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Author
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daveyuk
Forum Regular
Registered: July 2005
Location: Berkshire
Posts: 1174
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Review Date: Mon November 27, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: £125.00
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Adds to the size making your grip comfortable
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Cons:
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Adds extra weight
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The canon BG-E2 for the 20 or 30D almost doubles your battery holding two batteries side by side, however the grib does provide a body extention allowing to sread your fingers out a little affording you a better more comfortable grip in both landscape and portraite views. In the portraite posision there is an extra shutter release making life much more comfortable as it's in a more natural posision rather than reaching accross the top of the camera. As well as the shutter release you alse o have the small scroll wheel and two adjustment buttons.
The grip simply screws into the the tripod mount with the single battery cover removed and placed in the storage area there's no worries about losing it. The grip really comes into it's own when using long lenses as with the extra area to hold on to your hand is under less strain thus making for a more comfortable grip and giving you greater control over your chosen lens.
Downsides.
Adds extra weight.
Camera feels more bulky at first.
Upsides.
Extra gripable area
Extend battery life
Easier for portraite photography
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Gary Bagshawe
Rep Point Winner 07
Registered: April 2005
Location: Sheffield UK
Posts: 2250
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Review Date: Thu December 7, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Pro feel, greater flexibility
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Cons:
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still trying to find one
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BG EG3 I thought I would post this here as there isn't a section for this hand grip but to be honest they are pretty much all the same anyhow.
I bought this for my D60 almost at the same time as the camera itself and have not looked back.
It gives the camera such a more robust feeling in the hand and balances the whole weight distribution out. There is this silly little thing on the bottom to attach your camera strap to so that it doesn't get in the way in portrait mode but to be honest it just makes it feel clumsy when wearing it around the neck.
The added battery gives for more exposures on a shoot and I have only once had occasion to worry about running out of power but then I had been shooting at WSBK championship at Brands for a whole weekend so not much to complain about really.
I know most people wouldn't even look at a D60 these ays but if you are getting one off Ebay or something (for total bargain prices) I would reccomend getting one of these too.
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Rob Barron
Loves the place
Registered: September 2006
Location: Poole, Dorset
Posts: 5963
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Review Date: Tue January 2, 2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: £95.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Easy to use, better power, well-made
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Cons:
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Makes camera heavier and more bulky
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I have owned a DSLR for a few years now and often thought about getting a grip (yes, I know a lot of people think I need to get a grip so shush!) but mostly felt it was down to the extra power of having two batteries installed that I was aiming for.
I don't think that is a good enough reason these days to buy a grip like this. Why? Because the batteries are now very good indeed and even a prolific shooter can usually get through a day of shooting without the battery dying. But also because a spare battery is easy to carry and replacing a battery while out in the field is a 10 second job at worst, hence not a lot worth paying a 3-figure sum for.
So, why did I buy one? The battery stuff is useful, the fact it comes with a battery adaptor allowing the use of 6 AA batteries in an emergency is in theory useful (in practice I have never once had that sort of a problem but hey, it can happen. But the main reason is the extra shooting facilities.
This camera adds to the bottom of your 20D/30D just like any other grip or, in film SLR days, a power-drive or whatever. So yes it adds bulk and weight but if you are looking for one of these then you know and expect that anyway. It is by no means an unacceptable weight and if you are a large lens user, the difference is not going to be that great. The usefulness for me is in the way it allows for much more comfortable portrait orientation work. The extra shutter release button is positioned such that it works identically to the main button when doing landscape work. The shutter release button mimics the 20D in that it has both the dial and the two other buttons all exactly where they are on main camera. So swqitching from one mode to the other means nothing more than rotating the camera and holding the same way as normal.
It takes a little getting used to in that the eyepiece will be in a slightly strange place to what you are used to and if you keep the strap mounted as normal, it will often hang down across the eyepiece meaning you need to keep moving it out of the way. You could utilise the new mount on the grip but as has been mentioned, this will make the camera hang strangely. That mount is primarily designed for a hand-strap (Canon E-1) that I would highly recommend as it makes the camera far more 'firm' in your hand and spreads the weight around the hand instead of just within the grip of the fingers and hence it feels more secure.
There is a separate power switch on the grip but this is for the grip alone, not for the camera itself. You need to have both switches on to use the grip and the camera. If working without portrait mode, I recommend turning it off to avoid inadvertent pressing of the button. It does not turn off the battery power to the main camera, only the buttons and dial.
I got it from a seller on Ebay and paid a fantastic price for it. He was a UK Seller but you can get much the same price from Onestop Digital, a company based in Hong Kong but one which many on Pixalo have used and been delighted with. Their prices are superb and they include postage in the price plus a guarantee of no extra import duty to be paid (they will refund it if you have to).
Other sellers range between £130 and £150 in the UK if you have a problem with Ebay or buying from abroad. Personally I have saved a total of more than £4000 buying on Ebay over the years so am more than happy to buy that way and save. Best UK price I found from a full retailer is £130, special offer from Park Cameras. Can't say how long that price will remain in place.
If you have a need for a grip, this grip is as good as they get. I have found it fantastic to use and in a short period of time it has become indispensable.
Cheers,
Rob
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Dave
Pixalo Crew
Registered: July 2005
Posts: 16448
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Review Date: Tue July 8, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: £100.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Extra battery life, portrait shooting, better balance for heavy / long lenses
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Cons:
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When starting to use Pro lenses with the 40D I found this addition (n version) provided a better balance to the camera, than without it. The ability to use an extra battery does add some weight, but then look at the extra shooting time you get 
With the addition of the shutter release , dials & buttons at end of the grip, it makes it perfect for portrait shooting aswell.
It's the nearest you'll get to a Pro DSLR feel, for a lot less lolly 
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M1ke A
Been here a while
Registered: November 2007
Location: Sussex
Posts: 440
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Review Date: Wed July 9, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Adds necessary bulk and extra vertical shooting buttons
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Cons:
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Build quality isn't great
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Firstly I strongly believe grips are really important to the handling of a camera. You get a vertical shutter button and control wheel which make 'portrait' shots so much easier to take. Plus you limit the chances of getting a crooked wrist.
I got one for my 20D and brought the 5D specific version at the same time as the camera.
I personally find the smaller Canon bodies (3XX & 4XXD) way too small and uncomfortable to hold without a grip. For me, this also applies to the 20D though the 5D has a better onboard grip, as does the 40D I believe?
Downsides?
Build quality isn't great and the orientation of the batteries means the grip is actually quite deep. The design of the 1 series bodies wasn't a fluke and you can really feel the ergonomic superiority if you use a XXD and 1X body together.
Oh and whilst the grip will take two batteries, I would recommend only loading one. If two are loaded, the camera will drain both batteries equally which does seem a little odd. 
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