Canon Battery Grip feedback

[sameersachdeva]

Hi,

I need feedback on Canon Battery grip. I have Canon 600d and two LP8 Batteries and would like to know more about the Battery grip compatability and reviews. I am planning to purchase it via Amazon in India.

http://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B0039VYN1Y?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_mini_detail&smid=

Also, if I purchase 6 Duracell AA rechargable cells, then how much shots can I take at one go? I typically shot around 150-200 shots and a few videos for wildlife and astrophotography per day if I travel anywhere out of town.

Regards,

Sameer

[Waddizzle]

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@sameersachdeva wrote:

Hi,

I need feedback on Canon Battery grip. I have Canon 600d and two LP8 Batteries and would like to know more about the Battery grip compatability and reviews. I am planning to purchase it via Amazon in India.

[link deleted]

Also, if I purchase 6 Duracell AA rechargable cells, then how much shots can I take at one go? I typically shot around 150-200 shots and a few videos for wildlife and astrophotography per day if I travel anywhere out of town.

Regards,

Sameer

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The number of shots that you will get from one set of batteries can vary, depending upon your shooting habits and the lens that you use.  For example, a super telephoto zoom will have AF motors that would use more power than a smaller lens, like the EF 50mm f/1.8 lens

Also, the more you use the AF motors, the fewer shots that you will get.  Image stabilization uses motors, which will also consume battery life.  If you use LiveView, then that consumes battery power.  Reviewing your shots on the LCD screeen will also consume battery life.

In other words, there is no fixed answer.  The best answer is to carry extra batteries, which you should do, anyway.  Personally, I would not recommend using AA rechargeable batteries, though.  Stick with regular batteries that you throw away. Finally, stick with Canon when it comes to battery grips.  If you decide to buy an L-Bracket, it will be made by a third party designed to fit the Canon grip, not a grip made by a third party.

[ebiggs1]

Sameer,

Back in the day when I was working for real, I used a half dozen, or so, Rebels.  All had the battery grip. I don't use a Rebel myself but if I did it would have a battery grip.  The grip not only extends the battery life it makes the camera a far better balanced unit.  Plus the advantage of easier vertical shooting which is mandatory in wedding/portrait photography.

Aside from that we would shoot way more that 200 shots at a typical job and no notice in battery depletion.  Don't you get that much from just the one battery?

As usual and pertinent, try it before you need it.

[ScottyP]

You already have 2 batteries.  Unless you are still having problems running out of battery power while shooting you probably don't need the grip.  I have only 1 battery, no spare, and no grip.  I go out and shoot hundreds and hundreds of shots (900 or more at time sometimes) and I honestly never have a problem with the battery running out.  If yours are running low after just 200 or 300, you may have bad batteries.

If you would like the grip for the handling and the balance, that is another thing.  The Rebel bodies can be a little small if you have average to large hands.  A grip could help a lot with that.

[TCampbell]

You wont run out of power in a day unless you REALLY go crazy shooting, use live-view extensively, etc.    I've never come close to running out -- even doing weddings.  

I had a Canon grip for my old T1i (500D) as well as my 5D II and 5D III.  I love the grip not just for the power (I've never really had a risk of running low on power) but mostly for the better handling of the camera... particiularly when shooting vertical because it repeats all the buttons you'd normally have when shooting horizontal.

Use the Canon batteries.  The tray that takes "AA" batteries is really more for emergencies (if you forgot to charge your Canon recharageables and need to go shooting, you can always grab AA batteries so you don't have to wait for the regular batteries to finish charging.)

So far my experience has been that my genuine Canon batteries hold a charge longer (legitimate low-self-discharge) and take many more charge cycles.  I used to buy 3rd batteries because they're cheap... but it seemed that even batteries that I had charged didn't seem to keep their charge on the shelf nearly as long and those batteries would get fussy about not wanting to take a charge in as little as 1 to 1.5 years (whereas the Canon batteries could be 3 years old and still going strong showing no noticeable signs of quitting on me anytime soon.)

I concluded that it was worth paying extra for the long-lasting nature of the genuine Canon batteries AND if I were shooting an important event, I wouldn't want my batteries to surprise me with any battery life issues at a critical time.

[RobertTheFat]

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@TCampbell wrote:

You wont run out of power in a day unless you REALLY go crazy shooting, use live-view extensively, etc.    I've never come close to running out -- even doing weddings.  

I had a Canon grip for my old T1i (500D) as well as my 5D II and 5D III.  I love the grip not just for the power (I've never really had a risk of running low on power) but mostly for the better handling of the camera... particiularly when shooting vertical because it repeats all the buttons you'd normally have when shooting horizontal.

Use the Canon batteries.  The tray that takes "AA" batteries is really more for emergencies (if you forgot to charge your Canon recharageables and need to go shooting, you can always grab AA batteries so you don't have to wait for the regular batteries to finish charging.)

So far my experience has been that my genuine Canon batteries hold a charge longer (legitimate low-self-discharge) and take many more charge cycles.  I used to buy 3rd batteries because they're cheap... but it seemed that even batteries that I had charged didn't seem to keep their charge on the shelf nearly as long and those batteries would get fussy about not wanting to take a charge in as little as 1 to 1.5 years (whereas the Canon batteries could be 3 years old and still going strong showing no noticeable signs of quitting on me anytime soon.)

I concluded that it was worth paying extra for the long-lasting nature of the genuine Canon batteries AND if I were shooting an important event, I wouldn't want my batteries to surprise me with any battery life issues at a critical time.

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It helps that Canon's recent cameras are better at sharing batteries than was once the case. I now have, I believe, eight or nine batteries that will work with my two 7D's, my 5D3, and my wife's 7D2. So I'm unlikely to have a problem unless I totally forget to keep them charged. (Come to think of it, I have two photo shoots on Tuesday and haven't done any charging for a while. I'd better get busy this afternoon.)

[Waddizzle]

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

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[deleted].

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It helps that Canon's recent cameras are better at sharing batteries than was once the case. I now have, I believe, eight or nine batteries that will work with my two 7D's, my 5D3, and my wife's 7D2. So I'm unlikely to have a problem unless I totally forget to keep them charged. (Come to think of it, I have two photo shoots on Tuesday and haven't done any charging for a while. I'd better get busy this afternoon.)

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It would be nice if Canon made a double battery charger for the LP-E6(N) batteries for that exact reason.  People with the pro-sumer camera bodies are more likely to have more than one than someone buying a Rebel Series.   They shouldn't assume that only 1 Series, with the intergrated battery grip, beneifts from having a double battery charger.

[RobertTheFat]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

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[deleted].

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It helps that Canon's recent cameras are better at sharing batteries than was once the case. I now have, I believe, eight or nine batteries that will work with my two 7D's, my 5D3, and my wife's 7D2. So I'm unlikely to have a problem unless I totally forget to keep them charged. (Come to think of it, I have two photo shoots on Tuesday and haven't done any charging for a while. I'd better get busy this afternoon.)

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It would be nice if Canon made a double battery charger for the LP-E6(N) batteries for that exact reason.  People with the pro-sumer camera bodies are more likely to have more than one than someone buying a Rebel Series.   They shouldn't assume that only 1 Series, with the intergrated battery grip, beneifts from having a double battery charger.

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I'm not sure I see the point. They give you a charger with every camera you buy, and a reasonably decent power strip will have enough free space to accommodate more than one without giving up too many of its outlets. Canon certainly isn't going to give you a double; you'd have to buy it separately. And if you're traveling and short of space, you might not want to haul the double around.

Bottom line: If they did make a double, I probably wouldn't buy one.

[Waddizzle]

"They give you a charger with every camera you buy, and a reasonably decent power strip will have enough free space to accommodate more than one without giving up too many of its outlets." 

Time.  How much time will it take to charge your batteries?  How many people buy an extra charger?  Given the choice, I think many might go for the double instead of the single, if it were available.

[ebiggs1 · Accepted solution]

"They shouldn't assume that only 1 Series, with the intergrated battery grip, beneifts from having a double battery charger."

You do know the 1 series battery chargers only charge one battery at a time?  The first one has to finish charging before the second one starts.  The only thing you save is you can plug in both batteries at the same time.  But you save no charging time!