Second battery or a battery grip?

Seventen

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I have come to a point where i need a second battery. Firstly I own d5100 and the current battery gives me so much use i dont understand it go days and well over 1500 frames and walking about in minus 20 conditions. But as now i have a baby i am using the camera a lot more for video recording and get only around 3 hours life out of the battery. There for do i get a second battery or a grip?
I have done some reading on the forums and it came to my attention the main purpose of the grip is for 1. Chick magnet 2. hold camera in portrait easier with added button! 3. extra battery life 4. better balance with longer lenses. Everything here sells me a grip apart from the chick magnet (Sure the wife will be ready to slap me!)
The problem i am having is there dont seem to be any Nikon grips for the 5100. Is there any decent 3rd party ones that will make life easy and not being just extra source of battery power? The ability to press the shutter release easily sounds a winning point to me and if it has a record function in a easier place thats a huge plus for me.


Thanks.
 
If you buy a grip you will still have to buy an extra battery

Sent from my GT-I9100P using Tapatalk 2
 
A grip has slots for 2 batteries so you've the one you have now and space for one more; you can use two at once or one at a time. Using two at once combines their output so you get more than you would if they were used separately.

The button for portrait aspect is a godsend and makes portrait aspect a lot easier to work with as now you don't have to put your right hand wrist into uncomfortable over or under hand holds to get the shot.

Increasing the weight of the camera does also improve balance, giving you a heavier counterweight nearer your body.

All in all grips are great and I'd strongly recommend getting them - got them on both my cameras and I never take them off.


Note the screw thread is geared on most grips so don't overtighten it otherwise the gear assembly can break which locks the battery grip on the camera.
 
Yer i know will buy the second battery any way, but when looking for batteries kept seeing grips that got my attention and while looking more into them found could make my life a bit easier. So wondered if the grip is really worth it.
Sorry i didnt make it clear that i know needed second battery any way.
 
Thanks Overread that really is a selling point to me having the easy to use shutter release button, I have nerve damage in neck that affects my right arm and once i twist my arm for portrait mode the numbness in hand makes extremely hard to take pictures.

Thanks for pointing out the overtighten issue.

Any idea of a decent one for Nikon D5100? Or really are they just as good/bad as each other the 3rd party ones?
 
Sadly I don't know the Nikon range of options and I've not used 3rd party grips so I can't advise. I have seen that a good few 3rd party grips actually give more features than many own brand options. The only feature that seems to lack is full weather sealing on the 3rd party, however that's only a real issue for very high end camera bodise with strong weather sealing on themselves.
 
Mine is not weather sealed so i am sure thats not a issue for me. I just cant get over the fact that there only around 20 pound for the grip feels rather cheap and though the reviews dont seem bad i feel a little hesitant if these actually perform normally.
 

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