Sorry to hear the issues you have found Nofai. Glad you posted it as I have been wavering to buy a knock off grip for my D800 as well.

After reading this it has just re-confirmed my commitment to buy the manufacture parts on anything electrical. The issue Nofai has seen, makes perfect sense to me in an electrical current perspective. It is just Christmas lights from 30 years ago - pull a bulb out, whole string is out. As others has noted, Nikon made the simple fix that doesn't make that an issue. May cost more, but to buy multiple batteries just to make the knock off work added to the knock off - you are almost there.

As I get older I don't have the patience to "try & test" 3rd party stuff and have always found it to cost just as much as buying the "real" thing.

Very helpful post Nofai!

So it seems you either have a faulty grip or have to buy another battery nofai? I think you need to contact the seller of your fake grip and find out what it is supposed to do.

If you think about it though, you will not be able to seamlessly change the battery that is in the body after flattening the grip battery, so you may as well face up to running both batteries flat then charging them both. Only alternative is buy TWO more batteries!

i just re test it again.

- camera will "not" turn on if i insert the grip battery tray without a battery on it.
- camera will turn on if I have the grip but pull out the grip tray.
- camera will turn on if the grip contain a dead battery.

nofai said:
Spraybpray
here is a good new for me and a bad new for me.
the good one is , I found out after the grip battery is empty. the camera will automatic switch to the body battery. I tested it with record video. It switch battery without stop the recording.

the bad one is. since the grip battery is empty. I want to take it out for charge. and then the camera couldn't turn on any more with only the body battery ..

anyone has the real grip and tell me is it the same thing with a real one É

It's not, with the MB-D12 there is no effect when you pull the battery tray out with the camera on. With the Meike it "hunts" for a moment and then "finds" the battery in the body. I have not tested it but it seems it would make a glitch in a video if it was to do this do to battery failure while exposing. YMMV

Spraybpray
here is a good new for me and a bad new for me.
the good one is , I found out after the grip battery is empty. the camera will automatic switch to the body battery. I tested it with record video. It switch battery without stop the recording.

the bad one is. since the grip battery is empty. I want to take it out for charge. and then the camera couldn't turn on any more with only the body battery ..

anyone has the real grip and tell me is it the same thing with a real one É

sorry spraynpray.. I am suppose to tell you the result today. my grip battery is still has 14%@960 shots. I have another shooting tmr . I will let you know tmr for sure.

sevencrossing said:
Is this with a genuine grip or a fake one ?

Both IME.

nofai said:
spraynpray... I am still testing it now. I have battery in both body and grip now. my grip batter is 51% 481 shot and the body battery is 100% 0 shot.

Looks normal - let us know if it switches over to the second battery OK.

sable hill said:
the tripod mount on a grip is just about useless as it is too shaky, so you have to remove the grip to use it on a tripod. There is just too much movement between the grip and body.

Is this with a genuine grip or a fake one ?

spraynpray... I am still testing it now. I have battery in both body and grip now. my grip batter is 51% 481 shot and the body battery is 100% 0 shot.
I will shoot more pic this friday. i think i will have the answer soon
thanks

spraynpray said:

@Maxout: a 1-2 second delay on switch on makes a mockery of the fast switch-on time that Nikon cameras are designed to have doesn't it? There must be a problem there or everybody would have posted that problem exists - have you googled any reviews of that grip?

I never noticed it because I always have a battery in both the grip and body. I just tested it to see if I could duplicate the OP's condition with their body and grip. It seems that if you remove the tray it takes a moment for the camera to recognize the in body battery, this does not occur with the Nikon made grip.

msmoto said:
It would seem if the camera works with one battery in the grip, no problem exists. Just use it in "one battery" mode with it in the grip. If the grip is not used place the battery in the body and go for it. I see no problem.

You mean aside from the fact that it defeats half the point of having the battery grip... you know extra battery life??? That said, when you use knockoffs, you get what you pay for.

I'm tired of the whole grip issue. I am going gripless with my D800 and I love it. I don' t need the extra size and weight and I have had too many issues with grips. For one, the tripod mount on a grip is just about useless as it is too shaky, so you have to remove the grip to use it on a tripod. There is just too much movement between the grip and body. I feel that the vertical shooting position is fine on the D800. I liked my Zeikos grip on my D90, but my Zeikos grip broke easily on my D7000. I just think that the D800 feels right with no grip. I have not tried a Nikon grip on the D800, and will not if I have to buy it. I would rather spend the money on a trip or some glass.

@Nofai: Can you enlighten us as to whether your problem was solved by using both batteries in the camera and Meike grip? It does seem weird that the camera only came on with the battery in the grip not the camera.

@Maxout: a 1-2 second delay on switch on makes a mockery of the fast switch-on time that Nikon cameras are designed to have doesn't it? There must be a problem there or everybody would have posted that problem exists - have you googled any reviews of that grip?

Interestingly I checked the other D800 that has a Meike Grip, and there is a 1-2 second delay in start up if I remove the battery tray. Unlike the Nikon grip hmmm...

Sitting here while reading this, I grabbed one D800 (with an MB-D12 grip) and slid the battery tray out of the grip and the camera fires right up whether the battery tray is in or out of the Grip. (yes there is a battery in the body);^)

msmoto said:
It would seem if the camera works with one battery in the grip, no problem exists. Just use it in "one battery" mode with it in the grip. If the grip is not used place the battery in the body and go for it. I see no problem.

This ends todays lecture in Logic 101. Thank you msmoto

It would seem if the camera works with one battery in the grip, no problem exists. Just use it in "one battery" mode with it in the grip. If the grip is not used place the battery in the body and go for it. I see no problem.

Hi everyone
I received my fake D800 last week. And i found out something problem. And i don't know it is normal or not. When i put the battery inside the body but not the grip. THe camera doesnt come on. the camera only on if i put the battery in the grip.
I didnt have an extra battery to test last week. I dont know what happen if i put battery in both.
My question is Will it use the both battery or it will always use the battery in the grip?
And i see the camera can check both battery level. but can i choose which one to use first ?
I received my second battery today in the mail. I guess i will have my answer in a few day. After i drain one battery.

thanks