Battery grip for 30D - why?

While I was in Hong Kong, I took advantage of the special price of the camera grip for my 30D and bought one (retail therapy strikes again).

However, now that I have it, I can't actually see much use for it.

Its good points:

It keeps the camera horizontal when hanging from my strap

Not so good points (or ones that I find irrelevant to me)

It increases the battery life. That's OK - but I get over 300 shots from my battery anyway and I always carry a spare.

It gives me extra buttons. But I have no issues with the ones I have now.

So, there must be a good reason for one of these - someone help me out here.

Alan

You're right! I think you should sell it to me for $20...

Actually, I've been pondering the value of it for my 30D too. I know why I want one - for those times when a handheld vertical shot is called for. I just don't know if, for me, the opportunites are frequent enough to justify the extra bulk.

I think I'll get the right angle finder C first.

I have the 20D + battery grip and both 20D & 30D are ideal cameras for sports shooters on the budget. Add on the battery grip for vertical shots and you have quite the sports shooting machine.

I shoot vertical all the time for basketball.

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http://www.pbase.com/robotzer0

The only reason I have one is for the vertical shots. About 1/4 of my framing is vertical. It makes a big difference comfort wise.
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Keith
Gallery at http://www.keitharndt.com

besides the vertical shooting aspect and double battery which comes in real handy when you get up into the 1000 shot range,

it's really about comfort. Without the grip the camera feels good in my hand, but with it I am actually comfortable and the buttons seem to be at a perfect length. No bent fingers (with associated cramps after a full day of shooting) when clicking off photos because my hand rests lower on the body without loosing the physical feel of the camera at the base of my palm.
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Jim & Dawn
http://www.biteyourbum.com
Canon 30D - Jim's
Sony A100 - Dawn's
Proud Parent of a US Marine
PGR Supporter

It serves me well. Long battery life (ive never had to change batteries for a photo outing). The vertical grip helps me hold the camera correctly.

I like it for the extra battery and vertical opportunities. Mainly though, I like it for the handstrap. I use my 30D usually with a 24-70L, its a little heavy coming from a digital rebel paired with 28-135 IS. The handstrap helps quite a bit on long shooting days.
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http://j3ffro.zenfolio.com

the camera is too small for my hands without the grip. the rest of the positives about the grip are just nice to haves for me. but without the grip, i have trouble holding the camera.
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Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so

I got one with camera, but compared to the 350D grip as it fits to the camera, Canon did a clumsy job.

I think you find you don't knock the on/off switch out of position now>

I like it for partrait mode.

It feels right with 70-200 & 400mm.

--
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http://www.cps.canon-europe.com/kb/index.jsp
The Canon 1DMK IIIn Japan site
http://web.canon.jp/Imaging/eos1dm3/html/sitemap.html

For me it's pure ergonomics. While I have not bought one for my 30D yet, I do have one on my Elan film SLR and the biggest benefit for me (besides the vertical shutter release button) is that it gives my right-hand pinky a place to go instead of curling under the body. The grip on the body just isn't big enough for all four fingers.
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Scott

Just 'cause you don't like it doesn't mean it shouldn't work for somebody else. Aside from the extra battery life (and not always, sometimes I only have 1 battery installed), I like it for the larger grip. For me, it's more comfortable & easier to hold both horizontally & vertically. But I respect someone else not caring for it.

Mark

I resisted getting that big grip for the 30D for quite some time. The only thing I hated more than the thought of adding that big thing to the 30D was using that nasty neckstrap.

I ended up buying a battery grip a month or so ago so that I could try out the padded handstrap (it only works with the grip), and I'll never go back to the old way. With the padded handstrap, a 30D and a 70-200 f/2.8 IS lens can hang from the back of my hand all day long without fatigue, and without bouncing around. It is alway ready for action, and when I put it down, I no longer worry about that neckstrap catching on something, or something getting tangled with the neckstrap.

Surprisingly, the two parts also make the camera 'feel' better in your hand, and make it much more secure. It really transforms the camera into an extension of your hand, and allows full shooting control while shooting one handed, or supporting a long lens with your left hand. It even looks like it belongs there now.....

Extra battery life is a bonus, as are the veritical controls (I never use the vertical controls, and always leave them off, as it is easier for me to just rotate the camera while holding it in the normal manner), but the padded handgrip makes it well worth the price.

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Voyager

Put one on my XT because the body was too small, put one on the 20D because I liked the one on the XT, kept it to use on the 30D when the 20 went. Great for shooting sports, well balanced with the 70-200 IS, and it just feels weird if it's not on the body!
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SteveO

Alan Sh said:

It gives me extra buttons. But I have no issues with the ones I
have now.

Click to expand...

I just looked through my galleries, and see that 50% of my shots are in portrait format (vertical). I would be lost without those 'extra' buttons - for half the time I would have my right hand curled over my forehead.

Add to that a much better balance when hand-holding my heavier lenses (17-40L, 70-200L) and the minor benefit of an extra battery - my grip never leaves the body.
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Regards,
Tony Brooks



'The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched...but are felt in the heart.' - Helen Keller

Balance/handling, battery life, and vertical controls access are the three things it provides, and I couldn't imagine using my camera without one.

If you honestly believe that a longer battery life and more easily accessible controls are negatives, then the grip obviously isn't for you.

Voyager13b said:

I ended up buying a battery grip a month or so ago so that I could
try out the padded handstrap (it only works with the grip),

Click to expand...

Is this the Canon handstrap? Does it interfere with tripod use? I see OpTech offers one but it looks like it uses the tripod point for attachment.

Thanks
Steve

S_Egbert said:

Is this the Canon handstrap? Does it interfere with tripod use? I
see OpTech offers one but it looks like it uses the tripod point
for attachment.

Thanks
Steve

Click to expand...

Nope. Tripod socket is left open with the Canon handstrap.

try putting on one of those sweet white lenses like the 70-200 2.8 IS and you'll quickly figure it out !!!

rdspear said:

Balance/handling, battery life, and vertical controls access are
the three things it provides, and I couldn't imagine using my
camera without one.

If you honestly believe that a longer battery life and more easily
accessible controls are negatives, then the grip obviously isn't
for you.

Click to expand...

I never said they were negatives - just not that positive.

Anyway, many thanks for all the responses - very interesting. I like the "hand grip" answer - I may consider that.

Alan

Basically this is the basic meaning of a battery grip.

Shooting portrait mode for a longer period of time is akward and error prone without proper positioning of the arms and hands.

The vertical grip does just that, it's not intended to be some soft of multitool, it as a simple purpose and does it superbly imo.

K

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