>>He also made the casual remark that most people only but
>these
>>grips so that their D7000s look more like D3s at a
>distance...
>>ha ha ha! I had to laugh, then I left the store
>empty-handed.
>
>Its too bad you are so easily coaxed as the battery grip does
>improve the camera's ergonomics in some cases. It makes the
>camera more comfortable for people with larger hands and
>improves handling or balance with larger lenses.
>
>So I guess the joke really is on you.

Which may well all be quite true but even my good friend Kunio would be unable to give me the kind of discount that I currently enjoy from Nikon Direct, even if he'd had the genuine grip in stock.
Even so, I've had a tee-shirt printed that says in bold letters "GENUINE NIKON GRIP... NOT A CHEAP AND NASTY COPY INTENDED TO MAKE ME LOOK LIKE A WEALTHY D3 OWNER' that I wear when out and about in the big city... with winter coming, maybe I should consider a similar patch for my leather; I'm all about fashion.