Battery grip

A

Allycat

Suspended / Banned
Messages
34
Name
Ally
Edit My Images
Yes
Can anyone tell me why use a battery grip? They seem quite pricey if they are only use is to store batteries. Am sure there is more to them than that. I have a dslr entry type model. (Canon 400D).
Thanks guys
A x
 
You can fit two batteries in which gives you extended battery life, they also come with a cradle to put in AA batts for emergencies. They come with extra buttons so you can use the camera in portrait mode without twisting your hand round. They make your camera a bit bulky, which some like as it can improve your handling. Some love em, some hate em.
 
*some* people - not, of course, anyone on this site - seem to think a grip makes them look like a professional photographer. :D
 
Hi Aly and welcome :wave:

As Marcus says really and they are very much a personal thing...

They can also help to better balance your camera if you are using a long / heavy lens, it can also make holding the body easier in these situations.
 
They can be expensive but I bought a cheap copy off fleabay for £22.00 and it's been fine
 
The only trouble with cheap aftermarket versions is that they do not always behave as expected. I have one which from time to time stops working as the batteries get low and then when they are replaced does not work at all until I remove it from the camera and give the contacts a polish.
 
I've had cheap 3rd party grips on my 550D,7D and 5D2, primarily for the battery life, secondly for the balance when I've got a heavy lens on and lastly for the portrait buttons which help on occasions. They have all been Meike brand and all work perfectly well as a Canon original but cost's a quarter of the price. All have come with 3rd party batteries which work perfectly in either the grip or the camera body. With the money difference between these and Canon's I've saved enough to buy a 70-200 f4 L.
I've been out for a days shoot and got through over 3,000 shots which meant changing the batteries in a grip, which would of been 3 changes without a grip. I missed a few shots while I changed them, imagine how many I would of missed changing 3 times. That's the main reason I have a grip, and I like the size of it.
 
Last edited:
I've always attached a grip on my Nikon bodies - from a D40 right thru to my D700 (D40, D60, D80, D90, D300s) - bearing in mind that some did actually fit the next body...

Any how the only reason being is that with my large hands it felt like I was holding a box of matches instead of a dslr camera body....
 
It's a personal decision. The benefits are set out above, but some people like them and others don't. I would probably buy one if I was using a Canon XXXD body - or another manufacturer's equivalent - because I find the entry level bodies a bit too small for comfortable handling, and they balance better with a big lens, but I don't have one for the 30D. The camera handles very well for me as it is, I don't have problems using it in portrait mode, and I carry a spare battery.
 
I have a grip because I do lot's of long exposures and really get a lot of use out of the extended battery life :thumbs: also I love having the buttons in the correct position when in portrait :D

Matt
 
for me it is a bettering feeling 'grab spot' witht he grip in place. I don't have huge hands, but I do have thick hands. I prefer a thicker, fuller grip. Without the grip on my D90, my little finger is off the bottom which I don't like. Also, when I put the 300f/4 and 1.4x on the end, the extra grabbing area means I have more space to grip which makes handling the big lens on the front easier. Battery life isn't a big thing for me since 1 battery will last forever between charges anyway.

thanks
rick
 
Thanks guys, thats helped a bit. I always carry 2 fully charged spare batteries in my bag and do suffer a bit from camera shake. Maybe I will get one in the future after I save up for my main lens.

Appreciate the advice.

Thanks again

Ally
 
Allycat said:
...and do suffer a bit from camera shake.
Click to expand...

Sorry, just to explain what I meant, I wonder if the weight of the grip will add to my camera shake. Typical of me that, thought you were all here in my head!!!:cuckoo:

Thanks again

Ally
 
jon ryan said:
*some* people - not, of course, anyone on this site - seem to think a grip makes them look like a professional photographer. :D
Click to expand...

That's got a lot more to do with it than some folks admit ;) But they do make the camera nicer to handle with a long lens or for vertical framing, better battery life, and with some cameras, mainly Nikons, you get a faster frame rate with a batt-pack, eg D700 up from 5fps to 8fps.
 
I am not even close to professional amateur let alone a commercial one and I never bought a camera without a grip. It takes double batteries for extended shoots on long trips and great when shooting videos as you can shoot longer. Reduces the number of times you have to change batteries and avoid missed opportunities. Great when there is no easy way to recharge. You can turn the camera vertically and maintain a firm grip. It balances the camera with large lenses. It can take AA batteries as well as an emergency measure. I find most useful when travelling or on extended trips. I just like the feel of it. Yes some are wowed when they see it but then I explain it just for batteries and it does not add anything to the camera functionality and I don't think it makes me look professional at all and I don't really care as I just love taking photographs and it feels good in my hand. Don't worry about what people think. Irrelevant.
 
You do not "need" a battery grip most just "want " one , it makes the camera look better? and slightly easier to use for weddings etc and less changing of batteries... but Im beginning to think rather than buy a £250 grip Id buy three extra batteries and just change them more often.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Allycat said:
Sorry, just to explain what I meant, I wonder if the weight of the grip will add to my camera shake. Typical of me that, thought you were all here in my head!!!:cuckoo:

Thanks again

Ally
Click to expand...

I would think that a grip would steady the camera, and the extra weight might help to reduce camera shake.
 
Steadys the camera by adding weight, makes it feel bigger which helps on smaller bodys especially when using heavier lenses. The double battery life makes things easier as do the extra buttons. it is only after using a grip and then reverting back to without a grip say when you want to travel light do you realise how much better the camera fits your hand with it, as said above the slipping of the bottom finger off the standard camera body.
 
Definitely worth it. I had the 400D and added a cheap copy grip which never gave me a moment's trouble. I now have 40D and gripped that, too. My daughter uses the 400D and I took the grip off but when she grows a bit I will put it back on. In portrait mode it is so much better, makes the camera easier to hold (no fingers dropping off the bottom of the camera - the 400D is not that big, eh?).

I loved it.
 
Out of curiosity, I wonder how many pro snappers use grips? I used to, years back, when battery life was short. These days I can get around 700 shots from a single 5D2 battery, and have no problems shooting portrait (which I do quite a lot) with no grip. Nor does a 70-200 2.8 IS, or 100-400 (which I do a lot of work with) cause me any problems of balance. So my 5D2 has no grip. I appreciate both the weight and cash savings.
 
Last edited:
For me it's more of a habit. I used to have a 35mm Nikon FM2 with a motordrive and then the F4s. (military issue in the 80's)

Today I am still using Nikon (D7000) I also like the added weight but it's still lighter than my original FM2. Cameras these days are a lot smaller and if you have large hands they can aid operation and handling . I like the grip as the camera feels more secure in my hands and also helped me with this shot:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=4313376#post4313376

It's very comfortable to use but it's main benefit is when shooting in the portrait mode. With the shutter release button to hand. The battery life is also extended and you can choose to draw power from the internal D7000 battery first or the MB-D11. When one of the batteries is flat it will take power from the 2nd battery.

The grip also enables me to hold the camera securely in one hand and press the shutter release while holding my Speedlight off camera using a Nikon SC29 TTL / BF flash sync cable.

The MB-D11 also has a central tripod bush on it's base so you you can mount the gripped D7000 straight on the head without removing it.

Another consideration when using 3rd party grips is if there is a short circuit or power surge which subsequently damages your camera, your warranty will be void. Rare but it can happen. That said many people use 3rd party gear without problems.

They are a bit like marmite you either love them or hate them but having used a grip on various cameras for years I would never go back.
__________________
 
Last edited:
For me, its the added weight, I find it helps reduce camera shake, I think this is down to when I used to shoot, always shot better with heavy guns. even my daughter prefers the way the camera feels with the grip on and she is 13.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top