Battery Grips

[bricabrac89]

Hi,

So, I have the Canon 600D and always carry two batteries with me (one in the camera + a spare) when I go out.

I've been looking into Battery Grips and if they are worthwhile or not. I have read that it improves stability when using heavier lenses and as I have a rather heavy 70-200mm f2.8 lens, would having a battery grip really help me keep it stable?

If worthwhile, I've been looking at the Neewer BG-E8 for about $35 on eBay rather than the $200+ Canon.

Are Neewer generally a good knock-off or would you recommend something else?

Thanks

[mikew09]

Hi there,
I have added a grip to the three Canon bodies I have had over the yrs and I agree with the comment that - IMHO - it definitely gives a more ergonomic and balanced feel to the camera especially with the heavier lens. I have always bought the Canon grips being the grip does form an important part of the overall body and integrates with the electronics of the camera so cannot comment on after market.

I know with my 5D3 there is some integration between battery and camera with a grip and I have heard that third party grips dont support this feature but you would have to take that as hear say and confirm for yourself with the 600D.
To be honest, the main reason I went for a batt grip first up was because at the time I was doing a lot of horse event shooting and struggling to get through the day with two batteries. Hence I gripped up and bought a 3rd battery as the grip will run with just a single battery.
What I can say is with dual batts in a grip I definitely get more shoot time out of the batt's and I believe this due to how the grip manages two batt's. I can see in the menu that the batt's at times have different amounts of shoot in them as the Camera balances load between them. At the time I was shooting a lot of AI servo shots and the 70-200 lens worked hard on the batt's with constant focusing but I generally can get through a day just on the grip now.

Hope that helps.
Tips:
Be mindful of the integration between grip and camera electronics and do your research
Dont mix Canon with after market batteries - either use 2 after market or two canon
Yes - to better feel with the 70-200
Yes to better balance
Note: - my camera was already a weighty best with the 70-200 2.8 as you would know - keep in mind the batt grip with two batts adds to the weight, hence the better balance

I wouldn't have a body with out one myself but this is a personal opinion

Hope that helps

Mike

[Hamster]

I'd advise trying the system you want to use with and without grip. A grip might not suit you. Personally I find that a grip adds weight to an already heavy combo if a large ish lens is being used. I'd rather hold the set up with one hand supporting the lens in front of the body (i.e. Where a monopod mount would go). I found that by holding it here near the balance point a grip just adds weight to the overall outfit rather than improves balance a significant amount. YMMV but for me, more spare batteries in my pocket was a better solution than adding more weight and bulk to an already weighty system.

[ricktas]

As said Battery Grips do and considerable weight and size to your camera. I have grips on my cameras and do not have an issue, but then I am a 6ft tall lump, so carting stuff around that is heavier doesn't really bother me.

The benefits of extra shooting time, frames, and I really like the addition of a shutter button and aperture wheel on my grips, I tend to use those a lot if shooting in portrait aspect.

There are great benefits to battery grips, if you dont mind the added bulk and weight.

[Cage]

I have grips on both my Nikons and wouldn't be without them.

Unless you have smallish hands they are a great accessory, adding for me better feel and balance.

I'd also suggest a dedicated non-twist grip plate or 'L' plate.

I have the OEM grip on one camera and a MeiKe brand knock-off (about $55.00 on fleabay) on the other, and to be honest I really can't see any difference, either in appearance or performance.

[Tannin]

Bricabrac, I reckon in this thread you will mainly get replies from people interested in grips - i.e., everyone will say how great they are. It's a bit like going to church and saying "Hands up those who believe in God."

I've never owned one myself, but I have owned two full-size camera bodies (a 1D III and a 1D IV) alongside various normal ones. Grips are essentially a poor man's version of a full size body, so despite not owning one I think that I can comment sensibly.

As intimated in various posts above, there are pros and cons.

Making a large lens more balanced? Not in the slightest. Anyone with a brain holds a large lens & camera with two hands anyway, left hand as far forward as possible to reduce camera shake. All the grip does is make the whole thing heavier.

Better for portrait orientation? Miles better. Chalk and cheese. I must have taken a zillion portrait mode photographs on my standard (gripless) bodies, and even after all these years I don't think I ever take a portrait shot on them without missing the duplicated controls on the full-size body. (Grips can provide these too, of course. Indeed, they are pretty much the only reason why you'd bother with a grip at all.)

Is the weight and bulk an issue? In a word, yes. It makes a big difference. Probably not too bad if it is your only body though.

Better battery life? Sure, but it's a mad way to achieve longer battery life unless there are very special circumstances (and I can't imagine what they would be). Shooting normally, you happily can go all day on a single small battery (such as the one in an 80D or a 6D), even if you take many hundreds of shots. The only time you'd be likely to run out is if you do a heap of video or Live View shooting, or if you take some extreme number of shots. With a large battery (such as the one in a 1D IV) you can go for three or four days of pretty hard use. I don't even bother owning a spare 1D battery. On a field trip, I only charge it every few days, and I sometimes take thousands of shots. With a very small battery like the one in a 600D, however, sure. I used to find the 450D battery capacity a bit marginal back in the day, and it was only doing duty as a second body.

So yep, a grip would help with that. But how hard is it to swap a battery? Takes what, 20 seconds? And how much would you gain from a single extra battery, given that the 600D battery is a bit of a midget anyway? Not all that much when you consider the cost and weight involved. Better just to keep a couple of spares in your pocket and swap them over now and then.

Given the price of a Canon grip, wouldn't it make a lot more sense to put that dough towards a more all-round-rewarding way to get the same amount of extra battery life? I'm talking about trading your 600D for an 80D (or even a 77D). These use the small Canon battery instead of the very small one, and at a rough guess would give you the same life you'd get with two baby batteries in a grip and give you a major camera upgrade. The 80D in particular has a great deal to be said for it, and either one has vastly superior controls to a 600D, grip or no grip. (The addition of a second control wheel is ten times more important than the duplication of the top wheel and the shutter button a grip can give you.)

So far, you'd reckon I'm against the idea of you getting a grip.

Well, yes and no. Spending $200+ for a Canon grip for a 600D would be daylight madness. But a clone for less than $50 is worth considering - it's not exactly a sheep station. Having the duplicated controls is really useful - but I can't really see the point of doing that on a 600D.

[Steve Axford]

I use several cameras including a Canon 1DS mk III and a Sony A7R2. The 1DS is big and should have great balance and the Sony should have lousy balance, but I'll take the small Sony any day. Each to their own.

[bricabrac89]

Thanks all for your replies... a lot to take in.

[Brian500au]

I have grips for both my 5d and 6d, but I only use them as needed. The 5d is a genuine grip and I normally take if off if I need to carry my body for a while (walking around the city etc). I do use it though if I decide to use a heavy lens when doing portrait sessions etc. In essence I use mine for balance and not extra battery life - but I could see if you were at a sports day, car racing etc the extra battery life would come in handy. it is less than a five minute job to put it on or off. I often carry it with me in the car just in case I decide I want to use it when I am out and about.

I have a non genuine one I bought for the 6D but rarely use it. The main reason for me is the battery tray little lug on the end has lost it's friction is falls down (which annoys me). The 6D is a light camera and mostly used by my wife, so the extra weight of both the grip and the battery just gets in the way for her. Bare in mind she only uses a 24-105 on this camera.

I also have a 1Dx which has a built in battery grip - I just know this is a heavy camera before I pick it up - so it is not a body I take with me when I am acting as a tourist. This body is the perfect shaped and weighted if you are using large heavy lenses.