Do you have battery grip?

Jinxy0410

Jinxy0410

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Yes
Would you get/do you have a battery grip or spare batteries and why?

Just trying to think about everything I want long term and this one stumped me.

Also would you go for canon (or your cameras) branded batteries or are third party worth it?
 
Both of my bodies have grips ! Two reasons ..... shooting weddings your not worried about running out and second I find camera balanced better hand held! And portrait buttons for shutter handy!
 
I use a grip for 3 reasons.

1 I have big hands and find it more comfortable to shoot with a grip.
2 The grip helps balance the camera with longer lenses.
3 The added shutter button and multi controller are invaluable when shooting in portrait orientation.

I stick to OEM batteries after bad experiences with 3rd party batteries in the past. Personal preference though. Lots of folk use 3rd party batteries with no issues.
 
Maybe something to consider then, although I've never shot a wedding in my life I may have to have a feel and see how I feel about the balance
 
da_nige said:
I use a grip for 3 reasons.

1 I have big hands and find it more comfortable to shoot with a grip.
2 The grip helps balance the camera with longer lenses.
3 The added shutter button and multi controller are invaluable when shooting in portrait orientation.

I stick to OEM batteries after bad experiences with 3rd party batteries in the past. Personal preference though. Lots of folk use 3rd party batteries with no issues.
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Thanks, maybe this is something I'll have to consider more than I have before. I've always been too preoccupied with adding weight.
 
What do you shoot? If it’s landscape and you use a tripod then you don’t want to lug all extra weight up hill!
 
Mark twiglet said:
What do you shoot? If it’s landscape and you use a tripod then you don’t want to lug all extra weight up hill!
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I like to mix it up to be honest. I've not really settled on anything as such. Guess if I have a grip I don't have to take it though. I do like wildlife and landscape but that's mainly because that's what's available to me. Started trying to do little more portrait work. Weight wise how much difference does it make?
 
Not for the DSLR because its big enough already, but I do for the X-T1 because its too short.
 
What kit have you got now?
 
Using a borrowed 7d at mo but I'm looking to get the 80d this side of Christmas. I know the weight different on the 7d is a fair bit anyway so weighing up my options batteries wise
 
Probably add half a kilo at least then ! Doesn’t sound much but that and the extra bulk soon adds up
 
I've never felt the need for a grip because DSLRs are normally large enough & heavy enough not to need the extra bulk. I do normally carry a spare battery with me when I travel 'just in case' although both my Sony and Nikon systems will happily go to >1100 shots on a fresh battery.
 
I've only ever had one grip which was on a Canon 35mm SLR and it enabled me to use rechargeable AA batteries. I did find that it made handling better but not in an Oh my Gosh I couldn't cope without this grip way and I seem to be able to cope well enough without one. They do add to bulk and weight though and generally I prefer more compact kit not necessarily for less weight but also because it's less attention grabbing.

I guess you need to try one to see how you feel.

I often take a spare battery with me just in case, I have mirrorless cameras and the batteries don't tend to last as long as DSLR batteries.

I buy third party batteries because I'm tight. I haven't had any problem with them but I think that some cameras are set to detect third party batteries and throw a wobbler so maybe it's best to check before buying.
 
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The main reasons for a battery grip have been said but i would add a more stable hand holding position as you can tuck both elbows into the chest whilst taking photos in portrait. To give you an idea of extra weight I've just weighted the grip I have on a D750, it weighs 250g. The D750 batteries weigh 75g so it add up to 325g on top of the 840g of the D750. Whilst it seems a lot I havent really noticed the extra weight. A spare battery is useful especially if you get caught running out of battery power whilst out. I've ended up with about 5 spare batteries (all bought used) as Ive stayed on Skomer for a few days the last three summers and you can't guarantee being able to charge batteries when there are so many others charging batteries too. Live view for landscapes also eats through batteries too, my normal wildlife photography a battery could last a day.

A spare battery is a useful addition but a battery grip isn't really a necessitity when first starting out with a camera. You don't need loads of bits when first starting out with a new camera, spare battery, memory cards is all you really need.
 
Have one but soon decided that the advantages were not really there so I discarded it.
 
I use a Canon 7D2 with a Canon battery grip and rather like it. This is the first grip that I have tried that is quite rigid on the camera and, more importantly, accepts AA cells. My 6 AA rechargeable batteries (old Sanyo Eneloop 1900 Mah) should last about as long as one Lp-E6n - they don't! They last FAR longer. No idea why! I have extensive experience on rechargeable batteries and this defies logic - but they do and I don't argue with results! Two Lp-E6n packs are better than the AA cells but not by much.

Grips are a bit of a Marmite accessory - you love them or hate them. I would try before you buy.

Just a thought, if you mount your lens on your tripod then grips are great but if your camera is mounted on the tripod then grips will introduce some flex - so potentially a bit of a no no for landscapes and portraits where a tripod is used.
 
Another thing to ponder over, if you shoot any sort of fast action then in some cameras like the D700 it gives you a faster FPS rate
 
I have a grip on my 6D, had one on the 40D before that as wel.
Like others, the reasons are:

Size - I've got large hands and the body as stnd was too small to be comfortable. This allows me to have all digits on the camera.
Battery - with 2x batteries, the longevity has improved and I don't suffer battery drain syndrome.
Weight - I don't notice it so much, esp with adding the 70-200!

I got a 3rd party grip and batteries on the 6D, and original on the 40D. Can't see much in the way of difference.
 
Similar to other people's comments.

I haven't got particularly big hands but the grip gives me much more grip space and improves balance with a 70-200 2.8 lens.
It also saves me needing to change batteries, especially when I have focus set to tracking 99% of the time.
I rarely use the camera in portrait mode but the additional buttons on the grip make it much easier to do so without twisting your arm.

I find I can probably shoot around 2500 pictures with the pair of batteries.
 
Back in the day when I started using D300 cameras for Weddings I bought grips for both extended battery cover and to make the camera look 'Pro'

I then realised the standard camera batteries never ran out anyway, and the Pro look was actually all in my head for being a pratt

My current D750 cameras never get close to running their batteries down and a grip is just a daft addition and waste of money, and even when I had a 70-200 f2.8 I never found the better balance argument to be true, it just added weight

One caveat though - I have smaller hands so smaller cameras aren't an issue

I've also 'grown up' enough to be confident that big cameras don't mean 'Pro', they just mean backache :D

Dave
 
I have a grip on my X-T1, I find it more comfortable than without. The main reason for it though is the extra battery life for me, and the ability to switch spare batts in and out quicker. The camera uses the battery in the grip first always. I change before it starts eating into the battery in body. I do pack the cam without grip often too though, when heading out with a smaller bag. I love that cameras like this are still smaller than bulky dslrs even with the grip. When I had the D800 I bought the grip and found it ridiculous looking and uncomfortable, sold it shortly after.
 
I have grips on both my cameras (7D2 & 5D3) and wouldn’t be without them. Not so much for the extra battery, although it does stop me worrying, but for balancing a larger lens and for the extra shutter button. I use portrait format a lot, and am often lying down to photograph dogs. Lying down one has one's weight on one's elbows, and in portrait mode without a grip one simply falls over. I cannot take portraits of small dogs without one. It is much easier in portrait format when standing up as well.
 
Dangermouse1964 said:
Another thing to ponder over, if you shoot any sort of fast action then in some cameras like the D700 it gives you a faster FPS rate
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That's only a Nikon thing though. The OP has a Canon, and they give you the full frame rate without needing a grip.
 
I don't like them. Adding extra weight for increased bulk seems counter productive to me. I don't get the big hands argument, either - mine are like hams, with packs of sausages for fingers! Never had a balance problem, either - I rest the weight of the rig on my left hand under the CoG so adding the extra weight would just shift the hand back towards the body. Never had a stability problem in portrait orientation, either. The only possible benefit I can see is the extra shots per charge but I just keep an eye on the battery meter and swap out if I feel I need to - there's always a dead moment or 5, plenty of time to do the swap (unless you need to drop the grip off to change the battery...)
 
Bahhh, the grip is designed to make the camera look more professional like the camera you could not afford to buy. I have one for my Nikon D7200 only because Nikon gave it away as a freebie. It has got its 6 eneloops in it and it has never ever yet been connected to the camera. I have large hands, I can shoot portrait (and I do often enough). I would only use it with a long lens on a tripod as counterweight (if it helps if I got it with me).
 
I tend to have the VG on my A900 - as others have said, it does make the camera easier to use when in portrait orientation, as the relevant buttons and dials are replicated on the grip, so I can continue to 'find' them with the camera still up to my eye.
 
I have grips for all of my camera's not because of battery life simply because I like having the shutter button when in portrait mode. It's just what I am used too though.
 
can't comment on the grip but regarding batteries i would personally stick with branded now, i bought some 3rd party ones for my d90 and while they were ok if not a bit worse than the branded ones in normal conditions they discharged ridiculously quickly once the temperature dropped.
 
I don't need a grip, I use a "L" bracket to allow quick mounting on tripod in either portrait or landscape mode.
My shutter button is on a remote release.
I do carry a Nikon Spare battery, too many fakes around to try 3rd party ones.
 
I've bought grips for the odd occasions I do sport, as not only is it more comfortable to hold in the portrait orientation, but also having the extra power comes in useful, especially when it is cold and batteries run down quicker. I only use them occasionally though, and that is why I like the option to be removable. If the Nikon D500 had truly been a 'mini D5' with the integrated grip, I doubt I would have bought it.

Because I only use it occasionally I buy the copied grips, and have never had a problem. :) £30-£50 compared to sometimes £300+ for an official Nikon grip is a no brainer, and cheap enough to buy for occasional use for me. :)

I use the copied batteries too, and while they occasionally stop working, for the cost savings it has been worth it. For my previous camera they were available for £5-£10, for my new camera however they are about £20 atm, still half the price of the Nikon batteries, so I got 2 for the price of one. I now have 3, which will do me. :)
 
Thank you all for your comments, I may have a feel with one and see what I feel like with it in hand but from what I've read so far I may just be going for more batteries than anything else
 
DG Phototraining said:
Back in the day when I started using D300 cameras for Weddings I bought grips for both extended battery cover and to make the camera look 'Pro'

I then realised the standard camera batteries never ran out anyway, and the Pro look was actually all in my head for being a pratt

My current D750 cameras never get close to running their batteries down and a grip is just a daft addition and waste of money, and even when I had a 70-200 f2.8 I never found the better balance argument to be true, it just added weight

One caveat though - I have smaller hands so smaller cameras aren't an issue

I've also 'grown up' enough to be confident that big cameras don't mean 'Pro', they just mean backache :D

Dave
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Pretty much this.^

Though I was convinced the extra shutter button would make life 'easier' completely ignoring the fact I'd managed 20 years without.:oops: :$
 
I've never seen the point to be honest but that's just me
My camera and lens (300 2.8) is heavy enough already and the controls on my 7D are easy to use
A battery seems to last all day even when taking hundreds of shots :)
 
Bought a grip for every camera that would take one. OE every time. Why would I spend hundreds if not thousands of pounds on a body to put some cheap crap grip on it. Similarly with batteries. OE every time. The one time I bought third party, complete crap. Weight isn't an issue. Having the second battery in the camera means I don't have to remember to take one.
 
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My Electrc-Picture-Maker is a D3200, one of the more compact DSLR's about. Curiousely it is MORE bulky than a lot of my old 35mm film cameras, and when I evicted a par of winder equipped OM's from the gadget bag to make space for it.... it filled it all! And that was without a battery grip! So it may be more compact, but its not THAT compact...
And I do have big hands! This is not really a issue I have with cameras... I DO with mobile telephones... especially ones with 'touch-screens'.. not so cameras!
The verdict is still'out' on the durability of the EPM.. I very much doubt it will prove as long lived as my 35mm film cameras, of which most are best part of 30 years old or more and still going strong! But I seriousely doubt that t will last that long, and experience of lap-top batteries suggests I'd be lucky to see much more than 3years from a battery for one, and pot luck whether when that dies replacements will actually be available!
On that score, the OEM vs After-Market battery question is not one that really bothers me too much; I have two genuine Nikon batteries and two after-market. I don't find swapping them a particular chore, nor particularly frequent one; certainly compared to the rechargeable AA's in the motor-winder for a 35mm film camera!
So, NO, I would not recommend a battery grip,particularly if at all.
YES, would recommend spare batteries!
Not a big problem on a film camera f the winder batteries die; they are AA's you can pick up a pack at a petrol station, or just use the manual advance lever! Button cells for the meter, are useful to have handy, but even there, not so essential... except on the battery eating OM4, but least said about that the better.... but even on that it can be fired on mechanical settings, if you neter with a battery-less celenium cell light meter or old fashioned f-16-sunny type estimation by eye!
Slightly bigger problem on an Electric-Picture-Maker... sort of rather useles if they run out of electric really!
And Murpheys law says if you only have one battery, it'll be flat when you need it.... if you have two, the 'spare' will probably be flat too, for thnking you were a bit smart, so you need at least three or four, in which case they will ALL be charged, so Murphy can laugh at your chagrin for 'wasting' all that money on batteries you ever use... but hey! At least you are taking pictures!
BUT Top-Tip...Memory-Cards. You can fill a card faster than you can flat a battery, and waste more time and more battery still, trying to parse out duffers on the card on the spot to squeeze a few more on it. Much better, and quicker and reliable to have spare cards... especially if you are 'away-from-base' and cant clear down so regularly.
I have three 16Gb cards for the EPM.. here bigger cards seem like a better option, but bigger cards are often slower and usually more expensive, and you are tempted to not clear them down so diligently and end up wiping shots or double down-loading. Good cards are a real BOON, and write speed is the most important spec on them, buy as FAST as you can afford and check specs carefully, they often try hide that they aren't as fast as they may be quoting 'average access speeds' inflated by a far higher access speed than write speed.

To wit; spare batteries for electric-Picture-Maker, as they are a small investment, and an electric-picture maker with no electric is a chocolate tea-pot! Spare memory cards, because if you do have electric, its o good unless it gives you pictures to take home!

After that? You can wast as much money as you can afford on Gadget Acquisition Syndrome...but, you only need a camera and one lens to take a picture, and in days of yore 'masters' did great work with very humble fixed lens, fixed focal length cameras and ls single exposure 'plate'! Modem entry-Level DSLR is almost every lens and every film the shop, in your hand... important thing s to know how to use it, and THAT you don't get in a cardboard box! Save your money to get out and about ad use the basic camera as is, and don't look at the brochures again until you are actually struggling with anything, AND you have gone done some research to eliminate the likelihood its lack of know-how causing it, not lack of gear!
 
I use grips on my 6D & 7D2 purely because they fit my hands better.

Grips are from Meike & batteries are from 7dayshop :)
 
I bought a genuine Nikon grip for my D600 purely because they can be bought brand new for £30!

Bought from eBay. TBH wasn’t expecting a genuine one and thought it might be a scam but that’s what PayPal protection is for! As it turns out it was all good.
 
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