Battery grip.

[akcron]

Hello all.

I see a lot of people using Battery grips, are they worth it?

The things i can think of are.
Will make my D40x a bit easier to hold with my largish hands.

Does the extra weight make it more stable?

Extra battery capacity, after all it only takes 10 seconds to change one.

Is it better for taking portrait shots with the grip shutter button? Even though i have been told on the D40x grip it will not do a half press for focusing etc?

Why do you or do not have one?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Nuffles]

The only thing stopping me getting one for my 50D is price for a decent quality one. I had a good quality third party grip with my 400D and it transformed the handling - and not having to worry about charging the batteries for weeks on end was great too. I might look at getting one once I get to uni and my loan/grant comes in. I definitely don't want to fork out for the official Canon one but good quality is a must - we shall see what I can find.

 

[dejongj]

I put mine on mainly for portrait work. Got an official Nikon one imported so effectively half the price they sell for in the UK. I am happy with mine.

 

[Bristolian]

Hello all.

I see a lot of people using Battery grips, are they worth it?

The things i can think of are.
Will make my D40x a bit easier to hold with my largish hands.

Does the extra weight make it more stable?

Extra battery capacity, after all it only takes 10 seconds to change one.

Is it better for taking portrait shots with the grip shutter button? Even though i have been told on the D40x grip it will not do a half press for focusing etc?

Why do you or do not have one?

Thanks for any advice.

Hi Paul,

I have had grips on all of my Nikon bodies (D40, D80 & D90) and use them because I prefer the way the camera feels in my hands and because I like the 2nd shutter release and dials for portrait orientation (which I use about 40% of the time).

I'm pretty sure that the D40x is the same as the D40 in that the grip uses a small IR light to send shutter commands to the body via the IR remote sensor. This means that the half press doesn't cause the camera to AF - which I found to be a major drawback and was one of the reasons I migrated from the D40 to the D80.

I'm sure the camera is better balanced when you've got a long lens attached and the extra weight doesn't bother me much. It may only take 10 seconds to change the battery but you could miss a vital shot in that time ... you know sods law, the battery will only fail when it's absolutely imperative that it doesn't

As Nikon don't make a grip for the D40/D40x you'll have to look at a 3rd party one and LinkDelight (an eBay trader) do some which get good reviews. For the amount of money they charge it's worth a punt just to see how you get on with it

Hope that helps.

 

[Adam_K]

Paul I wouldn't be with my grips as I am a portrait shooter. I have them on my D700/D200 & S5 pro, they do add weight but do improve the feel & balance.

I have the 70-200vrII on the D700 most of the time with 2 batteries in the body/grip, which although heavy does make it feel incredibly stable.

My grips all focus on the grip shutter half pressed. If you shoot lots of portraits go for it, you will not regret it.

 

[akcron]

Hello all.

Big thanks for the replies.

I am going to take a punt on one as they are cheap around £20.00 ish.

There seems to be 2 types, one you put the batteries in a cradle and load them in from the side.

The other you slot the batteries in from the rear and does not look as tall.

I don't know if there is any build that fits the D40x better or it is just style.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[Oggy]

Grips are a "Marmite" item - you either like them or not. They have some practical advantages such as carrying an extra battery and in the Pentax case, a spare card and the remote which otherwise I would have lost by now. For those who shoot a lot in portrait orientation there is the advantage of the second set of buttons, although I have always managed perfectly well with the normal ones.

Really it's down to whether you prefer a bulky heavy camera or not.