Battery Grip?

[annnewjerz]

So I went to the local camera store after work today to spend a gift card and some cash I was recently gifted.

One thing I was looking at was an MB-D80 battery grip for my D90 (which I managed not to buy!) and just wanted to get some opinions on whether the battery grips are worth the money.

I spent a full three days in DC and managed to take about 800 pics on one battery with about 1 bar of charge leftover, so the question is...

Is a battery grip something useful to have and/or do I really need one---or is this just something I "need" today?

PS: For all of you NAS enablers out there, I don't want you to think I bought nothing! I did, in fact, buy my first rocket blaster and a Crumpler 5MDH in that purple/orange combo that I wanted.

 

[NostalgicDad]

I use the MB-D10 grip on my D300 and virtually never take it off. I also use 8 rechargeable AA's and the battery life is astounding. I've taken in excess of 2500 pictures and still didn't run it completely dead. It also allows me the 8 fps that comes in handy for my sports shooting.

I'm not that familiar with the MB-D80 grip but I do know that you can use either the EN-EL3e lithium or 6 AA's.

I know some people don't like the added weight/bulk but I personally like having the grip. When using long lenses, it gives a really nice balance to the whole setup.

 

[YesDear]

I personally have never used a grip on any of my cameras. I like the feel of my camera as it is and I have never had a real battery issue. My son got one for his D200 and likes it.

I really think you need to put one on your camera and see how it feels weight wise.

 

[MICKEY88]

I would never own/use a dslr without one, I had one on my 35mm camera and loved it, so when I got my Minolta 7D I bought the battery grip right away, when I got my 2 Sony A700s last May I immediately bought grips for them as well, for me the dual batteries is a bonus, my main reason for having them is for shooting in vertical shots.., with the sony grips, they have al of the normal controls on them so in vertical mode I can hold it just like I'm holding the camera normally and I have a set of controls in th eusual place..

try holding your camera with just your right hand and taking a picture, then try doing the same thin with the camera in vertical position, it can be done, but not without contorting your hand..with the grip its easy..

 

[Gdad]

I had one for my D300 and used it quite a bit but kind of got away from using it and ended up selling it. The lifespan on the rechargeable AA's and the extra fps was nice but not worth the added weight in my opinion. I love having a smaller camera (and usually a smaller prime lens to go on it as well.)

 

[YEKCIM]

I had the grip on my D80 and found it very helpful for shooting vertically. Battery life was not really an issue. I miss having the grip on the D300, and will probably bite the bullet and buy one at some point.

~Ed

 

[YesDear]

Ok make me feel old but I had and still have the motordrive and battery pack for my F2! For those of you not OLD enough to remember it, together it weighed about 5-6 lbs or seemed like it and my neck hurt whenever I used it. It did look really cool back in the day with the mirror locked up would shoot up to 11 fps! But with 36 exposure film rolls you spent more time changing film or you rolled your own! Boy does that bring back memories!

Here is a picture

Mine only had one battery pack, but think that each one held 8 AA's. I could not afford those rechargeables.

 

[El Nebuloso]

I have one on my D300 and really like it. In addition to the extended shooting capabilities, the command dials and other controls are brought out as well. Although this does make for a heavier setup, I really like the balance when I am using heavier lenses (70-200 for example) which would otherwise feel a little front heavy.

 

[WillowBelle]

I agree with everyone else. I had a battery grip on my Canon Rebel. DH bought me the battery grip for my 50D for Valentine's day. It really balances out the camera. I also like the double battery so when I just want to take the camera sans bag, I have the backup battery power packed with the camera instead of in my pocket.

 

[Todd_H]

I really like the battery grip and almost never take it off my camera. It does add a lot of weight and bulk though.

If you shoot a lot of portraits, it may be worth considering.

 

[Softrider]

Generally battery life is sufficient that you really don't get much benefit in that respect, and it takes only seconds to change out a battery.

I shoot a lot of sports, and 80% of the shots are vertical. The vertical shutter release is a necessity when you shoot several thousand pics in a day.

 

[handicap18]

I bought the battery grip for my D300 at the sime time I got the camera. It almost never comes off.,

For me the extra size is great in my hands. I like the overall fit of the camera with it on. I do a lot of portrait orientation photos and having the shutter release on the grip really makes a difference.

For a full day (usually longer) of shooting, having the extra battery and not having to swap out one for another is convienent. With the D300, its just the click of a few buttons.

 

[boBQuincy]

Most people on this board know I go for small & light, I see no advantages to the grip. Batteries last all day now and the grip adds size & weight where none is needed.

If a grip helps us to hold the camera then that is a good thing, I have no trouble with portrait orientation and for me a grip doesn't help at all.

 

[RCDisneyFan]

I can tell you from experience that you'll have a very hard time getting the D90 + battery grip into your new Crumper. It *can* be done (I've taken two trips to WDW that way) but it makes it difficult to carry anything else efficiently.

I love having a vertical grip because I use the portrait orientation alot. I've never resorted to using AA's because there's a separate piece you have to carry to use them, so I don't view that as a benefit - but you can almost guarantee (using the grip) that you will NOT run out of power in one day. Also, having a vertical grip will give you a steadier grasp on the camera if you do take stuff in portrait orientation. One negative - you should know the battery grip for the D80/90 has a serious hair trigger problem - I couldn't tell you how often I've handed the camera over to someone and they've accidentally snapped a picture. Or how often I snapped a picture when I was only trying to autofocus!

All that said...I decided to travel super-light to Disneyland Paris for 6 days and I didn't really miss the battery grip...although some of my vertical pictures were a bit crooked, but that just may be a problem I have.