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D850 to achieve 9fps..?

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SK

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Sorry if this has been treated multiple times but can someone confirm what is required to get 9 fps from my new D850?

I assume that it takes a grip (MB - D18 if you can find one...) and the special battery EN- EL18b (plus of course the regular battery in the body)....so all total another $550 if you want to go with Nikon brand items. I also see a new Vello version releasing soon which would be a more economical path assuming it would take the EL 18b battery.

Also, confirming that the use of AA batteries in grip doesn't give the speed increase...

thanks for the insights.
 
SK said:
Sorry if this has been treated multiple times but can someone confirm what is required to get 9 fps from my new D850?

I assume that it takes a grip (MB - D18 if you can find one...) and the special battery EN- EL18b (plus of course the regular battery in the body)....so all total another $550 if you want to go with Nikon brand items. I also see a new Vello version releasing soon which would be a more economical path assuming it would take the EL 18b battery.

Also, confirming that the use of AA batteries in grip doesn't give the speed increase...

thanks for the insights.
Click to expand...
You need the MB-D18 grip. And, you need the EN-ELb or the EN-ELa battery. You do not need to have the regular battery in the body, though.

You also need the BL-5 battery battery chamber cover (about $25) in order to be able to insert the battery into the grip.

Of course, you'll also need the battery charger for the EN-EL battery. The Nikon brand charger runs about $370! I've read that some people are purchasing third party chargers for far less money.

I have tested using AA batteries in the grip and that will not give you 9 fps.

Glenn
 
gnagel said:
SK said:
Sorry if this has been treated multiple times but can someone confirm what is required to get 9 fps from my new D850?

I assume that it takes a grip (MB - D18 if you can find one...) and the special battery EN- EL18b (plus of course the regular battery in the body)....so all total another $550 if you want to go with Nikon brand items. I also see a new Vello version releasing soon which would be a more economical path assuming it would take the EL 18b battery.

Also, confirming that the use of AA batteries in grip doesn't give the speed increase...

thanks for the insights.
Click to expand...
You need the MB-D18 grip. And, you need the EN-ELb or the EN-ELa battery. You do not need to have the regular battery in the body, though.

You also need the BL-5 battery battery chamber cover (about $25) in order to be able to insert the battery into the grip.

Of course, you'll also need the battery charger for the EN-EL battery. The Nikon brand charger runs about $370! I've read that some people are purchasing third party chargers for far less money.

I have tested using AA batteries in the grip and that will not give you 9 fps.

Glenn
Click to expand...
 
gnagel said:
SK said:
Sorry if this has been treated multiple times but can someone confirm what is required to get 9 fps from my new D850?

I assume that it takes a grip (MB - D18 if you can find one...) and the special battery EN- EL18b (plus of course the regular battery in the body)....so all total another $550 if you want to go with Nikon brand items. I also see a new Vello version releasing soon which would be a more economical path assuming it would take the EL 18b battery.

Also, confirming that the use of AA batteries in grip doesn't give the speed increase...

thanks for the insights.
Click to expand...
You need the MB-D18 grip. And, you need the EN-ELb or the EN-ELa battery.
Click to expand...
That's EN-EL18a or EN-EL18b...
 
If you go to the web site of Nikon USA then this is what you find after navigating to the MB-D18 page:

The MB-D18 Multi Battery Power Pack can be powered either by six AA batteries (Alkaline or Ni-MH or Lithium), EN-EL15(a) or EN-EL18a/b rechargeable Li-ion batteries. To use the MB-D18 with AA batteries, use the supplied MS-D12 AA Battery Holder. When using the optional BL-5 battery chamber cover connected to the EN-EL18b/EN-EL18a, and inserted into a MB-D18 Multi Battery Power Pack, you may achieve up to 9 fps continuous shooting with the D850. When using an EN-EL18b battery to power the MB-D18, use the optional BL-5 battery chamber cover (sold separately).The MB-D18 is equipped with a shutter-release button, AE/AF lock button, multi selector, and main- and sub-command dials for improved operation when taking photographs in portrait (tall) orientation.

Up to 9 fps. Based on CIPA Standards. With the EN-EL15a Rechargeable Li-ion Battery in the body and the EN-EL18b/EN-EL18a in the MB-D18. Optional BL-5 Battery Chamber Cover and MH-26a/MH-26 Battery Charger required for use with the EN-EL18b/EN-EL18a.

So yes, you need to shell out extra funds if you need the 9fps performance. When I look for a third party battery grip I search for DSTE grips. I do not know if they are ready with a D850 compatible one as of yet, I haven't checked since I'll not own a D850 till later this year.

I have found that DSTE grips are trustworthy. I've used them on two D810 bodies, never an issue with those. They also make EN-EL18 copies in two versions. One comes with its already attached battery cover the other needs a separate battery cover. They have their own chargers. I bought a set of two with the built in battery cover and charger for very reasonable price on Amazon. I have been using those for over two years now. I have never needed to change batteries even after a full day of heavy use. Those batteries last and keep lasting......... They do not show exact charge in the camera, just a battery symbol showing full or half or depleted charge. That said, you can use the battery for days worth of shooting without the bar going down to half. So the level indicator is a non issue in my opinion.

Best, AIK
 
An EN-EL18 battery gives you 9FPS, does in my DTSE grip anayway, yesterday I also shot 2000 images and only used 20% charge so enough amps in the battery for a good days shooting.

So no need to spend extra on the a and b versions (2500 vs 2000AMP).
 
DSTE grip and Mcoplus Grip both give 9 FPS with the big battery.

In my view the Nikon OEM grip is a waste of money. My 3rd part grip is PERFECT and cost 65 dollars. I added the DSTE BL-5 cover for 12 bucks, bought a 3rd party charger and the OEM Nikon battery.

I went OEM on the battery for the heck of it. Total cost to get 9 FPS is around 300 bucks.

Rob
 
I'll summarize: AA batteries or the battery that comes with the D850 will not give you 9 fps - even though the grips come with a tray that will hold either option.

You can use either an EN-EL18 or the a or b version of that battery to get 9 fps. You need a BL-5 end cap to hold that battery in the grip.

You can save a LOT of money by buying generic. As mentioned, the DSTE and Mcoplus grips DO give you 9fps - and the DSTE has the added benefit of coming with a wireless remote control.

Most generic EN-EL18 batteries work reasonably well, although a few might not give you 9 fps. I believe the DSTE battery with the built-in end cap does not.

You can save mega bucks by buying a generic battery charger. As little as $50 compared to $370US for the way overpriced Nikon.

The generic grips are decent quality, and have the advantage of being lighter than the Nikon grip, and WAY cheaper.

The generic batteries are almost as good as the Nikon ones - but they usually score 4 out of 5 in online reviews - so my choice would be to go generic with everything except the battery.

Oh - and as mentioned, you don't need a battery in the camera if you have one in the grip. You can use both - for much longer life - but I prefer the lower weight of just one.

There is another long thread that I started in this forum that goes through the testing process that we did to confirm these details.

Oh - and the actual Nikon grip is NOW showing up as available in stores in Toronto. I think the backlog of orders is right about now being filled - with a few left over if you walk in and ask for one.
 
PerfectPoms said:
I'll summarize: AA batteries or the battery that comes with the D850 will not give you 9 fps - even though the grips come with a tray that will hold either option.

You can use either an EN-EL18 or the a or b version of that battery to get 9 fps. You need a BL-5 end cap to hold that battery in the grip.

You can save a LOT of money by buying generic. As mentioned, the DSTE and Mcoplus grips DO give you 9fps - and the DSTE has the added benefit of coming with a wireless remote control.

Most generic EN-EL18 batteries work reasonably well, although a few might not give you 9 fps. I believe the DSTE battery with the built-in end cap does not.

You can save mega bucks by buying a generic battery charger. As little as $50 compared to $370US for the way overpriced Nikon.

The generic grips are decent quality, and have the advantage of being lighter than the Nikon grip, and WAY cheaper.

The generic batteries are almost as good as the Nikon ones - but they usually score 4 out of 5 in online reviews - so my choice would be to go generic with everything except the battery.

Oh - and as mentioned, you don't need a battery in the camera if you have one in the grip. You can use both - for much longer life - but I prefer the lower weight of just one.

There is another long thread that I started in this forum that goes through the testing process that we did to confirm these details.

Oh - and the actual Nikon grip is NOW showing up as available in stores in Toronto. I think the backlog of orders is right about now being filled - with a few left over if you walk in and ask for one.

--
Bill,
http://www.pbase.com/billmcintyre
Click to expand...
A question , do the generic grips have a Fn button near the shutter button ?

Bottom one is MB-18 top is MB-12



520505acc62f4d7c81097cd897b2f758.jpg



--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lickitysplit11111/
https://500px.com/lickitysplit11111
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the detailed review. Any opinion on which generic charger for the En EL 18b is best...I don't see many options on Amazon, and none on B&H. many thanks
 
PerfectPoms said:
The generic grips are decent quality, and have the advantage of being lighter than the Nikon grip, and WAY cheaper.

--
Click to expand...
Maybe they’ve got better. I’ve tried 3 of them with my D810 and none of them worked after a few weeks - at best
 
***GRIPS***

Nikon grip - 9 fps -

DTSE grip - 9 fps

Vello grip -9 fps

MCoplus - 9 fps (and includes a remote control)

Travor grip - 7 fps

Pixel grip - 7 fps

***Batteries***

Still working on this one, with less data

Nikon EL-18a or EL-18b - 9 fps

AA batteries - 7 fps

Watson el-18 equivalent - 9fps - $70

Wasabi - $46 - probably 9 fps (unknown)

Others... perhaps it is accurate to say that the batteries with built-in endplates typically do NOT give 9 fps, while the batteries that require the BL-5 endcap do give the added speed. Probably would help to put together a list of model numbers for the batteries that work.

***Battery Chamber Cover ***

Nikon BL-5 - $25-30

generic Chinese BL-5 - $6

I have both, but the Chinese one took so long to get here that I ended up with the Nikon one when I found it in stock with the grip. I have not used the knockoff, but it looks fine, Just pointing out that these are available.

***Chargers***

Nikon dual-bay charger - $370

all the rest below, much cheaper

Wasabi dual-bay charger -works fine - $60

DTSE dual-bay charger - unknown, but looks like the exact unit as the Wasabi - about $60

RAVPower dual-bay charger - unknown, but looks like the exact unit at the Wasabi - $50

Myself, I have the Nikon grip, the Watson battery and the Wasabi charger. I meant to buy the Wasabi battery when I bought the charge, but clicked on the wrong link. No problem, the Watson battery works fine, gives 9 fps, fits well in the grip and charger, shows a charge indication in-camera.

There is certainly no problem getting a grip, battery and charger for WAY cheaper than Nikon and still achieve all functions. Plus a remote release in the case of MCoplus (clever).

I've used non-Nikon batteries since the D800e. I was upset that Nikon couldn't have provided some way to use my expensive D700 big battery charger and Nikon batteries in the D800 series. I bought the NIkon grips for D800e and D810, but I bought $70 batteries with the built-in endplates and included charges. Still working fine now, but these batteries don't give the in-camera charge level indication. (I'm thinking you may not be able to do a firmware update with one of these batteries as the camera doesn't know how much charge is in the battery).

Perhaps those with 3rd-party gear could edit this list to add prices, frame rate and an indication of whether there is any problem or not.
 
I'm pretty sure there are lots on eBay. Comments in this forum have been good about reliability.
 
SK said:
Thanks for the detailed review. Any opinion on which generic charger for the En EL 18b is best...I don't see many options on Amazon, and none on B&H. many thanks
Click to expand...
You must suck at search engines...

Try putting this in a Google search: "generic MH-26". LOTS of hits come up for me, First one is from Amazon. Second one, Amazon.

This one is Amazon:

Loading…

www.amazon.com

Ebay:

Loading…

www.ebay.com

This is the one I bought, from Amazon:

Amazon.com : Wasabi Power Dual Battery Charger for Nikon EN-EL18, EN-EL18a, EN-EL18b, EN-EL18c, EN-EL18d, MH-26, MH-33 : Electronics

Amazon.com : Wasabi Power Dual Battery Charger for Nikon EN-EL18, EN-EL18a, EN-EL18b, EN-EL18c, EN-EL18d, MH-26, MH-33 : Electronics
www.amazon.com

This last one seems to be something made in China and sold under many brand names. All around $60-75.
 
..not sure I "suck" at search engines ;) , just said I only found one on Amazon and none on B&H, but thanks for listing what your search found. thx
 
PHXAZCRAIG said:
***GRIPS***

Nikon grip - 9 fps -

DTSE grip - 9 fps

Vello grip -9 fps

MCoplus - 9 fps (and includes a remote control)

Travor grip - 7 fps

Pixel grip - 7 fps

***Batteries***

Still working on this one, with less data

Nikon EL-18a or EL-18b - 9 fps

AA batteries - 7 fps

Watson el-18 equivalent - 9fps - $70

Wasabi - $46 - probably 9 fps (unknown)

Others... perhaps it is accurate to say that the batteries with built-in endplates typically do NOT give 9 fps, while the batteries that require the BL-5 endcap do give the added speed. Probably would help to put together a list of model numbers for the batteries that work.

***Battery Chamber Cover ***

Nikon BL-5 - $25-30

generic Chinese BL-5 - $6

I have both, but the Chinese one took so long to get here that I ended up with the Nikon one when I found it in stock with the grip. I have not used the knockoff, but it looks fine, Just pointing out that these are available.

***Chargers***

Nikon dual-bay charger - $370

all the rest below, much cheaper

Wasabi dual-bay charger -works fine - $60

DTSE dual-bay charger - unknown, but looks like the exact unit as the Wasabi - about $60

RAVPower dual-bay charger - unknown, but looks like the exact unit at the Wasabi - $50

Myself, I have the Nikon grip, the Watson battery and the Wasabi charger. I meant to buy the Wasabi battery when I bought the charge, but clicked on the wrong link. No problem, the Watson battery works fine, gives 9 fps, fits well in the grip and charger, shows a charge indication in-camera.

There is certainly no problem getting a grip, battery and charger for WAY cheaper than Nikon and still achieve all functions. Plus a remote release in the case of MCoplus (clever).

I've used non-Nikon batteries since the D800e. I was upset that Nikon couldn't have provided some way to use my expensive D700 big battery charger and Nikon batteries in the D800 series. I bought the NIkon grips for D800e and D810, but I bought $70 batteries with the built-in endplates and included charges. Still working fine now, but these batteries don't give the in-camera charge level indication. (I'm thinking you may not be able to do a firmware update with one of these batteries as the camera doesn't know how much charge is in the battery).

Perhaps those with 3rd-party gear could edit this list to add prices, frame rate and an indication of whether there is any problem or not.
Click to expand...
For completeness, I'll point out that if, like me, you already have a D5, D4, or D4s, the only things you need are the grip and the cap, so the entry bar is a bit lower.

Jim
 
So the D5, D4s and D4 were free then? In the UK we have to pay for those something like £15000 for a battery charger and battery.
 
PerfectPoms said:
I'm pretty sure there are lots on eBay. Comments in this forum have been good about reliability.
Click to expand...
There are not "lots", but a few with nebulous user reviews.
 
???
 
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