Battery Grip

[Luke345678]

Hello there everyone,

In about 2 months I will be purchasing a Canon 70d. I would like to pick up a Battery Grip as well along with the camera but I'm not sure if it is okay to go for an off brand battery grip.

Here's what I was looking at.

Canon battery grip
Amazon.com: Canon Battery Grip for EOS 70D Digital SLR Camera: CANON: Camera & Photo

Off brand battery grip
Amazon.com: NEEWER® Battery Grip Holder For Canon EOS 70D Camera DSLR Replacement For BG-E14: Camera & Photo

Thanks,

-Luke

 

[Luke345678]

....

 

[Steve5D]

I've got Canon grips for both of my cameras, but I've heard generally positive things about a lot of third party grips...

 

[grafxman]

I bought a battery grip for my 50D and one for my 7D. I found the camera heavy and bulky to carry around and ultimately completely unnecessary. One battery will last for 800-900 photos so now I just drop a spare battery in my pocket. IIRC the 7D's battery grip was after market and it worked fine.

 

[CMonnette]

I personally don't like shooting without my grip. I like the extra weight and bulk. I also have big hands so it makes it a bit more comfortable to hold. I have a Canon grip on my 5D and love it, but I've also had 3rd party grips for my old Nikon DSLR. I hated that 3rd party grip but then again the camera needed to be in remote mode for it to work. It was just a crappy grip. Read reviews, see what other people think. I personally like 1st party accessories but maybe I'm just being a fanboy.

 

[daarksun]

I enjoy the feel of the 7D with the battery grip. I bought a 3rd party Zeikos batter grip set with two batteries. The charge seems to last forever... (weeks ). It's definitely heavier, but I seldom shoot without it anymore. It's true one batter will last a long long time and the camera is much lighter, even better just having an extra battery available. I have had the grip for just over a year with no issues, no peeling grip rubber... nothing. Works like a charm.

It a feel issue. I also like the look of the camera with the grip.

 

[robbins.photo]

Well I don't shoot a Canon, but I did purchase a 3rd party grip for my Nikon - in my case I had to purchase 3rd party, Nikon doesn't make an official grip for my camera. I initially purchased it because I wanted the vertical shutter button, I didn't really need the extra battery capacity as I've always found that one battery was more than enough.

After mounting it to the camera and trying it out for a while I found that the camera is a lot more comfortable to hold and shoot with the extra grip, even when I'm not using it vertically - there is finally something for my other fingers to rest on even shooting horizontally. The balance is much better when I'm using one of the heavier lenses like the 70-200 mm F/2,8, makes the entire setup much nicer to shoot with as it doesn't feel so "front heavy" anymore.

As other folks have mentioned you want to read as many reviews as you can on the 3rd party grips, as the build quality can vary widely - I recommend looking at Amazon.com and Ebay, even if you don't plan to purchase from either they can be a real good resource for customer reviews.

 

[astroNikon]

I have the battery grips for both my cameras and find it so much easier for vertical shots.
The batteries, for me (non professional) last forever so that isn't an issue. The feel of the camera is what is important.

As previously mentioned, using larger heavier lenses seems to balance it out easier too.

Once you get used to it you may really like it. There are times though where I take it off to reduce size/weight such as kids field trips, attaching it to my telescope, etc.

 

[EIngerson]

I've had battery grips for the 450D, 7D and I am waiting for the 5D MK III grip to arrive. Both the 450D and 7D were off brand/3rd party grips and they worked absolutely fine. To include all buttons and functions. Yes they are comfortable shooting vertical, but there is also added comfort horizontal. and if you shoot with a 70-200, the balance is soooo much better hand held.

 

[ronlane]

I have a third party grip on my T3i and have had no problems with it. I've had it for over a year and a half now.

 

[Dao]

I'd a 3rd party (Targus) grip for my old XTi and OEM for my 40D. I like the OEM better for the button feels. And now, I do not use grip anymore because of the added weight.

 

[Gallon]

I don't shoot Canon but I can comment on third party battery grips. A good friend of mine received a Neewer battery grip for their D5100 and it felt cheap and poorly made but it functioned perfectly fine. I recently bought a Vello battery grip for my D7000 from B&H and I absolutely love it. The quality is incredible and it also came with a little holder to put AA batteries in as well as the regular one to put the Nikon battery in. I paid around $70 and my friend paid around $30. I am a strong believer in "you get what you pay for" but I wasn't going to spend over $100 for a Nikon battery grip when I could get a third party one for a lot cheaper. I am not degrading Neewer's battery grips, I am just telling my personal experience.

Here is a link to the only other battery grip B&H has for the 70D:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1017498-REG/bower_xbgc70d_battery_grip_for_canon.html

It is a little more expensive and I have never ordered anything from this brand so I can't comment on the build quality.
My recommendation would be to look over a lot of the customer reviews so that you know what you're getting.

 

[JacaRanda]

We use 3rd party grips on the T3I and 60D with no real issues (other than they feel a little cheaply made). However, my wife has the Canon grip with the 70D. After completely charging a battery my 60D with 3rd party grip showed battery level at 59% while the same battery in her 70D and Canon grip read 100%.