I think I read recently that the 400D will shoot about 2000 pictures between charges - less in cold weather or when using the flash or lots of reviewing. I tend to recharge my batteries after most shoots at the same time as I download the images.
Cheers guys. I will be using for motorsport so there will be a lot of reviewing to check if the settings are ok etc. I wont be using flash though. Is a battery grip essentail or not? Thanks for all your help.
its a matter of preference - i use it as it balances the camera nicely and also in the portrait orientation adds a second set of buttons so i can access everything without taking my eye away from the view finder.
mine takes 6x AA batteries which i use as back ups to the main 2 batteries
A battery grip is not essential. I have one (sometimes) on my 350 but have never used one on the 400. I think if you have large hands then it may be useful and it does add some extra controls for when you are shooting in portrait mode.
I would see how the 400 feels in your hands and if it feels too small or unbalanced then think about a grip.
I have 2 sets of batteries - a pair of originals and a pair of high capacity aftermarket batteries - I don't bother with AA's, I tried them once and it didn't last very long at all.
You should get a full days shooting at least with two batteries, possibly a full weekend.
I'm male, large hands, and don't use a battery grip. I don't find the camera small, but it's probably down to what you're used to. Balance is another matter though, and when buying it had the lightweight 18-55 attached so you dont realise until you add a bigger, heavier lens. For spare batteries, I carry 2 in my pocket/backpack!
I found my 350D was fine with kit lens but increasingly uncomfortable with a longer zoom attached. A grip solved all this. I have reasonably large hands. If you do a lot of portrait shots, the added shutter button and controls makes life a lot easier.
The main reason for getting one for my 30D and 40D was the extra controls - the camera is much better sized and balanced, although the grip improves it further.
The difference is quite a lot when your outside in the cold, wet and windy (ie every British race circuit!)
Suggest get the 400D/450D - try it without as you can upgrade later at Christmas / Bathday.
For the 400D you need the BG-E3 New price about £75. You can get 3rd party grips cheaper but sometimes the connections do not connect properly and you can get an Error 99 message. The battery type is NB-2LH. Most of the 3rd party batteries are OK. The Grip connects to the tripod mount and has dual controls for portrait mode. Provides additional space to grip the camera. The time the batteries go before a re-charge really depends on what and how you use it. If you've got AF & IS that uses some of the power. Flash will consume a lot of power as will also numerous screen views. I would expect the batteries to last for a good days shooting and as the re-charge time is only 90 mins not a problem.
Highly recomend the grip for motorsport, the batterys last a good weekend (well atleast on my orginal 350d, 30d and now both 40d's) it helps balance the camera, and i find having the shutter button on the grip helps hugely when taking portrait of funny angle shots. I couldnt get a grip when i got my 40d for a week, it felt so small and odd to me when using it alongside the other, to the point i started changing the grip between body's
You get an improved sensor on the 450d and live view which can be handy, albeit hard to focus with. And a sensor which is more dense with pixels (Forgot the word).
(As above. Consider the 450 over the 400.)
As for grips, love mine when fitted to the 40D. A pretty hefty beast with the 17-85 fitted......actually with any lens fitted, come to think of it!
Thing is, it's steady as a rock. And the extra controls are great for portraits. Maybe an acquired taste, but wouldn't be without it.
I found the grip very useful for getting a comfy grip on my 350. I havent bought one for the 40 (yet) as it is a bigger, chunkier beast altogether so I'm comfy enough as is. Plus I have two spare batteries so if one gets low, I just slot another one in.
As most have said, a battery grip is a very good addition. The extra controls save lifting your arm higher when shooting in portrait (if your doing motorsport they will be long days too). When using larger heavier glass you will find the camera is a lot more balanced.
I bought an aftermarket one as I was feeling tight that week for under £30 and I’ve not had a problem with it. When shooting motocross I have 2 batteries in the grip and keep 2 spare with me but even after 4000 odd shots and plenty of review time I very rarely run the first set down (that’s over approx 7 hr’s steady use) .
i bought a cheapo battery grip of fleabay about a year ago for my 400d and its has been used thoroughly over the past year for motorsport and i have had no problems with it. the extra shutter button for shooting in portrait is useful so make sure you get one that has it
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