canon grip question

turbotoes

turbotoes

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Tara
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Does anyone know if the canon grips use (empty) one battery at a time, ie, if you put two batteries in it does it drain one before it starts on the other, or does it draw power equally from both until they are empty?

Tara
 
hmm not sure - I know it works with just one battery in, but not sure how it draws the power :(
 
I read somewhere that it uses one then the other but have no idea which way round.
 
Well, it does seem to flatten one battery more than the other from my experience. So guess it pulls them one at a time??
 
desantnik said:
Well, it does seem to flatten one battery more than the other from my experience. So guess it pulls them one at a time??
Click to expand...

I think I've got this right, someone will soon be along to correct me if I have not; the cells will be connected in series to provide the correct voltage.

Therefore, the current drain will be constant and equal from both cells.

Personally, I've never understood the need for battery grips when you weigh their bulk against carrying a few extra batteries.
 
i have the grip for the 400d...yes it works with just one battery...it goes in the right hand slot


as for the extra weight....i have found i can now stabilise a bigger lens easier than previously

and the bonus of the extra button set up i find excellent
 
No idea mate, was just telling you what my double battery charger tells me when I plug my pairs of batteries in...

The need for battery grips? Well:

1) So that I don't have to stop shooting motorsport to change a battery (you can't ask them to crash again once you have changed the battery!)

2) The extra holdability - including the extra shutter release button for portrait orientation...

There is a reason why pro-bodies have the extra size and the ninja batteries....
 
desantnik said:
There is a reason why pro-bodies have the extra size and the ninja batteries....
Click to expand...

I hear what you're saying, I've been in situations where I'm shooting 12 hours straight and only needed to pause twice to swap out batteries.
Each swap took about 10 seconds. I think grips are hangovers from the days when batteries were rubbish and I think some people but them
to bulk up their cameras to make them look more pro. The camera will draw current equally in any case. The new 5D battery evaluation facility
whereby it remembers various battery capacities based on their respective serial number will be the decider.
 
Tyrone Shoelaces said:
I think I've got this right, someone will soon be along to correct me if I have not; the cells will be connected in series to provide the correct voltage.
Click to expand...

Brrp! Bad answer. Sorry, but put 2 batteries in series and you double the voltage. What you meant is parallel. Same voltage, but twice the available current (or twice the battery life).

More than likely they are in parallel it's the simplest and most obvious solution.
On the 40D Grip one battery works in either slot. Which adds weight to the theory.
 
oldgit said:
Brrp! Bad answer. Sorry, but put 2 batteries in series and you double the voltage. What you meant is parallel. Same voltage, but twice the available current (or twice the battery life).
Click to expand...

That didn't take long :) I've always been confused by series/parallel so I referred to Wikipedia.

In any case, the cells would be set up to provide more current at the right voltage so draining one cell first wouldn't be a design characteristic.

If one cell was draining quicker than the other I'd suspect a defective/old cell rather than the grip.
 
Tyrone Shoelaces said:
I hear what you're saying, I've been in situations where I'm shooting 12 hours straight and only needed to pause twice to swap out batteries.Each swap took about 10 seconds.
Click to expand...

That could be the money shot in motorsport! Seriously!

I think grips are hangovers from the days when batteries were rubbish and I think some people but them to bulk up their cameras to make them look more pro.
Click to expand...

Well it does bulk up the camera... so you can hold onto it properly!

There are few cameras that have a battery in the body which can last 1500-2000 shots a day without a swap.... apart from 1D's or D3's... which of course are the "big size" already.

Everything else its a battery grip to do that...
 
desantnik said:
There are few cameras that have a battery in the body which can last 1500-2000 shots a day without a swap
Click to expand...

My 450D did last Sunday - lens on servo - and I fully expect it to do so next Sunday. I only did about 450 with the 5D but it was still going strong.

Original OEM battery, too, about 2 years old.
 
Maybe the 450D doesn't need grips then...
 
Unless of course you want the extra handling... or in the case of the D300, the extra 2fps (which is only possible with the battery grip and sooper-dooper EN-EL4A battery)
 
May be not much help, but the D80 grip for Nikon definitely uses batteries sequentially, left slot then right slot - advertises the fact. I have to say, as an amateur, it's not worth it for extra battery life alone; but for the increased ergonomics of the camera, it's priceless.

I took the battery grip off and replaced the original battery door last week - because I was shooting on the tripod entirely supported by the lens collar, and didn't think it'd matter. I found the camera nigh on uncomfortable, with my right hand little finger flailing in space... I find the D80 too small without the grip now. Maybe a D700 or even a D300 would be OK, but I hold the D80 by the grip more than I'd noticed.
 
Thanks for the replies, I think the "uses one then the other" must be right, I have also noticed that with only one battery in the grip, my power indicator is only ever half full!
For the grip haters - I use a grip on my 40D, not for extra battery life but because it makes the camera far easier to hold steady when you slap a big lens on the front, and as for extra weight, well, it's a fraction of the combined lens and body, so makes no odds to me.

Tara
 
I know with my battery grip it drains one more than the other - dont ask me the theory on that one!

I use my grip for the extra room to umm grip. and i like shooting alot in portrait orientation so the extra buttons are a god send. The extra weight does help handling properties with heavy lenses.
 
Tyrone Shoelaces said:
I think I've got this right, someone will soon be along to correct me if I have not; the cells will be connected in series to provide the correct voltage.

Therefore, the current drain will be constant and equal from both cells.

Personally, I've never understood the need for battery grips when you weigh their bulk against carrying a few extra batteries.
Click to expand...

From my point of view my 350D is way to small and almost unusable,with the grip it fits my hands perfectly,others with different sized digits might feel differently
 
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