tripod socket using a thumb wheel which works very well. The main unit or grip contains the button for auto focus and shutter release which works just like the shutter release on the K100D or K100D Super. Half press starts auto focus and full press releases the shutter. In order for the shutter release to work on the grip, the bridge containing the plugs most be inserted. The bridge goes between the remote shutter release jack behind the door on the left of the camera, and the jack on the grip. The bridge completes the circuit between the camera and the grips shutter release. Some people might say why not do it the same way as the SG-1 grip for the *ist DS? The answer is very logical and simple! When the bridge is removed it allows access to the power jack and more important the USB jack. To me this is very important as I use the USB jack as my method to unload photos from the K100D Super. The bridge also covers and protects the door which is exposed to damage as on the Owner User grip. The bridge can be removed when not needed, for those that prefer the grip to remain on the camera and give the pro look.
Pros:
- Increases the size of camera for better grip.
- Duplicates the shutter release for portrait orientation.
- Allows access to both power and USB connection without removing grip.
- The door that covers ports is protected from damage.
- Duplicates the tripod socket on the camera.
- Fits snugly to camera.
- Matches camera finish very well.
- Has two mounts for camera strap or wrist strap.
- Has convenient thumb rest covered in grain material which makes it very comfortable to hold.
Cons:
1. To be honest I have found none to speak of. *Some people might not like the removable bridge, but to it is a big positive.
2. Some might want it to weigh a drop more, but to me it is fine the way it is.
Summation:
I find the grip to be very useful and it does its intended job very well with both style and comfort. I think anyone wanting a vertical shutter release and the larger grip will not go wrong with this product.
