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GH3 battery grip modding
  • sam_rides_a_mtbsam_rides_a_mtb

    So I saw this: http://www.newsshooter.com/2013/07/23/extreme-documentary-how-vice-puts-the-canon-c300-through-its-paces/

    And thought how awesome it would be to have that relocated camera grip with controls for the GH3.

    The Canon Cxxx series grip relocator is this: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/875881-REG/Zacuto_z_hg_c3gr_Zgrip_Handle_with_C300.html

    Well then I realized, there is a battery grip for the GH3 that not only has a shutter release button, but 2 dials, as well as controls for WB, ISO, and EC!!!!

    Now, this is where it gets tricky. If we wanted to somehow turn this battery grip into a relocated handle/grip, how would we connect the 18 contacts? This could potentially turn the GH3 camera into an even more powerful run and gun kit with something like this.

    The battery grip even has the more traditional strap slots/lugs, which should make attaching a camcorder-like strap easier.

    How many of those contacts are needed and what would be the best way of connecting a wire, so to speak?

    Seems like this battery grip would be the perfect place to start in attempting to make some sort of handle control on a GH3 rig.

    Any thoughts?

  • 7 Replies sorted by
  • RatLabProductionsRatLabProductions

    I've thought about getting the grip for the fact that it would place those control right next to my right hand with my home made wooden Aaton style grip. The fact that tripod mounting hold on the bottom is offset so it wouldn't line up with my rail rig anyway without another plate to offset.

  • sam_rides_a_mtbsam_rides_a_mtb

    Are there any PV users that own this grip? Is so, does it look easy to disassemble? I want to purchase one and attempt to relocate the pin connection to a camera maybe 12" away. Maybe a service manual would help here, though have not been able to locate one. Anyone willing to open theirs up? Maybe we can raise the funds for someone to reverse engineer one of these :)

  • aldolegaaldolega

    This is a cool idea. I imagine you could just cut out the area of the grip with the pins and keep that attached to the camera somehow (with a simple bent metal plate that sandwiches under your QR plate, maybe). You extend the wires to the rest of the grip, through the hole you cut, and seal it up with some silicone or something.

    A generic version of the grip just hit eBay, at about $75 I believe. I bet if you wait a month or so they'll drop to the $40-50 range, which is a much more experimentable/sacrificial price.

  • den59den59

    That is a very nice idea! Anybody tried to connect battery grip to GH3 some distance away? Any images? p.s. I don't see any third party grips on ebay, btw.

  • Sph1nxsterSph1nxster

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/DSTE-DMW-BGGH3-Vertical-Battery-Grip-Holder-for-Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-GH3-Camera-/171093413492?pt=US_Camera_Battery_Grips&hash=item27d5f64e74

  • den59den59

    thanks. I think some Chinese manufactures should make a grip relocator based on it ;)

  • sam_rides_a_mtbsam_rides_a_mtb

    Edit - Disregard.

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