Do you use a Battery Grip? (Page 4): I put the battery grip on my Sony A77II when using my Minolta 400MM f4.5 lens. For me it helps balance the lens for free hand shooting. But the...

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

jrichter wrote:

Are any of you using a battery grip on your DSLR, and do you find that it improves your handling of the camera (I am not asking about its ability to increase number of pictures being taken before battery change)?

I put the battery grip on my Sony A77II when using my Minolta 400MM f4.5 lens. For me it helps balance the lens for free hand shooting. But the choice HAS TO BE YOURS. Opinions will not help you, experience will.

CHOLLY Loc: THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE!

Always.

I too have big hands and while my main camera is big enough without one, I much prefer the VG for the handling and balance with long lenses attached.

Plus... and I know this wasn't asked for... but with my EVF cameras you really DO need the extra battery for a decent shoot.

CHOLLY Loc: THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE!

billnikon wrote:

I put the battery grip on my Sony A77II when using my Minolta 400MM f4.5 lens. For me it helps balance the lens for free hand shooting. But the choice HAS TO BE YOURS. Opinions will not help you, experience will.

^^^EXACTLY.

The A77II is a well balanced camera, but with the VG it is outstanding in my hands. :thumbup:

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Paul D wrote:

I have a grip for my D7000 and D600. They are the... (show quote)

Of course, you are entitled to your opinion, however, in MY opinion, a grip makes my camera more comfortable to hold in my hands, adds extra battery power without needing to worry about changing batteries in the middle of a shoot and provides additional controls for the camera, especially in portrait mode.

Impressing people? Really? Not me, My camera only needs to impress me, and with or without the grip I am impressed with my D7100 ;)

lehighjack Loc: somewhere in FL

When I used my film Olympus cameras I used a motor drive and it was a great help in balance and sequence shooting. I went digital with Minolta 7Ds and kept the factory vertical grip on one body all the time. It added some weight, but I had a more stable body for my shooting. My current Sony 65 does not have a grip available, I do not really miss it. I was at a tennis tournament this past week end and there was a guy with a Nikon B.A. lens on a Nikon camera with verical grip and a glow in the dark Nikon strap. One of the younger players said, "Does that big camera take good pictures?" I have no further comment except for you try to hold an acquaitance's camera with grip; see if you like the heft, stability and ease of Vertical Shooting. (You might go to a Best Buy to demo in the store, if there is not a local camera store near you. Factory prices are the same whether from a store or mail order.

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

jrichter wrote:

Are any of you using a battery grip on your DSLR, and do you find that it improves your handling of the camera (I am not asking about its ability to increase number of pictures being taken before battery change)?

I use a grip for the very reason you suggest plus it makes shooting vertical much easier. ;)

ebbote Loc: Hockley, Texas

Having a partial thumb on my left hand makes it difficult to
handle a camera at times, so I use a battery grip to give me
a better grip. I can handle the camera much better and it is
better balanced with the grip and I use it with one battery.

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

Simple answer is YES for my as much as I can.

Reasons:
I have large hands.

I often like the ability to turn 90 degrees without my elbows flying through the air.

I often need that 2nd battery.

I'm not a wimp yet and don't feel the extra weight is a hassel. (If the extra fraction of weight bothers you, maybe you should take up a different style of photography.)

When I swing around my camera with grip, most of the "Uncle Bob's" don't bother me.

A more professional looking setup tends to indicate respect. At weddings, events, professional and local sports games.

In my grips I carry an extra? SD card which has come in handy as I rarely carry my bag around. (Pockets are not used because I have keys and ink pens and ??? More personal things etc. in my pockets.

As a side thing that had litter to do with photography, I like the "complete" look of a large setup.

Only 2 things have been a hassel. One battery is in my grip, and one is in my camera. That means i need to remove the grip to remove the other battery to charge them. I've learned to live with that.

The other is, finding a bag. The type I like are shoumder bags. Most of them are only made for stock caneras and are not deep enough.

I found a good one a few years back and like it. It's looking thread worn so I'm looking again. Nothing found yet.

studavis

I have a non oE grip on my cameras. I find when I go out for the day the one thing I don't need to think about is battery life.

willaim Loc: Sunny Southern California

jrichter wrote:

Are any of you using a battery grip on your DSLR, and do you find that it improves your handling of the camera (I am not asking about its ability to increase number of pictures being taken before battery change)?

I have been using a camera grip for a number of years. Might add just a bit of weight to the camera, but it makes the camera handle better especially for vertical shooting and in an emergency if my batteries die, I can use AA's.

RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas

I am in concurrence with you exactly!

Peterff wrote:

Yes and yes. I have relatively small hands, but with a T3i I much prefer the balance and additional heft of the camera with a battery grip.

My wife has a T2i, I got her a grip along with it based on my own preferences and she's never even tried it. I think it is a very personal thing.

Perhaps for me it relates back to my film camera days with a Russian Zenit E which was pretty hefty, a Canon AE-1 which wasn't, and then a Canon T90 which was affectionately known as "The Tank". I just prefer a slightly heavier camera, and the additional bulk makes it easier for me to get a more stable shooting stance. If tripod stability is an issue, then the grip is easily removed, but I have never found that to be a problem with anything except long lenses, when I mount the lens, not the camera, on the tripod anyway. Handheld, the bigger and longer then lens the more I prefer the additional mass of the camera with the grip attached. This also relates to mirror less cameras for me. They may be technically excellent, but I don't like the feel of them.

Unsolicited additional comments related to power usage and other considerations.

I do however find the additional battery life a big advantage, especially for video or live view usage which tends to eat batteries very fast. I have never used the AA battery holder, never even taken it anywhere with me, but it's nice to know that it is available if I'm going somewhere where it could be required.

I use Magic Lantern on my T3i. It adds a significant number of features that I find useful, some of which only work in the energy sucking Live View mode such as focus peaking and so on. I use some adapted Canon FD lenses, including a Canon FDn 500mm reflex lens. The use of LiveView combined with the additional functionality of Magic Lantern gives me 'mirror less camera-like' focusing aids that are very useful with a lens that has a fixed aperture (f/8.0), a very thin DOF and is a total bitch to focus with an equivalent 35mm field of view of an 800mm lens. The additional battery life is useful with that.

For video, if indoors with a tripod and appropriate circumstances, I use an AC power supply if possible.

In summary, I like the tactile feel and mass of the battery grips, and when power consumption is an issue, I prefer not having to think about it any more than necessary. On the other hand, I do not generally find that weight is an issue, as some on UHH do.

Finally, since I consider the grip to be part of the camera, I bought the more expensive Canon grips rather than cheaper third party alternatives. My thinking was that I wanted the grip and the camera to feel identical from a tactile texture perspective as well as things like build quality and other considerations. Since I use it all the time the additional cost wasn't really a consideration.

Good luck, I hope some of this is helpful.

Yes and yes. I have relatively small hands, but w... (show quote)

Nikonhermit Loc: In This Place

No. I own an original Nikon one for my D300. One shoot convinced me that it makes a brick out of the camera. In that sense, it is useless.

BUT I recommend having one for every camera-for the simple reason that in an emergency, you can run the camera on AAs that you probably already have lying around the house.

Pkfish Loc: Wilson Wy

nope.

MrT Loc: Gilbert, AZ

Have them for both the D7000 and D800. Portrait photos are much easier and my hands are just big enough that landscape mode is easier too. I have a 400mm f5.6 and both cameras balance better with the grips I keep them on all the time.

mattstaub Loc: Boston, MA

Had the Canon grip on my T2i, and the Vello grip on my 6D (I've not had any issues with the Vello in 2+ years). Power is not a concern for me, yet I do keep two batteries in the grip. My main reason for having the grip is to balance out heavier lenses. It just feels better shooting handheld with the grip than without (big hands maybe?). I do also like the portrait controls.

Matt