Nikon Battery Grip
Mar 11, 2017 07:38:18 #
Is the Nikon battery grip, model MB D17 worth the $400 +/- cost, or will the less than $100 varieties (i.e. Vivitar, Neewer, etc.) work just as well? Have any UHHers used one or the other or both? Please share your thoughs. Thanks!
Mar 11, 2017 07:42:16 #
snr wrote:
Is the Nikon battery grip, model MB D17 worth the $400 +/- cost, or will the less than $100 varieties (i.e. Vivitar, Neewer, etc.) work just as well? Have any UHHers used one or the other or both? Please share your thoughs. Thanks!
I got a grip just because everyone else here seemed to have one. (Yes, I would jump off a cliff if everyone else was jumping. :D) I got a cheap off-brand grip for my D610, and it worked fine. I sold both the camera and the grip, but I didn't find it useful enough to buy another. I can't see myself spending that much for a Nikon grip. If the one you get is no good, just return it.
If you buy a $100 grip, it will probably be fine - forever. If it breaks, you can buy two more and still come out ahead financially.
Mar 11, 2017 07:51:35 #
I bought a Polaroid make for my D300, and it sucks! (That is a technical term...) The fit was somewhat loose and it loses its connections, from time to time. I have to tighten it up every time I use it. I bit the bullet and bought the Nikon version when I bought a D7100. There are certainly off brands that work, but I would stay away from Polaroid.
Mar 11, 2017 07:53:03 #
snr wrote:
Is the Nikon battery grip, model MB D17 worth the $400 +/- cost, or will the less than $100 varieties (i.e. Vivitar, Neewer, etc.) work just as well? Have any UHHers used one or the other or both? Please share your thoughs. Thanks!
I've read a lot of complaints in various forums about the off-brand grips.
Mar 11, 2017 07:54:43 #
snr wrote:
Is the Nikon battery grip, model MB D17 worth the $400 +/- cost, or will the less than $100 varieties (i.e. Vivitar, Neewer, etc.) work just as well? Have any UHHers used one or the other or both? Please share your thoughs. Thanks!
Some have had good luck with the third party grips. I purchased one and had bad luck with it. I do not remember the brand name, but after about a year, the inset for screwing it onto a tripod worked itself loose and I could not repair it, so it was unusable for tripod work. Other than that, it performed well. I changed to a Nikon brand and have had no problems with it.
Mar 11, 2017 07:58:24 #
I always have a grip on my cameras. For shooting vertical, it helps tremendously and it is especially great to have an extra battery in it so you don't have to change batteries and you can shoot all day without any worry. I have the larger battery from the D4/D5 cameras in it for an even longer use. I buy the original Nikon grip. I have heard some good things about some of the 3rd party grips and also plenty of bad things. Do you NEED to spend the money on the Nikon grip? No. My personal choice since I am spending so much money on the camera, why be cheap on an accessory that I will use Every Time I use the camera and will have to go through the same conditions the camera goes through (weather, dust, vibrations whatever...). I have originals on both my D810 & D500. I had one on all my Canon's before as well.
Mar 11, 2017 07:58:35 #
snr wrote:
Is the Nikon battery grip, model MB D17 worth the $400 +/- cost, or will the less than $100 varieties (i.e. Vivitar, Neewer, etc.) work just as well? Have any UHHers used one or the other or both? Please share your thoughs. Thanks!
I can only speak to the usefulness of the type of product, not brands or models. I have a Battery Grip for my Pentax K-20D and I hardly ever use it. It would be a waste of money for me to buy a Battery Grip for my K-5 or K-100D. I did by the pricey Pentax branded one too. The only thing I really find a grip useful for is holding the camera in "portrait" position.
Mar 11, 2017 09:16:50 #
I opted three times to buy the camera manufacturers grips just to lessen the possibility of problems. I know a few people who have gone third party and been very happy.
On another note, I bought them because I do a lot of vertical shots in birding and in sports and the controls are beneficial to me.
On another note, I bought them because I do a lot of vertical shots in birding and in sports and the controls are beneficial to me.
Mar 11, 2017 12:02:06 #
I got my grip off ebay. It was under $20.00. Works fine. I would rather spend more on a lens
Mar 11, 2017 14:24:16 #
Back when I was a Canon user, I purchased a genuine Chinese grip. It was junk! Little parts kept coming off. Personally, I decided that I like smaller camera rather than larger, but that isn't the issue here. If I did ever decide to purchase another grip, I would get one from the OEM.
Mar 11, 2017 16:13:32 #
lamiaceae wrote:
I can only speak to the usefulness of the type of product, not brands or models. I have a Battery Grip for my Pentax K-20D and I hardly ever use it. It would be a waste of money for me to buy a Battery Grip for my K-5 or K-100D. I did by the pricey Pentax branded one too. The only thing I really find a grip useful for is holding the camera in "portrait" position.
The extra shutter release for the vertical position is my reason for the battery grip as well. It is physically painful for my shoulders to shoot vertically without a grip. I've heard enough issues about third-party grips to make me want to stay away from them, especially because sometimes the extra shutter release stops working, and that is the whole reason I use the grip!
Mar 11, 2017 19:21:09 #
snr wrote:
Is the Nikon battery grip, model MB D17 worth the $400 +/- cost, or will the less than $100 varieties (i.e. Vivitar, Neewer, etc.) work just as well? Have any UHHers used one or the other or both? Please share your thoughs. Thanks!
I recently went through the same decision making process - the cost of the Nikon grip for a D800 is ridiculous. So I went to Fred Miranda and found a slew of them for around $200. Better than the risk of getting an off brand grip for $100 or less, and it either ruining my camera or just having stability issues because of shoddy workmanship and fit issues, and half the price of a new one. The risk wasn't worth the $100 savings.
Mar 11, 2017 19:30:30 #
I have heard of people having good luck and people having bad luck with aftermarket grips, probably more negative than positive reviews. I haven't seen any negative experiences with camera maker brands. I got the Nikon grip for my D7000 and have been very satisfied with it.
Mar 11, 2017 21:09:05 #
snr wrote:
Is the Nikon battery grip, model MB D17 worth the $400 +/- cost, or will the less than $100 varieties (i.e. Vivitar, Neewer, etc.) work just as well? Have any UHHers used one or the other or both? Please share your thoughs. Thanks!
No. It's definitely not worth $400 to me.
Mar 11, 2017 21:24:23 #
After reading the number of complaints about third party grips I bought the Nikon grip for the D500 and D7200. I had a DX1 and a DX2s, When I got a D300 it felt like a toy so I got a grip. It's more for comfort, and a bit for the convenience when shooting vertical. Is it worth $400? To me it was as al myl DSLRs all feel the same now. If it meant not putting food on the table ... nah.
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