D7000 battery grip and battery q's

[brianhuangbh]

So I've been looking to buy a battery grip for my D7k for a while now, and since third party manufacturers have recently started making off-brand grips for the D7k, I'm contemplating on picking one up. Should I get the off-brand battery grip for my camera? I'd love to get the Nikon version but I don't have enough, and ~$50 is looking really attractive compared to $225 for the genuine one. There also seems to be a separate battery for the grip, which is also third party. I don't think Nikon makes anything like this. The battery is rated at 3200 mAh apparently, compared to the EN-EL15's 1900 mAh, for around the same price. Sells on eBay bundle these two items together for around $80. Should I trust this? As far as I know, the third party battery grip is really similar to the genuine Nikon one, apart from maybe build quality.
What do you guys think?

Links for all the items I talked about-
http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-MB-D11-...G2OU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310361308&sr=8-1http://goo.gl/hhVO4

Pro Battery Grip Fr Nikon D7000 Camera MB-D11+ EN-EL15 | eBay

BATTERY GRIP FOR NIKON D7000 EN-EL15 DSLR Camera New | eBay

 

[brianhuangbh]

Oops, sorry. I think this should have went in the "Photography Equipment & Products: News & Reviews".

 

[kasperjd4]

Not sure about the difference in the batteries.

I have the Nikon grip & it comes with a holder for an extra battery in the grip as well as a spare holder for AA batteries in case you need them. There is another recent thread about gripped camera's you should check out. I think someone talked about the 3rd party d7k grip

 

[brianhuangbh]

Yeah, I'm a bit skeptical on the third party battery. I'm pretty sure the third party battery grip includes the holder as well as the AA battery holder.

 

[480sparky]

Most of the 3rd-party grips have two inserts, one for 6 AAs and one for a second EN-EL15. I can't speak for any 3rd-party EN-EL15A batteries.

 

[NikonME]

I have a 3rd party grip for my D7000 and I like it. I don't think I could bring myself to cut corners on a battery though. I'd pay the $50-60 bucks for an OEM Nikon battery since you save a good chunk on the aftermarket grip.

 

[480sparky]

When I wrote the check for my D7k back in Feb., I had 'em tack on a second EN-EL15 for good measure. It was a genuine Nikon, somewhere around $70-80 if memory serves. I don't think Nikon makes an EN-EL15A.

 

[D-B-J]

I love my Nikon grip. Well constructed, and well worth the money. I have, however, no experience with third party grips.

Regards,
Jake

 

[penfolderoldo]

I'm with some of the other posts about OEM batteries, i'd stay clear of cheaper 3rd party ones, i've had some bad experiences in the past with cheaper alternatives.

 

[brianhuangbh]

Hmm, I'm looking at this 4200mAh battery. It's around the same price as the EN-EL15 battery but has over double capacity. The specs on it look alright but I don't know how legitimate it is

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170653598727&ssPageName=STRK:MEBOFFX:IT

 

[480sparky]

From what I've read and heard, the Nikon EN-EL15 is one helluva battery as it is. Why not just use one that you know is good, and will still last a long long long long time?

 

[NikonME]

Hmm, I'm looking at this 4200mAh battery. It's around the same price as the EN-EL15 battery but has over double capacity. The specs on it look alright but I don't know how legitimate it is

7.4V 4200 mAh EN-EL15A Battery For NIKON MB-D11 D7000 - eBay (item 170653598727 end time Aug-09-11 18:34:28 PDT)

It's not made by Nikon. It's a 3rd party... hense the large "FOR" before Nikon. "FOR Nikon"

 

[Patrice]

You want to cheap out on accessories after paying top dollar for one of the best DX bodies going? Will Nikon honor your camera warranty if your cheap battery leaks? What if the contacts on that third party grip short out somehow and damage your camera, what happens then?


Just saying. It's your camera, do what you will.

 

[brianhuangbh]

It's not made by Nikon. It's a 3rd party... hense the large "FOR" before Nikon. "FOR Nikon"

Yes, I know that it is not made by Nikon, that's why I'm a bit skeptical about it.

You want to cheap out on accessories after paying top dollar for one of the best DX bodies going? Will Nikon honor your camera warranty if your cheap battery leaks? What if the contacts on that third party grip short out somehow and damage your camera, what happens then?


Just saying. It's your camera, do what you will.

I haven't heard of anyone having any problems with third party battery grips. I don't know about the third party battery though. I used most of my cash on the camera and glass, and I am saving up for a flash too. Being an unemployed high-scholar, this is very hard to do.

 

[Infinite_Day]

I have the Meike 3rd party battery grip for my D7000. I bought my body right before going to Scotland last month and wanted the battery grip for the extra battery life and convenience for vertical shooting but I didn't want to drop the extra money on the Nikon grip having just spent $1600 on the camera kit. I have been happy with the grip so far and it has performed well. You can tell the build quality is not near the Nikon one and I will probably switch sometime in the near future. The grip doesn't have the "solid" feel I imagine the Nikon grip would but it does it's job. I also bought a spare Nikon battery when I got my D7000. We were in Scotland for 11 days and I took a lot of shots but never ran out of battery and had to recharge. Of course, I didn't use the flash much either. My recommendation on the battery end would be to not go cheap. I think the aftermarket grip is a good option as long as you don't abuse it. I won't take the beating the Nikon one will because there is no metal in it at all. I does come with two battery inserts - one to use with the EN-EL15 and one for AA's.