jrichter

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)?

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

All my cameras are gripped (film cameras as well - always been, except for MF cameras)! And yes, it does improve the handling, that's why I use them (and that's the only reason). I don't care about double the battery capacity, because I always have several spare batteries on me anyway.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Not anymore unless I am out of nowhere and need the extra help under the form of AA batteries.

A single battery does not cut it but two do. One in camera, on in a pocket. After that if I need more, a battery grip.

The last time I used one? 4~5 years ago. The only and the most important, advantages are:

1) It can use AA batteries that can be purchased anywhere if there is an emergency
2) It offer a better grip for some precarious position and for lefties

Other than that because the batteries last so much longer there is no need, in my experience. (Still get a second battery as a back-up)

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

No

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

I like to hook my little and 2nd finger under the camera and the battery grip makes it too wide to do this. I know others that think they are great. The best thing to do is try it out and see if it helps YOU. Just My Not So Humble Opinion - Dave

jrichter

Thank you for your reply to my question.

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

Ron - read before you reply - "I am not asking about its ability to increase number of pictures being taken before battery change" - Dave

tradio Loc: Oxford, Ohio

I had one on my D800 but found it too cumbersome.

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

I bought Neewer battery grips for my three Nikons. The Batteries didn't come out of camera without shaking the camera (I know I would eventually damage it). The problem with the grips is that they ate battery power. I turned the camera off, I disconnected the grip, it didn't matter what I did, the next day the batteries would be drained. The only way to preserve battery power was to take the batteries out immediately after shutting off the camera. I missed too many photos having to put the batteries in the grip.

I worked around the problem by taking the labels off the batteries; that worked for two of the three cameras. The one still with a grip is my oldest which I don't use as much as the two newer cameras.

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

No. I find battery grips to be too "clunky" and of no advantage to me. I shoot off of a tripod probably 90% of the time, so for me a grip does little to improve handling ability. And, like Ron, I find carrying a spare battery (or two) in my pocket is usually more than enough juice for a standard outing.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

No, I don't use a battery grip.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

I own one for one of my cameras. It is the camera manufacturers model and cost a fortune! About what you said you didn't want to know, but others might. My Pentax Battery Grip for my K-20D only uses the same Lithium Ion Battery as the Camera, so no AA advantage there. And I am sure that would be the same for my K-5 if I had a grip for it. Only my old K-100D that was purchased after the K-20D for conversion to IR use does in theory use AA Batteries among others but in practice the camera only functions properly with non-rechargeable Li Ion batteries.

As far as batteries for my cameras go, I've never had a camera exhaust a charge on my factory Li Ion batteries. Only that K-100D was found to have bead ones after many uses and a long storage period. Great to find the batteries dead out in the desert 150 miles from home. So no IR that trip. For my K-5 and K-20D I have a fully charged back-up battery for each.

Now to what you did asked about. For the K-20D when used with the Grip yes I find the grip useful for hand held shots. I can turn the camera 90 degrees from landscape to portrait and then be able to use the second shutter trigger on the grip. Yes, it can give a more steady grip for that use. But in practice I rarely actually use the grip because it greatly adds to the weight of an already heavy camera. And with my hand and wrist arthritis these days, that is an issue. That K-20D is my heaviest camera, heavier than my K-5, K-110D, and film Pentax cameras, K1000, Spotmatic, and even my K2 DMD (which in the pre-digital days seemed like lead!).

As pointed due to minimal use I would not likely buy a Battery grip for any of my other cameras.

Robert R Loc: Indianapolis and Naples

I tried a battery grip for my Canon 70D. It helps me when I want to use camera is vertical position, but being an old codger it is a little too heavy for me. So I find that I seldom use it.

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

Pros:
The extra controls make life so easy in Portrait orientation. (Front and back control wheels, AF/on button, shutter release)

Better handling in both portrait and landscape mode

Cons
Adds quite a bit of weight to the whole assembly (the device and the extra battery)

More susceptible to vibration when on a tripod, especially in portrait mode

Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

It definitely improves the grip especially for smaller DSLR's like the Nikon D5500 for horizontal and vertical shots. Anytime you can add a little bulk to a camera without adding much weight, it's a plus.