Am I the only one who doesn't like grips?

I cant stand them tbh, apart from the excess weight it makes the camera look like a 1D wannabe IMO.
 
I hate them as well..... why I bought another two after never using the first one I have no idea... :nuts:
 
I really don't mind one on the 1-series. It is made nicely and doesn't get in a way.

If I get a 5D it will be grip-less as it nice to have one lighter body (and no point for one shooting landscapes on tripod). I feel the add on ones get too big and get in a way too much (40/50D ones don't even have full proper controls like AF-ON button).
 
I have a Nikon D300 and a Nikon MB-D10 grip and I love it. Ok now for the breakdown of why and why not. First many go for third party grips and to my mind its a big mistake, some are weak and some don't fit properly I would always recommend the manufactures own make.

Ok next, if you don't use or have heavy lenses then I would agree that a grip is a bit useless, where they come into their own is with heavier or longer lenses, then the balance is, I would say, a critical element in using one. In the case of my gear using a grip does increase the number of shutter movements per second, something like 4/5 clicks up to 8 if using an EN-EL4 type battery. Another advantage is that when the camera is in the vertical position, on this particular grip the shutter release button is in the right position like the 4 way control and AF on button. Without the grip one has to go into contortion mode to use these, not a very professional approach if being paid for a shoot.

Yes it does add a considerable weight to a camera/lens setup but it also does steady down camera shake. Having just purchased a Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 "Pro" lens, it doesn't have VR so the grip helps a lot.

I have to add that all that together with a Speedlight SB900 flashgun added one does need to have arms like a gorilla to lug it around and better suited on a tripod.

Total weight with 8AA batteries in the grip -SB900-Camera and lens as above just under 7lbs, but does it look the business. Now how do I turn it all on???? :lol::lol::lol::thinking:

Realspeed
 
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I do not like grips at all and think they look like some chunk of plastic that's just an after thought for the designers. With regards to battery life, it only takes a few seconds to change a battery if you keep one in your pocket.

Although pro cameras like the D3's and 1D's which have them built in are much more aesthetically pleasing and ergonomic IMO. I still sometimes forget its there though when shooting portrait though... :lol:
 
still dont get the whole balancing thing. i had a grip and it didn't feel any more balanced or secure at all, it made no difference whatsoever to the feeling of balance i had with my camera.

the only thing i liked was not having to have my right arm over the camera but could have it horizontal- but the grip part was just too chunky and uncomfortable. therefire i think they only work with the 1 series where they look to be much better designed due to being there from the initial build.
 
I have a 550D and as well as not needing to change batteries, I also have somewhere to put my little finger:thumbs:

I know Im just lazy, I could change batteries and tuck my finger under the camera:lol:
 
Sausages said:
I have a 550D and as well as not needing to change batteries, I also have somewhere to put my little finger:thumbs:

I know Im just lazy, I could change batteries and tuck my finger under the camera:lol:
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They do tend to feel better on really small camera's, I have to agree with that. About the only one that every felt nearly normal to me was on a Olympus E-620 which is very small.....
 
I started using a grip on a 40D with larger lenses and found with the grip attached the camera tipped forward less in my hands.

That said the full sized 1D is so much better than the gripped 40D in that the portrait handle (foot of the camera) is thinner.

That said with a big Manfrotto RC8 plate on the bottom - that makes it thicker. The RC8 plate on the 40D grip - even thicker still.

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The whole balance issue is as Phil says. When using bigger lenses, the weight pulls the front of the lens downwards. By adding weight to the body, it acts as a balance.

I have 2 Sony A700s with grips and they seem far more ergonomic that the Canon and Nikon equivalents. They even look less "bolted on" if that makes sense.

That said, if I am using smaller lenses (50mm for example) then I do tend to take the grip off.
 
There's nothing quite like a question that will obviously have no definitive answer to get stupid replies (and if you think I'm referring to you then you're probably right). I had to look for ages to get a grip for my A100 and love it. Others might not...take your camera to a shop and ask to try one...if it feels good get one...if not spend the moolah on something else.
 
cobwebscavern said:
There's nothing quite like a question that will obviously have no definitive answer to get stupid replies (and if you think I'm referring to you then you're probably right). I had to look for ages to get a grip for my A100 and love it. Others might not...take your camera to a shop and ask to try one...if it feels good get one...if not spend the moolah on something else.
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Well there's nothing like using your first post to insult people. Care to expand on what you think is a stupid reply?
 
There's nothing quite like a question that will obviously have no definitive answer ........snip...
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....and receive a cross-section of replies

Think it should have been worded diffrently! ;)
 
I have 3 batteries, i only needed to change 1 for a wedding (reception) i don't think i'll EVER want/need one, obviously the D3/D3s/1Ds series have built in but it's there for those models when their most needed for longevity (press) waiting for that one snap for hours.
BTW while on this subject.....do longer lenses demand more AF power or doen't it matter ?
 
I've never saeen the point really, a spare battery can go in the pocket and why carry more weight than you have to, I'm waiting for a helium bodied model. :D
 
artyman said:
I've never saeen the point really, a spare battery can go in the pocket and why carry more weight than you have to, I'm waiting for a helium bodied model. :D
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I'll certainly take one of those :D
 
when I had one on my small D40x it was more for balance and grip than anything else. I really didn't care about the ability to have two batteries in there. It felt too small in my hands, and with some larger lenses on it just felt too wrong.

Whilst some people use grips for the increase battery life, I reckon the majority do it because to them it feels better in their hands. Better balanced, easier to hold/grip, and the ability to shoot in portrait mode easier

So yes, you could keep a spare battery in your pocket, but that isn't the sole reason people use a grip
 
cobwebscavern said:
There's nothing quite like a question that will obviously have no definitive answer to get stupid replies (and if you think I'm referring to you then you're probably right). I had to look for ages to get a grip for my A100 and love it. Others might not...take your camera to a shop and ask to try one...if it feels good get one...if not spend the moolah on something else.
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Theres nothing like a first post that immediately puts peoples nose out of joint about a newbie, welcome to TP, we suggest your next post is a little more respectful :D
 
I've got pretty big hands so the D300 feels strange without the grip. With smaller hands the grip probably isn't needed. It's a case of what feels better for the individual photographer.
 
DemiLion said:
Erm, that's exactly the facility that most grips do offer; ie the ability to use AA batteries.

I'm not a great fan of them, but like all kit it's horses for courses.
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If you hadn't taken my comment in isolation, you would have seen that it was directly related to the question of why is the grip shaped as it was! ;)
 
the 1 series is great and better than the add on grips but i would not be with one on my 7d.
Rob.
 
I love a grip and always have one on my D700 as I did on my old D90, still yet to get one for the Fuji though. I find it definitely helps when using heavier lenses, but the switch from landscape to portrait for me is a massive plus, and it just feels better for me when it's gripped.

Horse for courses though at the end of the day.
 
I've been through a couple of Canons..

400D - couldn't live without the grip
40D & 50D - toss-up but mostly used without
7D - no grip, felt huge with it
1D - love the built-in one as everyone here

Now after being a 1D owner for a while, I might see myself putting a grip on the 7D..

I wish a chinese accessory maker would put together a slimmer grip for the 7D and power it with 18650 lipo batteries or something..
 
I can see why people like grips, I've tried them out from time to time but they're not something I like myself. I use some of the larger telephoto lenses with my bodies but I prefer shooting them without the grip as I don't find they balance any better with the grip attached. As batterylife is generally excellent on SLRs the extra batterylife a grip offers isn't much benefit to me as it takes a couple of seconds to switch a battery. I find my setups heavy enough as it is and prefer not to make it heavier plus it makes a fairly obtrusive camera even more so.

I have toyed with the idea of a grip for the D700 for the faster burst rate but I don't think I'll get much use out of it.

John
 
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I shoot in portrait quite a lot and find that my camera handles better when gripped.
 
I only recently got my first grip and I love using it whichever lens I use. The move from LS to Port is the main plus point for me. The MBd10 and the d300 feel great together. I can understand that it's not for everyone but for me it feels better with it than without it.
 
joescrivens said:
Theres nothing like a first post that immediately puts peoples nose out of joint about a newbie, welcome to TP, we suggest your next post is a little more respectful :D
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We? you speak for others?

Well there's nothing like using your first post to insult people. Care to expand on what you think is a stupid reply?
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Nope not really...it was meant as humour and those who got offended by it obviously weren't intelligent (or good looking) enough to get the wit.

You can usually tell how welcome you'll be made to a forum by a little barbed humour in your first post to watch the old standers come out and show the indignation. Thanks for not disappointing.
 
cobwebscavern said:
We? you speak for others?



Nope not really...it was meant as humour and those who got offended by it obviously weren't intelligent (or good looking) enough to get the wit.

You can usually tell how welcome you'll be made to a forum by a little barbed humour in your first post to watch the old standers come out and show the indignation. Thanks for not disappointing.
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Nope, you can usually tell how welcoming you'll be made to a forum by showing a little respect as you enter. Accusing people of giving stupid replies and calling those who offended unintelligent isn't "barbed humour" as you put it, just plain insulting.

I would suggest you go away and have a think about it for a few days although I suspect you'll decide the "old standers" are not the type of people you really want to mix with.
 
Nope the forum record is held by me.

About 5 seconds or so after the account was created :D
 
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