Advantages of Vertical Battery Grip?? From time to time I shoot friends weddings and other events and I notice that my vertical or portrait shots are not all that vertical while my...

DVZ Loc: Littleton CO

From time to time I shoot friends weddings and other events and I notice that my vertical or portrait shots are not all that vertical while my landscapes only need a slight straightening in post. For those of you who use vertical battery grips, does it help keep things level when shooting fast and other than extra battery life what are other advantages?

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

DVZ wrote:

From time to time I shoot friends weddings and other events and I notice that my vertical or portrait shots are not all that vertical while my landscapes only need a slight straightening in post. For those of you who use vertical battery grips, does it help keep things level when shooting fast and other than extra battery life what are other advantages?

I find that a vertical grip makes it much easier to hold the camera truly vertical as well as maintaining more precise control over the shutter release. The extra battery is really just a side benefit provided by the grip, although it can be a very useful benefit.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

DVZ wrote:

From time to time I shoot friends weddings and other events and I notice that my vertical or portrait shots are not all that vertical while my landscapes only need a slight straightening in post. For those of you who use vertical battery grips, does it help keep things level when shooting fast and other than extra battery life what are other advantages?

That extra shutter button keeps you from having to almost break your arm or wrist to do a portrait oriented shot.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

Basically it means your grip is pretty much identical no matter the orientation.

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Besides the extra battery power, grips also make the camera look a lot cooler. They also make them heavier.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

rmorrison1116 wrote:

Besides the extra battery power, grips also make the camera look a lot cooler. They also make them heavier.

And hand filling for those with big hands

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Dngallagher wrote:

And hand filling for those with big hands

Yes, yes indeed.

Clapperboard

DVZ wrote:

From time to time I shoot friends weddings and other events and ..... what are other advantages?

Some grips have a radio remote built in. Can be useful for tripod/remote control.

Pistnbroke Loc: UK

For a wedding its useless as you need to hold it in the left hand to move the right hand . You are much better just rotating your wrist. I usually strip out all the electronics and either use the AA carrier for spare flash batteries or put in a GPS tracker . Getting your portrait shots straight is just a question of checking with your eye. You are going to edit crop anyway so whats the problem or do you give your customers shots straight from the camera which is a junk approach.

steve33 Loc: Yarmouth MA

My D500 grip also has an AF-ON button.
Useful if you use back button focus.

Tomfl101 Loc: Mount Airy, MD

I have a Canon 5D3 and 4, both with grips. I took the grip off the 3 to make room in my camera case a while back and and found no difference with horizon lines. For me the advantage of the grip, particularly with long lenses, is in holding the camera for extended periods in both horizontal and vertical orientations. My pinky tends to slip off camera bottom without it. Even with the grip I tend to use the standard shutter button for verticals, unless I need to hold the vertical position for lengthily shoots.

cdayton

I recently added a grip to my Sony a6000. After shooting a Nikon D300 and a P900 for many years, the Sony never felt right in my hand but with the grip, while heavier, is better balanced.

frjack Loc: Boston, MA

I use battery grip on EM1 mk ii. Much easier to keep the vertical shots level particularly when using the weighty 40-150 PRO. As I shoot a lot of vertical shots the grip has diminished arm fatigue despite the added weight. The EM1 mk ii has good battery life when shooting M and manual focus. With two batteries I've never had to change batteries during shoots of up to 700-800. The camera preferentially uses the battery in the grip. A third battery makes very long shoots possible. Were I to get backup body it is likely I would spring for another grip.

picsman Loc: Scotland

Helps eliminate wrist strain and keeps the image vertical.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

Added battery grips to every DSLR I've owned. Makes verticals much easier and improves handling of the camera. But I liked my D3S the best as it was built into the camera.