Battery Grip, do you use one and a tech question (Page 2): I try to strap on everything I can, always a battery grip because DSLRs are too small and light to do certain handheld work.

PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach

I try to strap on everything I can, always a battery grip because DSLRs are too small and light to do certain handheld work. Bingo, out pops VR lenses to try to fix the tiny camera problem. Where will it end?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

bdk wrote:

so there I was roaming Ebay and I see a battery grip for my camera. Bid was $9.00 in a moment of weakness (I had some GAS) I bid $10.02 and I won. works good, it uses a wire to access the second trigger instead of Infrared...

If you tell us the brand of grip, other owners could make comments, give tips.

duck72 Loc: Laurel Ridge, PA

bdk wrote:

so there I was roaming Ebay and I see a battery gr... (show quote)

"Battery Grip" is a misnomer. Look at it as a "can shoot 'portrait'" with same (on battery-grip) controls as "landscape" (after setting the right switches) device with backup electricity. Don't know about D5200- D7..series (as others have pointed out) gives option for "which battery do I use first?" AND, gives more area for large hands.

NJphotodoc Loc: Now in the First State

Hi, I use grips and like you, I had a 2-battery version for my old D5000. I looked at the internal structure and the grip I had had both batteries in parallel i.e the batteries were being used simultaneously. The downside for this is if 1 battery is weaker (i.e. older), it will also drain the better battery until they both have the same level of charge. This should not be a major problem, but if you are shooting a lot of photos, you may not get the max # of images.

As you go up in models ( I also have a D7000) you'll see that that Nikon designed the system to keep the batteries apart, i.e. one in the camera and the other in the grip. This allows you to monitor each one and also avaoids the problem of inter-battery drainage.
In fairness, either system will give you a ton of photos. When I shoot an event and use a grip, battery capacity is never a problem.
Good luck!

Bloke Loc: Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

bdk wrote:

so there I was roaming Ebay and I see a battery gr... (show quote)

I have them for all my cameras. My older 7D (leaving me today...) and T4i have Vello grips, always worked fine and given no problems. I have Canon ones for my 5DII and 7DII. I like the added 'heft' and feel in the hands. Also shot about 900 images at an airshow last year, and the batteries were still going strong. My original reason for buying the first one was the ability to use AA batteries in a power emergency. Chances of getting a specific lithium battery pack off-the-cuff are slim, but at least in the US and Europe, you are never more than a few minutes from a gas station or 7/11-type store which sells AAs. Never needed to use that ability yet, but keep the magazine stocked with 6 eneloop rechargables in my camera bag...

duck72 Loc: Laurel Ridge, PA

Bloke wrote:

I have them for all my cameras. My older 7D (le... (show quote)

Well said. Cheers.

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

FYI:

For those who have Pentax dslr's, they use one battery at a time in three different configurations.

1. Dslr camera first when it expires then the grip battery.
2. Grip battery first when it expires then the camera battery.
3. Both batteries. Every time your turn the camera on it figures which battery gas hehe higher charge and that gets used That is close to both at the same time but it's not really.

As mentioned in other posts;
*Yes I use mine all the time.
**I've be never seen a non-factory battery grip that has water resistance.

hangman45 Loc: Hueytown Alabama

Have one on my Pentax K-5 and K-3 never use them without grip for 2 reasons love the ability to shoot in portrait mode and have controls available and I have wide hands and like being able to grip with all my fingers hate having pinky hanging off plus better balance with 70-200 mounted.

duck72 Loc: Laurel Ridge, PA

GENorkus wrote:

FYI: br br For those who have Pentax dslr's, the... (show quote)

AND: I don't have a Pentax. A Nikon D5... post.(?) Superfluous info might be appreciated by other shooters if they follow ... (NO offense meant- Big hands is one of best reasons)

jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska

I used a battery grip on my previous Canon DSLRs but mostly because they are so small I found them difficult to hold. When I switched to a FF camera, it was large enough to hold, so now I simply carry an extra battery. I have never had to use the spare yet even after taking over a 1000 pics. I don't need the "portrait" aspect of the battery grip because I use and prefer an L bracket.

duck72 Loc: Laurel Ridge, PA

jackm1943 wrote:

I used a battery grip on my previous Canon DSLRs but mostly because they are so small I found them difficult to hold. When I switched to a FF camera, it was large enough to hold, so now I simply carry an extra battery. I have never had to use the spare yet even after taking over a 1000 pics. I don't need the "portrait" aspect of the battery grip because I use and prefer an L bracket.

Will remember to carry that "L-bracket" with me when a-field. (without tripod) 😎 Simply taking 1,000 pics is ... easy. The poster's question had to do with a Nikon D5... AND - YES - there are many benefits of using a "battery grip." Simply.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

bdk wrote:

so there I was roaming Ebay and I see a battery gr... (show quote)

I use a battery grip on every camera I own... not just for the extra power. To me the vertical grip and controls may be even more important than the additional battery the grip provides. Those make shooting in portrait/vertical orientation seamless... just like shooting in landscape/horizontal. Sure, it's nice to be able to take twice as many shots between battery changes, too.

It depends upon the camera, exactly how the second battery operates. Some cameras utilize both at the same time. Others will use power from one battery first, then when it runs low switch to using power from the second battery.

Some of the most "pro oriented", high end models have vertical grip built in, often accommodating a larger battery pack. Personally I prefer a camera with a removable grip, because occasionally I'll remove it and shoot without, to lighten my load a little and/or make the camera more compact.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

bdk wrote:

so there I was roaming Ebay and I see a battery gr... (show quote)

SOME battery grips permit the use of conventional (i.e. alkaline) batteries along with the camera's specific battery. This offers the advantage that, if your camera battery fails while traveling, you could buy batteries anywhere and get by.

orrie smith Loc: Kansas

DWU2 wrote:

SOME battery grips permit the use of conventional (i.e. alkaline) batteries along with the camera's specific battery. This offers the advantage that, if your camera battery fails while traveling, you could buy batteries anywhere and get by.

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

sirlensalot Loc: Arizona

I have two that are seldom used anymore. Best feature I found was as a counterbalance for longer lenses shooting handheld. Other than that, found it easier to carry a spare single battery in a pocket.Found no difference between generic and OEM.