Grips - what's the point?

Myky D

Myky D

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Hi all,

I've just been looking at grips, as I see their popular, and give weight to the Lemming theory.

I just can't figure out what the point of them is on this one, though.

I mean - sure - it means you can, er ... grip the camera ... in portrait ...

But you can do that just with the camera itself?

Can someone explain what the point of them is?
 
for me

2 batteries
camera balances better
and yes you can grip portrait ;-))

just personal taste when all said and done

Hugh
 
Go pick up a camera with a grip on, then you'll understand.

Greatly enhanced ergonomics, double battery life, better balance for big lenses.
 
:agree:

Ive got a 450D which is quite a small camera (all I could afford at the time) and have now got a battery grip which balances the camera nicely with my 70-200L f4 IS.

Feels better in the hand aswell, particularly with the 10-22mm :thumbs:
 
Balance
Extra power
Additional release and other functions when in portrait
Extra FPS
Comfort
Most important I prefer it and used one since the early eighties (years not model no's)
 
Certainly on the xxxD bodies, and to some extent the xxD bodies the grip makes it much easier to hold if you have big fat hands like mine!
 
I just bought one for my 400D a couple weeks ago, like you said, many people like them for taking portrait shots as it is easier to hold and since it has a shutter button on the grip you don’t have to twist your wrist to reach it, also it holds two batteries meaning that you don’t have to change batteries as much.

Also some people feel that the cameras are quite small in their hands so beefing it up a bit makes it more comfortable when out shooting.

Chris.
 
I used to think the same until I bought one off a friend to sell on Ebay (was thinking quick profit). Put it on my camera to see what all the fuss was about and it has never been off since.

Holds an extra battery, memory card plus infared remote, ideal for portrait shots but most importantly it balances so much better with a big lens like the Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 or 50-500mm.

Never did sell it on Ebay ... :lol:
 
Personally I never use one for two very simple reasons...

1. I shoot 99% of stuff with a tripod
2. I have NEVER used a whole battery, and always carry spares anyways
 
I wouldn't be without a grip! I was a naysayer for a long time. Then I tried a grip and have never looked back. The camera feels more balanced, especially with a long lens. Easier to hold, double the battery life and you can shoot in portrait without feeling like your trying to dislocate your own wrist! :)
 
Pointless accessory to make camera look like pro model, generates loads of other spurious claims of benefits to deny this. :D

Weight ... I want lighter
Battery Life ... I can do 1000 shots with one
FPS ... 1 is enough
Portrait ... my wrists rotate, and my elbows bend
Balance ... move your fulcrum point on the lens

Fair to conclude that I do not use one :)

I have tried one on a D80 in the past, but soon realised the error of my ways.
 
Grendel said:
Blimey that must be some special tripod!
Click to expand...

Damned right it is. One swing and you can blind a trio of mythological Greek creatures with the legs!

foodpoison said:
But for anything else, I don't really bother.
Click to expand...

I've made a point over the last few months or so of ALWAYS taking my tripod out, even on family outings with the missus etc. I feel it slows me down and makes me think more about my shots, rather than just snapping away like mad.
 
Martyn... said:
Pointless accessory to make camera look like pro model, generates loads of other spurious claims of benefits to deny this. :D

Weight ... I want lighter
Battery Life ... I can do 1000 shots with one
FPS ... 1 is enough
Portrait ... my wrists rotate, and my elbows bend
Balance ... move your fulcrum point on the lens

Fair to conclude that I do not use one :)

I have tried one on a D80 in the past, but soon realised the error of my ways.
Click to expand...

Pah:razz:

Seriously though - back in the day, when I had my 350D, you had to hold it with the top three fingers on the right hand, because the little finger had no where to go. Now with a heavy great 70-200 lens on the front end, a better grip on the camera is a bonus.

Having said that, I've never really used the additional shooting controls, not even on the 1D.
 
i can imagine itd be handy with a weighty lens but then i use a 35 90% of the time and the 50-150 was bought because it was light (of its ilk)

still be nice to try one out, used mates D2 briefly and was comfy but not essential for me. plus a gripped s5 with a 35 lens? id lose all the cool points for having a grip right away
 
For me, as an event photographer, I find the grip very useful for a number of reasons:

- Allows longer battery life while out on location. I can shoot a FULL day easily.
- It gives the camera a bit more weight and counter-balances my L series lens
- I can get a firm grip on the body if I am shooting hand held (No strap around neck)
- For portrait shots, it allows for a quick and easy shot with ease of access to buttons

Well worth it and I highly recommend.
 
Pretty much all been said, when you do try one, you generally can't do without it if your using the camera for a period of time :thumbs:
 
Slight hijack here, but might interest the OP too ;) ...

Does anyone here have any experience with 3rd party grips :shrug:?

The one for my Nikon costs about 270GBP, whereas I've seen cheaper copies on eBay for less than 100GBP :naughty:. I'm familiar with the "you get what you pay for" addage, but I must say that the non-Nikon radio-controlled remote that I bought (for 17GBP), has proved to be a stunningly good buy and works up to 100m away (not that I'd dare leave my D700 unattended at that distance :D).

I don't think that I'd like the extra weight and bulk of a grip, but then I haven't experienced the advantages of one on a day's shooting yet, so I don't really know. Hence, I might like to go for the cheap option, if it does all of the same things as an original Nikon one and fits OK etc.

Any feedback :)?
 
Martyn... said:
Pointless accessory to make camera look like pro model, generates loads of other spurious claims of benefits to deny this. :D

Weight ... I want lighter
Battery Life ... I can do 1000 shots with one
FPS ... 1 is enough
Portrait ... my wrists rotate, and my elbows bend
Balance ... move your fulcrum point on the lens

Fair to conclude that I do not use one :)

I have tried one on a D80 in the past, but soon realised the error of my ways.
Click to expand...

:plusone:


Well, almost! The D700 is already heavy enough to balance well with all my lenses. My battery lasts for around 750 shots and I always carry a fully charged spare. 5 FPS is enough for me. I have mobile elbows and wrists (and actually find that the camera hangs nicely from the gripping fingers while held in portrait orientation). My left hand is always as close as it can get to the centre of balance of the set-up. I've tried a couple of grips on my F80 and D200 and liked neither of them - had a play with a D2 and felt the same way about that!

If you like them, then use them - lots of people do and love them but they don't suit every body or everybody.
 
Naboo32 said:
Slight hijack here, but might interest the OP too ;) ...

Does anyone here have any experience with 3rd party grips :shrug:?

The one for my Nikon costs about 270GBP, whereas I've seen cheaper copies on eBay for less than 100GBP :naughty:. I'm familiar with the "you get what you pay for" addage, but I must say that the non-Nikon radio-controlled remote that I bought (for 17GBP), has proved to be a stunningly good buy and works up to 100m away (not that I'd dare leave my D700 unattended at that distance :D).

I don't think that I'd like the extra weight and bulk of a grip, but then I haven't experienced the advantages of one on a day's shooting yet, so I don't really know. Hence, I might like to go for the cheap option, if it does all of the same things as an original Nikon one and fits OK etc.

Any feedback :)?
Click to expand...

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=119524
 
I personally use the grip for longer battery times, can only get about 1500 shots with the 1 battery whereas with the grip can get nearer to 3000 which is ideal for a weekend of taking photos :)
 
I've never understood this business about a grip helping to balance the lens. But only yesterday I discovered that it's really all about technique.

One of my colleagues specialises in low-light gig photography, and I casually commented that I didn't think his grip (ie the way he holds the camera) was necessarily ideal for the slow shutter speeds he's often using, especially with telephoto lenses. So we compared the ways we held our cameras and they were totally different.

I naturally put my left hand under the lens, palm facing up, so I'm supporting the lens at its centre of gravity. My right hand isn't taking any weight at all. Whether or not the camera has a grip makes a very slight difference to exactly where I put my hand, but it's hardly noticeable at all. By contrast his method of holding the lens was completely different, and the presence or absence of the grip had a bigger effect for him.

(But we couldn't get a conclusive answer as to which technique was best for allowing slow shutter speeds. Maybe we will next week when we've cleared the backlog from the Easter rush and have a bit more time.)
 
i have hands like shovels. the 30D and 350D feel tiny without grips.
i do weddings with my other half, and ive never had a camera run out of battery. even on all day weddings.
the cameras fell right with grips on em.
my wife, on the other hand hates em.
she has ickle hands. and a 5D after a days shoot, makes her wrists ache,
incidentaly, i shoot a lot of portrait , but never use the controls on the grip.
 
Grendel said:
:eek: Blimey that must be some special tripod! I still have to use a camera ;) :lol:
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pure class :lol: :lol: :lol:

same here...always got a grip on my camera for the same reasons as most here...

i sold the grip i had on my A350 as i only intend keeping it for a backup body,and it just doesn't feel the same without the grip.

so a big thumbs up from me :thumbs:
 
Myky D said:
Hi all,

I've just been looking at grips, as I see their popular, and give weight to the Lemming theory.

I just can't figure out what the point of them is on this one, though.

I mean - sure - it means you can, er ... grip the camera ... in portrait ...

But you can do that just with the camera itself?

Can someone explain what the point of them is?
Click to expand...

Try one, then you'll understand :) Seriously. Transformed my 400D.
 
They are horrible things. They add more weight, look ugly and just generally get in the way.

I HATE THEM!

Unless........
You have a very small body, such as the D40 where they are needed as there's just not enough grip on the body!
 
I use one because I don't have to worry about the battery as much and because, now that I've felt the difference, it feels a hundred times better to hold, both in portrait and lanscape mode. When using a longer lens it really does make a massive difference. It actually feels like the lens is mounted on the camera and not the other way around :D
 
andy_fozzy said:
Now I come to think of it, I have got small hands, considering I'm a huge, built like a brick s***house strapping great big chap......

:D
Click to expand...

Obviously trapped in the wrong body, you could do something about that;)
 
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