Battery Grip??

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Lesco

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Sorry guys, can anyone tell me please what are the advantages of a battery grip and what do they actually do?? :bonk:

And is it worth investing in one at this early stage, as Im totally new to all this??
 
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Not sure about the enrty level options but my D300/Fuji S5Pro has them and they have controls to use them in portrait without twisting your hand over, they also allow the use of extra batteries and gives me 8fps with the D300 and AA's in a tray. For people with big hands :D they also feel better/more balanced.
 
the advantages are that you get two batteries in your camera at a time, better balancing with heavier lenses, a portrait orientation shutter button and it makes your body look like a top end pro body.

Its down to how you shoot really, me I think they are overrated, don't add anything and its cheaper to keep a spare battery in your pocket. There are lots of folks disagree mostly for the reasons above

Hugh
 
thank you guys thats two different points of view, and well worth taking note of.

Thanks again
 
I have grips for both my bodies but bought the D200 one 2nd hand (genuine) and the Meike (Link Delight) one new but they are £65 with 2 batteries then I sold the BL3 that came with it meaning it cost me £50 with 2 batteries. For this kind of money they are certainly worth it :) I use a grip sometimes and not at others. It sort of depends on the situation. I do like the size of a gripped body and with the 80-200 or 24-70 it does feel more balanced. If I am using the D200 with maybe a kit lens or either camera for macro then I don't use the grip. Not keen on the grip with a tripod either.

I'm not an expert on the entry level cameras but the D40,D40x and D60 were never designed for using with a grip so did not have the connections at the bottom and actually had a lead that came out of the grip and needed plugging into the remote socket or use the IR etc. I am not sure but I would suggest this is likely with the D3000. Have a look though.
 
I think in order of merit it is the ability to shoot vertically more easily, then the extra size of the grip makes things easier with a heavy lens, plus you double the battery capacity.

With some cameras like on one or two Nikons you get a faster frame rate, but not usually. There is no faster frame rate with any Canon when fitted with a grip.

Against that you have the extra size, weight and cost.

Then there is the main reason most people get one - it's supposed to look professional and cool ;)
 
I grip the D300 and D700 purely for better balance with long lenses and better frame rate.

I grip my D200 due to the pee poor battery life on the D200.

I do not care one iota about the look of the cameras.......:D
 
My 400D just does feel large enough without the grip but with it its just a perfect fit,and I have double the battery power and long lenses are better balanced
 
I find as others have said it helps balance the camera with longer lenses, by using 2 batteries ensures I never miss a shot if the battery runs out at the wrong moment and have to change it, Can use AA's if i'm somewhere where I can't charge the battery. Finally it makes taking portrait shots in a studio so much easier, with the extra button on the grip.
 
I had one and very rarely used it, can't give a specific reason, but 99% of the time it just sat there in the box, so sold it.
 
I may have imagined this but I thought some of them had recesses built in so that a spare SD card (or any appropriate type of storage medium) could be stowed in there ? Ensuring that you shouldn't arrive at your shoot while your SD card is still in the reader at home.

I know you should check before leaving the house but we're all fallible.
 
if you have great big mits, like me, it makes the camewra feel a lot morre comfortable, means you have twice the battery capacity.
ive done loads of weddings, and never had to change batteries yet.
and the portrait shooting facility is something i have never used on it.
but each to their own
and yes, it does help with bigger lenses.
and non togs are impressed by your "huge equipment"
 
stokes said:
cause they look cool :thumbs: lol
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Sad, but some people DO buy them because they think the grip makes them look cool or more professional.

tuscan30 said:
I may have imagined this but I thought some of them had recesses built in so that a spare SD card (or any appropriate type of storage medium) could be stowed in there ? Ensuring that you shouldn't arrive at your shoot while your SD card is still in the reader at home.
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I think the slot you're talking about is actually for storing the battery compartment door on models that require the door to be prised off to allow fitment of the grip.

To the OP, if you can, try a grip on your body for a while to see if you like the feel of it, some do, others don't. I have a feeling that a grip for the D3000 will only add some battery capacity to it and may not add the vertical (portrait orientation) shooting button.
 
I've tried grips time and time again - D80, D200, D300, D200 again... I don't like them - Uncomfortable, bulky, and just plain annoying!

Each to their own though - the main advantage was having 2 batteries in your camera, which was handy in a hungry beast like the D200 - my D300 will run all day on one battery, so I'm happier without.
 
The D3000 isn't designed to have a battery grip attached. You can still buy 3rd party ones for it though.

Usually battery grips have a shutter button on them for portrait pictures. The D3000 ones do have this but they work by Infrared so you have to change the camera to remote shutter mode and open the little IR thing on the grip. So it's a bit fiddly.
 
Chaz Photos said:
If it not designed for one HOW can you fit one ?????:shrug:
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The D50 is the same, no official one but there are 3rd party ones. Looks like you just remove the door then the grip slides in and uses the standard battery contacts attachign via the tripod mount.

What really confuses me though is the D50 has no contacts or port for a remote release, so how do some of the 3rd party ones with portrait shutter button work? I guess they use IR but there's no line of sight :shrug:
 
Chaz Photos said:
If it not designed for one HOW can you fit one ?????:shrug:
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It's not designed for it as in there's no vertical shutter contact. To fit one of the third party ones you have to remove the battery flap and slide the grip in and screw on using the tripod mount as maninsuitcase says.

maninsuitcase said:
What really confuses me though is the D50 has no contacts or port for a remote release, so how do some of the 3rd party ones with portrait shutter button work? I guess they use IR but there's no line of sight :shrug:
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It is IR. You have to set your camera to remote shutter then the grip has a little panel thing which pulls out to create the line of sight. Like I said before, it's a pain and it's probably easier just to buy another battery.
 
MonkeyKnuckle said:
It's not designed for it as in there's no vertical shutter contact. To fit one of the third party ones you have to remove the battery flap and slide the grip in and screw on using the tripod mount as maninsuitcase says.



It is IR. You have to set your camera to remote shutter then the grip has a little panel thing which pulls out to create the line of sight. Like I said before, it's a pain and it's probably easier just to buy another battery.
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Sounds rubbish! Will just swap the battery when it runs out then.
 
Not on the D300/D700 Nikons. On them, you remove a rubber flap which reveals a load of contacts. Battery door stays on and nothing gets slid up the orifice.
 
I bought and sold two grips before I convinced myself of the benefits of them.
When I recently bought my 5D mk2 it felt very insecure in my hand and nearly dropped it and I was quite relieved when it was eventually gripped. So the benefit to me really is the extra controls when in portrait position as well as the secure handling.

The only downside is it sits a bit proud of the depth of my kit bag the Lowepro Mini Treker.
 
I only have small hands and still find the camera easier to handle with a grip, especially in portrait mode.
The other benefit on the 40D is that with a battery grip you can fit a hand strap which I wouldn't be without as I hate neck straps.
 
Nod said:
Not on the D300/D700 Nikons. On them, you remove a rubber flap which reveals a load of contacts. Battery door stays on and nothing gets slid up the orifice.
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Likewise on Pentax K20d - screws on via tripod mount onto a load of contacts.

In the grip there is a sliding tray for 1 x battery - which connects to double battery life, room for 1 x SD card in a slot - so always have a memory card (unless you forget to replace it if you remove it), also a slot to store the Remote shutter IR control............ which given its about 40mm x 15mm x 3mm is dead easy to lose!!!!!
 
Glad I saw this before posting something similar! I have been debating getting a battery grip for a while, have been offered a second hand one for about £30 which seems a good price. They seem to be something people either really rate or can't see the point of. But for £30 it's not going to break the bank and I can find out for myself!
 
I use a canon grip extension on my Canon EOS 50d, shooting motorcycle racing and portraits. the advantages for the grip for me is that:-
- the camera is better balanced and easier to hold with a long lens
- it holds 2 batteries
- Its easy to use in portrait mode as there is an additional shutter release on the grip

Hope this helps
 
Same as others have said, better battery life and button on the top for portraits.

I bought the Nikon grip a few months ago for my camera ... I think if I was doing it again I would go for a non-branded version off ebay. Much cheaper and basically feel the same.

| Street Picture | www.streetpicture.co.uk
 
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I have a 3rd party grip that I use occasionally for the extra battery life, the only problem is it doesn't feel as sturdy as the Nikon jobby - which was a worry when I had an r-strap attached to the bottom.
 
well i like my grip mainly because it makes my camera a better fit in my shovel hands plus its a bit of a powerhog & the extra battery capacity often comes in handy :thumbs:

without the grip i have at least one finger hanging off the bottom of the body, with a grip its just right :D

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Tirpitz said:
well i like my grip mainly because it makes my camera a better fit in my shovel hands plus its a bit of a powerhog & the extra battery capacity often comes in handy :thumbs:

without the grip i have at least one finger hanging off the bottom of the body, with a grip its just right :D

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LOL, is that a 4/3rds ?
 
Same as they other posts really , I like the way it balances the 200 f2.8 and the extra power is great for taking burst of 30-40 a time shooting ice hockey , although my Daughter does not like it on , a simple 10 second change back to normal is all it takes
 
testbloke said:
LOL, is that a 4/3rds ?
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:lol: nope its my D200. the D3 is a tiny bit smaller!

but oh man i want one :naughty: you gotta be careful you dont get your toes in the shot when using the 14-24mm :nuts:

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The handling characteristics of camera with a grip vary based on the camera itself.
On the Canon 350D/XT and 550D/T2i the grip adds body and stability to the camera since they are rather small and lightweight to begin with. On the Nikon D300 just the opposite happens (in my opinion). The D300 is big and heavy due in part to the magnesium alloy body and adding the grip makes for a pretty heavy and massive package especially with a large lens. In all cases vertical shooting is enhanced and the number of frames on a set of batteries is greatly extended. As a disclaimer this is only my humble opinion.

I forgot to add the "profiling factor" as we call it in southeast Florida. On a Sunday morning the Harley riders cruise slowly thru the streets of the city of Palm Beach and along the ocean. They are saying "look at Me!"
With a big black DSLR and humongous lens we are evoking the "wow factor" from the public. Same basic idea, just a different name.
 
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