Pros & Cons to Having A Battery Grip?

[@lex]

Well i saw a battery grip for my Nikon D70 and i was wondering.
What are the pros & cons to havig a battery grip?

Thanks
Alex

And here are some pics of what the camera would be like with the grip!

[mjs1973]

I have a battery grip on my DRebel, and I LOVE it! It gives the camera some extra weight. That can be a good thing, or a bad thing. I like the extra weight (most of the time) because I think it helps me to stabilize the camera. When hiking or biking, that extra weight is a killer tho. I also love the extra controls on the grip for verticle shooting. Another pro is the all day shooting ability with two fully charged batteries.

I'm not sure what that cord is in the last pic, but that looks like it could be a little anoying. I don't have one of those on mine. For me the biggest con is the extra weight, but like I said, that is only when doing certain things. Most of the time I love the extra weight. I can always take it off if it gets to be too much.

[Speed]

On the D70, that controls/fires the vertical shutter release.

And I'm with you, it looks like it would be in the way.

[Speed]

What are the pros & cons to havig a battery grip?

Hello Alex.

I have a battery grip for my N80 and I love it.

Pro's: It gives me more gripping surface to hold the camera. I hated how my pinky finger hung off the bottom of the camera. Also, I like that it adds a little weight and heft to the camera. It gives the camera a more solid feel IMHO.

The only con I've found, is that the contacts have to be clean and make good contact. I've had mine loosen on me once, and the camera displays went blank. I tightened it up and I haven't had a problem with it since. Minor thing, and the advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages.

[another view]

I've had an F4 and F5 with battery grips, and an F100 without. The big advantage to me is for handheld vertical shots - I found it easier to hold the camera steady at lower shutter speeds by using it and the second shutter release on the grip. Battery life is also a plus.

Weight might be an issue but it didn't bother me. You might lose a little stiffness when tripod mounting for long shutter speed shots, but if it's a problem you can remove the battery grip for those shots. Of course, it wouldn't matter with longer lenses that have their own tripod mount. This isn't a problem with permanently attached grips like the one on the F5, etc.

[Old Timer]

When I added one to my N80 it totally changed the camera's feel. I am much more comfortable with the way it feels and handles even though it still lacks a vertical release. Not sure how I would like that little cord on the D70 model. I would like to get a little more bulk to the D70 for handling purposes though.

[Trevor Ash]

No one mentioned size yet. Size was the reason I didn't like grips (yes, I used them on two separate cameras for a while). Many camera bags are clearly not designed for a camera with grips. Sure, I'll fit though.

Also, the camera with a longer lens hangs nicre around your neck...you don't have to do funny things to point the lens down or whatever.

[mjs1973]

Also, the camera with a longer lens hangs nicre around your neck...you don't have to do funny things to point the lens down or whatever.

I was going to mention the way my camera hangs in my original post, but opted not to. But since you brought it up.

When I first put the grip on my camera, I left the strap mounted to the top of the camera. On verticle shots, the strap would always hang right over the top of the viewfinder. My grip also has a mound for the strap on the bottom of the grip, so I moved the camera strap to that mount, and it no longer gets in the way of verticle shots. But now the camera strapped is mounted on the opposite corners of the camera. One end is on the top left, and the other is on the bottom right. If you hang the carea around your neck, it hangs kind of crooked.

I don't consider this a pro or a con, but just something I had to get use to.

[Sebastian]

I don't use cameras without them. I shoot a LOT of vertical making the vertical release necessary. I also shoot a lot with the 70-200, making the extra grip area and weight nice to balance the heavy lens.

[mtbbrian]

I have the MB-15 for my F100, but when I first got the cameara I had no interest in it at all.
It was only after I had shot with an F5 and D1x that I had to have one.
The vertical shutter release button was what sold me.
So despite the added pound I highly recommend one!
Brian
Nikon Rules!

[mjs1973]

No one mentioned size yet. Size was the reason I didn't like grips (yes, I used them on two separate cameras for a while). Many camera bags are clearly not designed for a camera with grips.

Another good point Trevor. My camera fits perfectly into my LowePro backpack, but it's a little trickier getting it into the Canon bag that I got when I purchased a film SLR a few years ago. I also have a LowePro TLZ AW bag that I like to strap to my chest when hiking. The DRebel w/ grip will fit, as long as I don't want to zip the bag closed. No way it will fit in the bag that came with the DRebel.

[@lex]

Thank you for all your post they were very helpful
ill probably be ordering one this week!

Alex