[digitalfailure]

The Canon 20D battery grip

I've wanted a battery grip for my 20D since I got the body, but early owners of the grip experienced errors and lock ups because of a design issue which allowed the power contacts to twist away from the camera body when used with telephoto zoom lenses.


After waiting for stock to be updated and new level parts filling the shelves, I finally got round to getting one

The grip itself is extremely well designed and made as you'd expect from a genuine Canon product. The grip allows 2 bp-511 cells to be fitted at once and that should be enough to give power for well over 1000 frames, if it's anything like the grip which used to live on my previous Canon 300d SLR.


The grip will also accept 6 AA batteries if you really get stuck for power, you simply install the AA cells into the supplied BGM-e2 magazine and place it in the grip in place of the normal batteries.

With the grip fitted to the camera body, your instantly assulted by the increase in size. The camera gets a whole new feel, it's much heavier with the 2 batteries installed but the increased grip area makes up for that because you now have enough room on the camera to grasp all your fingers around it.



With a longer lens fitted the larger size of the body really feels much more stable as the weight of the lens is balanced out by the body.

The grip also has a other functions, it's not just an improved power source and extra handspace

It has a controls for the cameras operation too
Vertical shutter release button, jog wheel and AE/FE lock and AF point selection are all present, so shooting in portrait orientation is helped by not having reach over the camera to change settings and trip the shutter.

So there you go, a very brief summary of the BG-E2, if you have a 20D, you need this grip

[Warspite]

Everything (except the problems with earlier editions) I can relate to the effect the BG-E3 had on my 350D.

Does make a big difference, especially for portrait shots, makes the almost impossible, possible

[CT]

Good write-up.

I've never experienced the twisting and loss of contact which is talked about, but I have experienced false battery readings immediately after changing batteries- the camera still shows depleted batteries even with a freshly charged battery inserted. If you slacken off the retaiing screw and re-tighten it then you get a proper battery charge indication.

HOWEVER... according to the instructions, it doesn't matter in which order you replace the two batteries in the grip, but I've since found that if I replace the right hand battery first (looking from the back of the camera) I never get a false reading whereas if I replace the left battery first I do. A simple fix which now works 100% of the time for me.

[IanC_UK]

You forgot to mention the little clip to put the removed battery cover in

[digitalfailure]

Originally Posted by IanC_UK

You forgot to mention the little clip to put the removed battery cover in

I didn't really see that as a feature tbh, more of a nice touch.

Ct, i'll keep my eyes on the charge indicator. I know it never made a difference on my 300D

[dod]

Originally Posted by digitalfailure

I didn't really see that as a feature tbh, more of a nice touch.

Oooh, thanks, I didn't know about that

[CT]

Originally Posted by IanC_UK

You forgot to mention the little clip to put the removed battery cover in

Doh!!

Thanks Ian!

[stepheno]

Good write-up DF I would endorse everything you have said. I rarely have the grip off, it seems to make the 20D "complete". Fortunately I have not experienced the problems of earlier editions either.

regards

[Ally]

Good review, I've had the grip on my 20d since i've had it and i've never takin it off a great peace of kit