Where can I find a good battery grip for my nikon d70?

Question

not interested in the Hanhel, or Jenis type which I find plasticky and can't be held vertically

Answer 1

The D70 wasn't made for a vertical grip - even if you get one with a vertical shutter release, you'll still need to use the original dials to control shutter speed & aperture, and half-pressing the shutter button to AF won't work (but if you set the focussing to AF-Single, the D70 WILL focus before it shoots).
Some grips, such as the Hoodman offer a shutter button that works via an IR cable. The drawback with IR is that you have to set the camera to remote operation, which gives you a maximum of 15 minutes between shots. Hoodman has discontinued their D70 grips, but you can still find them at places like B&H in the USA: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=379178&is=REG&addedTroughType=search I have no idea where you should look in the UK.
Another option is to modify the D70. Harbotronics have grips that connect the shutter from inside the battery compartment, but these cost about $300 and you'll void your warranty.
Both of these grips are also plasticky but not much worse than the D70 itself.

Answer 2

If you wanted a Nikon with a vertical grip, why did you buy the D70?
It would have been wiser to talk to the people at nikon UK to find out whether the D70 would accept a vertical grip, or even if Nikon had any future designs on one. When buying a camera, check out the manufacturer's specs to see if they have certain accessories in the pipeline. The D70 was only intended as an entry level camera and thus wasn't considered in need of a vertical handgrip.

Answer 3

Try either www.microglobe.co.uk or cameraworld.co.uk, they usually have them in stock at a reasonable price.

Answer 4

try Jessops. www.jessops.co.uk