Battery Grips - Worth it?

DemiLion said:
If you really think that's rubbish, then I'm afraid that you're wearing blinkers. Whilst there are several good reasons for using a battery pack (higher fps in the case of some Nikons for example), there is absolutely no doubt that vanity is also high on the list.
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:withstupid: one reason i bought mine :lol: couldnt afford a 1ds, but after using it i wouldnt be without it

i use one on my 7d and love it, cant see me not having one ever now. a lot more comfortable to hold and the portrait shutter is brilliant.

for the money get one, as has been said you could always return it if after a few days you dont like it, or i would of thought you would get your money back on ebay after 6 months.
 
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The Phottix grip is the one i had & i think it was about £49,it does the job fine.:):thumbs:
 
DemiLion said:
If you really think that's rubbish, then I'm afraid that you're wearing blinkers. Whilst there are several good reasons for using a battery pack (higher fps in the case of some Nikons for example), there is absolutely no doubt that vanity is also high on the list.
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And your source for this information is ?????"

I believe most people look into grips for the extra battery storage or for sports, looks do come into it I believe, but as an after thought.
 
DemiLion said:
If you really think that's rubbish, then I'm afraid that you're wearing blinkers. Whilst there are several good reasons for using a battery pack (higher fps in the case of some Nikons for example), there is absolutely no doubt that vanity is also high on the list.
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It's not necessarily just vanity that means people want their camera to look more professional. It's unfortunate but perceptions are important - most people think big camera=professional=will take good photos etc. I know I could take great pictures with my little GF1 and pancake lens, but I wouldn't turn up to a paid job with just that, as people wouldn't take me as seriously.
 
grum said:
It's not necessarily just vanity that means people want their camera to look more professional. It's unfortunate but perceptions are important - most people think big camera=professional=will take good photos etc. I know I could take great pictures with my little GF1 and pancake lens, but I wouldn't turn up to a paid job with just that, as people wouldn't take me as seriously.
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I think this hit it on the dot!
 
I have two on both my 450d bodies - both are "cheap" ones from link-delight in Hong Kong.

I bought them to save me changing batteries out and they certianly do the job - the 450D can sit for weeks. I can shoot a whole days photography (and I mean a whole day - like a wedding) without worrying about the battery running down.

The portrait mode buttons also make it a whole lot easier to handle the camera when doing lots of portrait shoots.

I could not justify paying the £100+ price for a genuine article. for £28 inc delivery in 4 days, I took a risk and am perfectly happy with the two I have had from link-delight (look them up on ebay) Their after-market batteries are also top-notch. They do package deals so check them out.

They are solidly contstructed, fit perfectly and come with a AA cage - so in the dire event of you drainin both batteries you can whack in some AA's and keep shooting.
 
Take a 1000 shots in portrait orientation and see how soon after you buy a grip :)
 
PerfectSpeed said:
And your source for this information is ?????"

I believe most people look into grips for the extra battery storage or for sports, looks do come into it I believe, but as an after thought.
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My source is spending more than five minutes on any random photographic forum where this subject is discussed and listening to people talk in the real world. You can Naysay as much as you want, but the reality still exists.

grum said:
It's not necessarily just vanity that means people want their camera to look more professional. It's unfortunate but perceptions are important - most people think big camera=professional=will take good photos etc. I know I could take great pictures with my little GF1 and pancake lens, but I wouldn't turn up to a paid job with just that, as people wouldn't take me as seriously.
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I'd suggest that the reasons you've outlined are on exactly the same lines that I was thinking, as I wasn't using vanity in a wholly pejorative sense. I still think that it's a bit daft to buy them for their looks, especially some of the Canon versions which are absolutely cack, but as Whiteflyer and others have pointed out there are some very good reasons for using grips.
 
Wouldnt be without my batter grips. I have one on each of my cameras (50D and 5DII). the extra battery life is great so its one less thing to worry about - can easily do a wedding not changing any batteries or worrying about them either.

I shoot portriat pretty much all the time and love the extra shutter release and i use the rear focus button and that carries through on the grip. When i shoot with long lenses (when i had them) the balance was great. I dont have the smallest hands in the world and the little finger not having anywhere to grip/rest was actually quite annoying.
 
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33L said:
Wouldnt be without my batter grips. I have one on each of my cameras (50D and 5DII). the extra battery life is great so its one less thing to worry about - can easily do a wedding not changing any batteries or worrying about them either.

I shoot portriat pretty much all the time and love the extra shutter release and i use the rear focus button and that carries through on the grip. When i shoot with long lenses (when i had them) the balance was great. I dont have the smallest hands in the world and the little finger not having anywhere to grip/rest was actually quite annoying.
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Totally agree.:D:):thumbs:
 
33L said:
Wouldnt be without my batter grips. I have one on each of my cameras (50D and 5DII). the extra battery life is great so its one less thing to worry about - can easily do a wedding not changing any batteries or worrying about them either.

I shoot portriat pretty much all the time and love the extra shutter release and i use the rear focus button and that carries through on the grip. When i shoot with long lenses (when i had them) the balance was great. I dont have the smallest hands in the world and the little finger not having anywhere to grip/rest was actually quite annoying.
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jockwav said:
Totally agree.:D:):thumbs:
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:plusone::banana:
 
whiteflyer said:
Take a 1000 shots in portrait orientation and see how soon after you buy a grip :)
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I dread to think how many pics I've taken in portrait format over the years and I wouldn't have a grip as a gift. I've tried them a couple of times (not extensive testing) and don't like the way they feel and IMO, they unbalance the outfit rather than help. I can see that the extra shutter button could be a help when shooting a LOT of P format handheld but I have a working right wrist and have no problem altering my grasp on the camera to use it normally.

Extra FPS could be a draw to some but for me, the 5fps of the D700 is plenty. I have plenty of spare batteries anyway and can swap them over pretty quickly, so the extra battery life (and the ability to use AAs) is no great advantage to me.

Before forking out for one, borrow one for a while to see how you get on with it.

One final word, I've read on these forums about several people having problems removing their Canon grips when the internal gears crack up, leaving the owners with no option than resorting to destructive measures to remove their grips.
 
I never felt the need for a grip and even when I tried out a friend's gripped 5D2 I still remain unconvinced. Around three months later though I bought one, enticed by a good price from MPB Photographic and have found it invaluable from the point of view of ergonomics. The vertical shooting position is particularly invaluable when using a long lens and I cannot more delighted with the very convenient access points to the back button focus and related buttons. As said earlier I was very fortunate to find the grip at a good price since at MSRP it's a pretty expensive though useful accessory.


Hope this helps


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I got used to using what is now referred to as a battery grip on my camera a long time ago. Back then, they were called motor-drives, and were bolted to the bottom of film cameras to save you having to manually wind the film along. The feel of the camera changed, but for certain uses, it was worth the additional bulk.

Later cameras had internal motorised film transport, but again, the add-on motor-drives or power boosters speeded the frame rate (from 4.3fps to 7fps on the EOS-3 for example) - and again I ended up putting up with the additional weight/bulk for the increased frame rate and better balance with larger lenses.

Now, for anything requiring a faster frame rate, I'll most likely be shooting digital, but for the minimal extra cost of a battery grip for the 7D, I bought one. I don't always use it, but if I'm expecting to shoot a lot of stuff in Portrait format, or if I'm out with a longer lens, I just find that the camera feels right for me with a grip. If i want a lighter rig, I'll take the grip off, or even take the 450D out instead - the additional weight mounts up if you're walking 15-20 miles over a few mountains :shrug:
 
Buying a grip for vanity reasons? Nonsense. I honestly don't give a monkeys what it looks like, it improves the ergonomics of the camera and if you're using a large lens, the balance. In fact a lot of the places I go there is no-one to even see my camera, so I'm struggling to comprehend the notion of buying a grip to improve the look of the camera, in the same way that I don't adorn the tools in my toolbox with ribbon to make them look prettier.
 
DemiLion said:
My source is spending more than five minutes on any random photographic forum where this subject is discussed and listening to people talk in the real world. You can Naysay as much as you want, but the reality still exists.
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Nah, still don't agree with ya.

This is an expensive enough hobby without forking out for un-needed accessories just to look good, I think people put a little more thought into it, I and many others here did.

Besides, I have never come across a thread starter like "Will a grip make me look good" :suspect:
 
If I wanted it to look cool I wouldn't of asked for people to tell me the benefits of of just done it lol
 
Yeah I do think this topic has got a bit off topic???? lol
 
:pWell basically what i say if you like them use them if you dont then dont use them,i really dont care what other people think as long as i like what i use.:clap::lol:
 
DemiLion said:
If you really think that's rubbish, then I'm afraid that you're wearing blinkers. Whilst there are several good reasons for using a battery pack (higher fps in the case of some Nikons for example), there is absolutely no doubt that vanity is also high on the list.
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I might be playing Devil's Advocate a little here, but vanity never harmed anyone, and if it makes someone feel better, why the heck not? I mean let's face it, if we all had no vanity whatsoever, and truly didn't care about impressing others, we'd get up in the morning and go to work in our pyjamas without having a wash.

At the end of the day it's their money and if they want to spend it on an item for cosmetic value, more power to them I say.

The real funny thing is, on cameras which have a portrait shutter button available - I still don't use it. Even on the 1Ds I find it much more comfortable "reaching around" than actually holding the gripped part.
 
I wasn't too sure about them, but wanting the higher FPS and longer bettery life I took the plunge this time last year. Got to say at first I didn't like the extra weight, nor the way it felt in my hands, but soon got used to that. In fact, so used to it that when I took the camera out without the grip on, it felt tiny!
 
I've got grips on both my 10D and 5D, best thing I ever did. For one the camera is more comfortable to hold, two, my fourth and little fingers have something to get hold of and thirdly, it's a nice way of getting the vertical shutter release and extra battery power too
 
argh what do i do ..

£80 on a brand new genuine canon or £30 on a cheap import? :S
 
experience tells me buy cheap buy twice and the original will hold its value

experience also says be a tight arse they both do the same job ..

lol
 
Two cheap ones = use one, and you always have a back-up if it goes tits up.
 
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Go for the Canon. A friend of mine bought one of those 3rd party grips and had no end of issues with it. By the time, effort and money he spent shipping the thing back and forth etc, he could have bought the original and had a pukka peice of kit :D
 
Good judgment comes from experience, and experience — well, that comes from poor judgment.

:lol:

Good luck :thumbs:
 
It might actually be worth looking at a 3rd Party grip from a decent manufacturer (as opposed to a Chinese Ebay special), because some of them offer extra functionality.

The HC-50D from Hahnel, for example, adds an infra-red remote shutter release which might be useful if you're doing studio work.

The other thing that I don't think has been mentioned yet is that the BG E2n (or 3rd party replacements) doesn't have the AF On button.

Don't get me wrong I'm not anti grips (my film camera has one), I was just pointing out that it's a bit daft getting one for its looks rather than a practical reason.
 
Daniel,

I'd maybe suggest a cheap one vs Canon at full RRP (£141 on amazon just now)

However, you are buying a new OEM for £80 after discounts/vouchers.

You could not resell the cheap grip for what you paid, if you chose too - you would lose money on it. You could potentially resell the Canon at the price you paid and not lose, potentially sell it for more if the prices return to RRP in the next year.

Worst case scenario you blow £30quid on a cheapo and its rubbish, goes in the bin. Buy a Canon and you only need to resell it for £50 to match the loss.

Just a thought.....;)
 
Just remember if you buy a grip get good batteries to go with it, hi 2000 mAh thingy, because you'll find even with the grip the thing runs out as fast as a single OEM battery :gag:


i have a grip on my 5D and it adds an extra 2" to the height of the camera ;)


Merc
 
mercmanuk said:
Just remember if you buy a grip get good batteries to go with it, hi 2000 mAh thingy, because you'll find even with the grip the thing runs out as fast as a single OEM battery :gag:


i have a grip on my 5D and it adds an extra 2" to the height of the camera ;)


Merc
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good point the non chipped batteries in the XXD range dont give double the life maybe an extra 75% as they dont drain equally but my 50D drains equally and get fulll life from it.

I noticed this when shooting until the battery meter on my 50D said empty, took the grip off and inserted one of the batteries and it had charge left where as the other battery was near dead. I havent actually drained the 5dII completely yet but the battery usage in the menu shows its draws power by alternating the battery used for each shot. (I dont know how it does it or if the battery usage is accurate but thats what i was lead to beleive)
 
Danny133 said:
Both my batteries are genuine canon :)
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for the 50D they are not chipped even the originals. It still gives you extras shooting time between changes but not twice the time.
 
the 7D and 5DII batteries the (lp-e6) are chipped and individually recognised by the camera. they store how many shots are used by each battery and (i think) are able to drain charge more efficiently.

Wont affect you at all with the 50D (which i have too) it has handy features like a percentage battery life in the menu rather than the 3 stage battery meter on the LCD screen. Handy for getting accurate battery life etc..
 
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