Battery Needed in Grip? Never used a grip, so this question. I know that a grip houses (or can house) a battery. Will the features of a grip (added shutter release etc.) work only with...

The Villages Loc: The Villages, Florida

Never used a grip, so this question.

I know that a grip houses (or can house) a battery. Will the features of a grip (added shutter release etc.) work only with the extra battery placed in the grip, or can its features work off of the the battery in the camera itself....realizing that there is less overall power?

david vt Loc: Vermont

You don’’t say what camera body you are talking about, and I suspect your answer will be camera or at least brand specific. So, help us help you and let us know

I can can say that with my D7200 i only use one battery, but go the other way. The single battery is in the grip, as that avoids me from having to remove/replace it when I want to recharge the battery. Works fine. The “chamber” in the body is empty as I don’t need the extra power nor do I want the extra weight.

Jrhoffman75 Loc: Conway, New Hampshire

I can’t speak for all cameras, but Canon EOS grips are called “battery grips” and they insert into the battery chamber. Camera battery goes into the grip. They can take two batteries but don’t require two. Just put camera battery into grip.

bajadreamer Loc: Baja California Sur

The Villages wrote:

Never used a grip, so this question.

I know that a grip houses (or can house) a battery. Will the features of a grip (added shutter release etc.) work only with the extra battery placed in the grip, or can its features work off of the the battery in the camera itself....realizing that there is less overall power?

To attach the battery grip to the camera you have to remove the battery that would normally be in the camera. The "in camera battery compartment" is used to attach the grip. My Canon cameras will not work unless there are 2 batteries installed in the grip.

In-lightened Loc: Kansas City

In Nikon, camera will not fire if there is a battery in the camera but not in the grip. Never tried it the other way.

orrie smith Loc: Kansas

The Villages wrote:

Never used a grip, so this question.

I know that a grip houses (or can house) a battery. Will the features of a grip (added shutter release etc.) work only with the extra battery placed in the grip, or can its features work off of the the battery in the camera itself....realizing that there is less overall power?

The primary reason you get a battery grip is for the convenience of having an extra battery. If you do not want to place a battery in the battery grip, why get a battery grip in the first place?

Jrhoffman75 Loc: Conway, New Hampshire

The better grip for vertical shooting would be one reason.

Kingman

Personally, the battery grip allows my large hands to have all my fingers on the camera for more comfort and some added stability. I don’t always add the extra battery into the battery grip because of the overall added weight. It may not seem that an added battery would add that much weight but after a long day of shooting, everything counts. With hand holding a FF body and a 70-200/2.8 lens, a battery grip feels more stable but again the added weight. Battery grips are often not suitable with tripod use. Battery grips and off camera strobe brackets are again added weight and sometimes your off camera strobe bracket may not fit your camera with the added battery grip.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

In-lightened wrote:

In Nikon, camera will not fire if there is a battery in the camera but not in the grip. Never tried it the other way.

Did you assign the camera to use the battery in the camera first by setting the battery order in the set-up menu?

The Villages Loc: The Villages, Florida

Kingman wrote:

Personally, the battery grip allows my large hands... (show quote)

Kingman - "I don’t always add the extra battery into the battery grip because of the overall added weight."

Am I to assume that by not placing a battery in the grip, its being dome strictly for the overall feel of the camera and that the grip's shutter release ,etc. is not activated?

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Jrhoffman75 wrote:

The better grip for vertical shooting would be one reason.

david vt Loc: Vermont

Jrhoffman75 wrote:

The better grip for vertical shooting would be one reason.

This is THE reason I have the battery grip. Being a left-eye dominant shooter using BBF, and shoot vertical over 70% of the time (sports), when I turn the camera to vertical, not only are my hands in an uncomfortable position, but it takes my right thumb out of my right eye!!!!

Kingman

DaveO wrote:

Did you assign the camera to use the battery in the camera first by setting the battery order in the set-up menu?

Correct, it's only for the feel of the body with my large and now arthritic hand to get all my fingers onto the camera. Rarely do I really need 2x battery capacity on my shoots. If I do I'll just throw the extra battery into my pocket.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

The Villages wrote:

Never used a grip, so this question.

I know that a grip houses (or can house) a battery. Will the features of a grip (added shutter release etc.) work only with the extra battery placed in the grip, or can its features work off of the the battery in the camera itself....realizing that there is less overall power?

Depends on the make of the camera. Some vertical grips fit into the battery chamber of the camera meaning that the only battery that can be used it the one in the grip.
Most Nikon's feature a two battery set up, you CAN put one battery in the camera and another one in the grip. Only problem is that you have to take the grip off to change the battery in the camera when it needs charged. I only put the battery in the grip. Makes the rig lighter too.
On some camera's you can set which battery you want to work off first. Some camera's drain both batteries at the same time. Depends on the make and on the custom menu of the camera.

richie200948 Loc: Staffordshire Moorlands UK

Until I bought a couple of m43 cameras, I wasn’t even aware that some grips allow a battery to remain in the camera body. My main cameras have been Sony Alphas and the grip power connection fit into the body’s battery chamber.