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Battery Grip, do you use one and a tech question
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Jan 28, 2016 10:44:49   #
bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.
 
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...

So for some reason I was under the impression that it used one battery and stored a second. I was wrong it uses two batteries. How does it use two? does it empty both at the same time? does it empty one then the other? Does the camera show me the combined power of the two batteries????
Im using it on a D5200

Also do you use one, and if so why or if not why not.

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Jan 28, 2016 10:53:20   #
Bill_de Loc: US
 
I use one on a D300, mostly because it feels more like my full size DSLRs. I thing it also boosts the speed a bit.

Since they may not all work the same, and you didn't mention your camera, you might want to check with ... the owners manual. Available online for most thing--

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Jan 28, 2016 11:03:23   #
LFingar Loc: Claverack, 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...

So for some reason I was under the impression that it used one battery and stored a second. I was wrong it uses two batteries. How does it use two? does it empty both at the same time? does it empty one then the other? Does the camera show me the combined power of the two batteries????

Also do you use one, and if so why or if not why not.
so there I was roaming Ebay and I see a battery gr... (show quote)


It uses both batteries by hooking the two in parallel (+ to +, - to -). Same as having one double size battery. If they were hooked in series (+ to -) it would double the voltage. Not good!

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Jan 28, 2016 11:06:16   #
rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
 
Depends on the camera. Look at it this way, if you have 2 1800 mAh batteries and put them in the grip, most cameras will treat it as a single 3600 mAh battery. Some cameras with more elaborate operating systems will see two batteries and communicate with them individually but will average out the power draw. That way they drain evenly and you replace them at the same time. This of course is for lithium ion batteries. If there are 6 AA batteries in the grip, the camera sees it as
one battery.

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Jan 28, 2016 11:10:35   #
RRS Loc: Not sure
 
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...

So for some reason I was under the impression that it used one battery and stored a second. I was wrong it uses two batteries. How does it use two? does it empty both at the same time? does it empty one then the other? Does the camera show me the combined power of the two batteries????
Im using it on a D5200

Also do you use one, and if so why or if not why not.
so there I was roaming Ebay and I see a battery gr... (show quote)


I use a Canon battery grip and mine uses both batteries and shows the % of remaining power and how many shots each battery has taken. I'm out most of the day and sometimes in subzero temps and two batteries give me longer shooting time. The other feature is that when I rotate the camera to the vertical position (portrait) I have all the controls where they should be. See if you can get the manual online.

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Jan 28, 2016 11:11:17   #
raferrelljr Loc: CHARLOTTE, NC
 
Ditto. I use one on my D300S, love it.

Reply
Jan 28, 2016 11:37:47   #
MT Shooter Loc: Montana
 
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...

So for some reason I was under the impression that it used one battery and stored a second. I was wrong it uses two batteries. How does it use two? does it empty both at the same time? does it empty one then the other? Does the camera show me the combined power of the two batteries????
Im using it on a D5200

Also do you use one, and if so why or if not why not.
so there I was roaming Ebay and I see a battery gr... (show quote)


The jumper cable to the cameras remote port is exactly why Nikon does not make grips for these beginner level cameras, they deem such a connection as "incompatible", plus you cannot transfer other button functions to the camera that way. Proper control function between the camera and the grip requires a separate dedicated port for additional button controls.
The aftermarket makes many of these limited function grips, they offer extra battery and side remote functions but lack joystick or command dial controls due to no dedicated connection. (hence their very low cost) You can use either one or two batteries in the grip, in parallel to each other. Most grips also come with a second battery tray that allows you to use standard AA type batteries in place of the Lithium cells.

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Jan 28, 2016 11:45:47   #
Bill_de Loc: US
 
The Nikon MD 10 uses either the camera battery or the grip battery, not both. When one is drained it switches automatically. You can choose which it uses first.

That's why the OP needs to read 'his' owners manual. There are too many different set ups, and even more assumptions, to ask a question like this with no details.

---

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Jan 28, 2016 11:50:03   #
orrie smith Loc: Kansas
 
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...

So for some reason I was under the impression that it used one battery and stored a second. I was wrong it uses two batteries. How does it use two? does it empty both at the same time? does it empty one then the other? Does the camera show me the combined power of the two batteries????
Im using it on a D5200

Also do you use one, and if so why or if not why not.
so there I was roaming Ebay and I see a battery gr... (show quote)


it drains one at a time, I had one for my d5200, not Nikon as they do not sell one for the d5200. cannot remember the brand, but I eventually gave it up as the screw inset for the tripod attachment came loose and I could not repair it. would recommend that if you install it on a tripod, to remove it and use the camera base.

Reply
Jan 28, 2016 12:41:57   #
tamalero Loc: Mexico
 
orrie smith wrote:
it drains one at a time, I had one for my d5200, not Nikon as they do not sell one for the d5200. cannot remember the brand, but I eventually gave it up as the screw inset for the tripod attachment came loose and I could not repair it. would recommend that if you install it on a tripod, to remove it and use the camera base.


as Bill said, I think its per model.
I had a cheap one for my D5100 along 2 generic batteries. And they were drained equally. (also offered the alt the connector cable for the trigger and other controls to work).
I think it was a Vivitar model.

Its been a few years, since I have a D610 now o_O

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Jan 28, 2016 12:52:47   #
Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.
 
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...

So for some reason I was under the impression that it used one battery and stored a second. I was wrong it uses two batteries. How does it use two? does it empty both at the same time? does it empty one then the other? Does the camera show me the combined power of the two batteries????
Im using it on a D5200

Also do you use one, and if so why or if not why not.
so there I was roaming Ebay and I see a battery gr... (show quote)


I have had a grip on every Nikon DSLR I have had..... on my D3000 I used it to make the camera fit my hands better and to add a second battery - it was a cheapie Neewer grip.

On my 5100, I also added a cheapie grip for the better feel in my hands and for the extra battery.

On my D7100 I also have a grip, but opted for the much better OEM Nikon version. Again, for the feel, and of course the additional shooting time that 2 batteries offer. I tried a cheapie Mieke grip which worked, but it felt like too much plastic and it had an electrical issue where the green activity light would often light while the camera was sitting down, unused, turned off and motionless.... electrical connection problem. The more expensive Nikon grip eliminated the problems and the plastic feel.

I would not be without a grip these days, but believe I would opt for the OEM version as it has a better build over the $40.00 models from Neewer & Mieke.

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Jan 28, 2016 17:15:12   #
joe west Loc: Taylor, Michigan
 
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...

So for some reason I was under the impression that it used one battery and stored a second. I was wrong it uses two batteries. How does it use two? does it empty both at the same time? does it empty one then the other? Does the camera show me the combined power of the two batteries????
Im using it on a D5200

Also do you use one, and if so why or if not why not.
so there I was roaming Ebay and I see a battery gr... (show quote)


if you have big hands, like me i like using a grip....

Reply
Jan 29, 2016 05:35:53   #
Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis
 
Dngallagher wrote:
I have had a grip on every Nikon DSLR I have had..... on my D3000 I used it to make the camera fit my hands better and to add a second battery - it was a cheapie Neewer grip.

On my 5100, I also added a cheapie grip for the better feel in my hands and for the extra battery.

On my D7100 I also have a grip, but opted for the much better OEM Nikon version. Again, for the feel, and of course the additional shooting time that 2 batteries offer. I tried a cheapie Mieke grip which worked, but it felt like too much plastic and it had an electrical issue where the green activity light would often light while the camera was sitting down, unused, turned off and motionless.... electrical connection problem. The more expensive Nikon grip eliminated the problems and the plastic feel.

I would not be without a grip these days, but believe I would opt for the OEM version as it has a better build over the $40.00 models from Neewer & Mieke.
I have had a grip on every Nikon DSLR I have had..... (show quote)

I agree 100%, I have used Nikon battery grips since the D70 hit the market also on D300 and D7100s for all of the reasons you stated. Also use Nikon batteries , have never had one fail ( yet ) as i have with aftermarkets, some within days of purchase, oh I returned them and they were replaced but none lasted as long as the the OEMs.

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Jan 29, 2016 06:18:36   #
J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio
 
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...

So for some reason I was under the impression that it used one battery and stored a second. I was wrong it uses two batteries. How does it use two? does it empty both at the same time? does it empty one then the other? Does the camera show me the combined power of the two batteries????
Im using it on a D5200
I have one on my D300 D700 and D800. Don't leave home without it
Also do you use one, and if so why or if not why not.
so there I was roaming Ebay and I see a battery gr... (show quote)

Reply
Jan 29, 2016 07:04:57   #
Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.
 
On my D7100, I have two batteries, one in the grip and one in the camera. I can select which battery to drain first. And the battery info shows power remaining in each.

When the first battery drains, the second one is used automatically.

Makes it handy selecting the grip battery to drain first since the grip must be removed to get at the camera battery for charging.

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