D500 Grip and battery/charger questions

I have been a long time Nikon camera user, going back to the N8008/N90s, and then the digital D100/200/300 bodies.  Currently - and for many years - the D300 has been my main camera body and it has served me well.  It has it's noise problems in low light (tough photographing Prothonotary warblers in the Francis Beidler Forest) so now that a true successor to D300 is here, I am definitely planning on buying one later this year, but I have a question or two about the grip/battery/charger for the D500.

I've had the Nikon optional grips on my D100, D200, and on my current D300.  Yes, Nikon charges WAY too much for their OEM grips but I have always bought them.  But with the D500, it seems that Nikon has taken accessory pricing to new lows - or is that new "highs"?  Okay -  I'll pop for the Nikon OEM grip at $396+/- but I prefer to use their newer, more powerful EN-EL18a, 2,500mah battery ($150) in the grip rather than just a second EN-EL15 camera body battery, although that is only about $50.  However, the only charger I can use for the EN-EL18a battery is $399 ????  It seems that the only listed charger for the larger battery is a dual capacity charger - that costs as much as the grip itself!  Am I missing something here or is this accessory pricing going crazy?  Also, do you need to add the BL-6 battery cover to the grip to work with the larger battery (as you use the BL-5 cover with the D300 grip)?  KA-CHING!!  Add another $27 for that.

Never have tried third party grips, batteries, or chargers and I didn't want to start now but adding it all up, a $2,000 D500 winds up nearly at $3,000 with grip, larger capacity battery, and charger.

From those who have the grip with either the EN-EL15 or EL-18a battery, how easily does the camera balance on Wimberley head with a 600mm lens?

Thanks for any input you offer (I suspect many will say buy a third party grip/battery/charger).

Charger for en-el18a for $59.99.

https://smile.amazon.com/Wasabi-Power-Battery-MH-26aAK-EN-EL18a/dp/B0131NS2XO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1471631816&sr=8-2&keywords=en-el18a+charger

I use this one in my Nikon grip. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00N0E5KZI/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471639795&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=dste+en-el18a&dpPl=1&dpID=51SYv2mRnXL&ref=plSrch. It works reasonably well, has a built in charger, lasts over 4000 shots and is inexpensive. The only downside is the camera views it as AA batteries so you have no battery gauge..

Gary Prestash wrote:

I had already done a quick eBay and Amazon check and saw the third party chargers myself, but thanks. Question is: do they fully work as the OEM Nikon charger does? Sometimes folks who have opted for third party grips, batteries, or chargers have reported that the cameras didn't recognize the non Nikon batteries or other features seem not to be fully functional with third party gear.

Are you using a Nikon OEM charger or the Wasabi charger you referred to in your posting? If you are using the Wasabi, any problems or unusual occurrences using it? Judging by your gear listing, I see you have both the D5 and the D500. Does a Nikon charger come with the D5 and does an EN-EL18a battery last longer in your D5 or D500?

Yes a Nikon charger comes with the D5 and I have my older Nikon en-el18a charger that I bought for the 18a batteries in my D800/D810 bodies before getting a D4S and now D5. As to which body the battery last the longer in, I have not paid any attention to it. The en-el18a will last 4K to 5K shots or more depending on one's routine that day.

The charger I referenced looks to be identical to the current Nikon chargers. I have not seen any threads where owners have complained.

Best Luck.

I have the D500, not the grip though. Previously owned D300 and grip, and have grip for my D810 too, and never used it, hence no grip for D500.

I'm guessing you want the grip for extra battery life to extend number of shots range. The D500 is capable of 10FPS out of the box, so I'm wondering why your considering this expensive option to power with the EL18 battery, when would make more sense to just get another couple of EL15 cells and perhaps another charger?

I did use my D3 batteries in the grip with my D300, but that was for the extended FPS.

You will need the end cap too (BL6 is it).

Gary Prestash wrote:

I suspect that for me, it will come down to either having to pony up the sheckles for the Nikon OEM accessories or reading the reviews of the third party options and select the best one from them.

Thanks again for your comments.

I've been doing the same debate, and it seems if you need the weather proofing or really solid build then the OEM is superior to the after-markets. I have a tendency to go "OH RAIN" and run outside with a camera so I'll be snagging the MD-MB17 myself.

Phil

Gary Prestash wrote:

Thanks for your thoughts. Good to know that unlike the older D100/200/300, the frame rate for D500 is not dependent on the addition of the grip and larger battery, but this is not why I want the grip. Yes, extended shooting with a larger battery is definitely a need but as I am primarily a bird photographer, I have my gear on a Wimberley tripod head. I have an older but still very usable Nikon 600mm f4 lens and a Nikon 1.4X teleconverter on my camera most of the time, and it is very difficult to balance that on a Wimberley if you don't have a little bit of heft at the camera end - you can slide the camera back just so far in the Wimberley mount - so the grip adds a bit of weight at the back end to help balance the rig. But beyond simple balance - you could find cheaper ways to do that - the grip provides a much more convenient way to use the camera in a vertical position. The button placement on it mimics the camera's layout while the camera is in the vertical position. Again, just shocked (after 5 Nikon bodies and 3 different Nikon flashes I really don't know why) at the lack of a single position charger for the larger battery and the price for the two position charger. I can see why some with multiple camera bodies would want the two position charger but for folks who don't need it - WOW! The charger is about the same price as the grip!

I suspect that for me, it will come down to either having to pony up the sheckles for the Nikon OEM accessories or reading the reviews of the third party options and select the best one from them.

Thanks again for your comments.

I second Gary

grip is necessary on 500D for balancing the long lenses

on the other hand, it seems that consumes the batteries slightly faster than other cameras and of course a second battery in the grip comes handy

CAUTION

Whatever option you choose be aware the D500 does not recognise Energiser Independent brand EN-EL15 equivalents..

I have has very good luck with 3rd-party EN-EL18a batteries as well as the 3rd-party dual charger for those batteries. They work as well as the Nikon charger for my D4 (now sold) and the batteries work in several different cameras, D4, D5, D810, D500 as long as you have the proper end-cap for the battery. Since I no longer have the D4 I cannot compare battery levels between that camera, but I will try with the D810 after I return home from work. Either way, I get thousands of shots per battery, and end up re-charging the battery long before it is depleted, just to have a full one.

I do, however, use the Nikon grips on all my cameras, when I went to purchase the EN-EL18a batteries they were unavailable so I got a couple really inexpensive ones from eBay. About $40 each. They worked SO well that I got the generic 2-slot charger, which looks and acts the same as the Nikon charger. I believe the charger was around $50. I cannot compare them as I no longer have the Nikon charger, I sold it with the D4.

I couldn't be happier, these 3rd-party Li-On batteries work great. I read about everyone whining about the dismal performance of the EN-EL15 and I sit back with a big grin on my face as I enjoy literally thousands of shots per charge, even with the longest of lenses. The EN-EL15 is best left in the body as you use something else more powerful in the grip.

I can understand wanting to keep it light, but it makes no sense whatsoever to put on a 500-600mm lens with a single EN-EL15 in the camera under the guise of 'keeping it light'. The grip and battery balance the camera well, even with the smaller 70-200/2.8 lenses. I admit, the combination with a long lens is NOT something you wanna sling around your neck for a day of shooting, I use Manfrotto tripods and monopods for the stuff I shoot with longer lenses and that certainly saves my back and allows me to shoot much longer (as I get older and slower...).

In my opinion you can't argue with the performance of the grip and battery, but I agree it is up to you whether you choose Nikon branded stuff or not. I have had excellent luck and performance for years now with a combination of both.

I have a D800 with a DSTN grip with DSTN EN-EL18 battery's and there extremely small plugcharger. I chose that grip because I wanted the EN-EL 18 - 3900 ah battery and as a bonus the very small charger. The price for the grip and two battery's and two chargers where less than € 150,00 or $ 180,00. No problems with the battery's and chargers sinds I use them over four years.

I use the combination on my Nikon 800 mm fl lens mounted on a Wimberley head and strong Feisol tripod. It is very well balanced combination and walk around with it all day. In november I'm going to Peru and februari to Japan with this setup.

I hope DSTN is offering a D500 grip soon with the EN.EL 18 battery!

Gary Prestash wrote:

-Snip...

Since the D5 takes the EN-EL18a battery, it would be interesting to see if someone who has both the D5 and a D500 would take a meter reading of the battery in the D5 and then take the battery out and put it into the D500. I think in that situation, the battery would show the same remaining power in both camera bodies.

it

I took the battery out of the D500 it said 91%, 204 shots, put it into the D810, it said 90% and 204 shots. This is with a 3rd-party EN-EL18a equivalent.

(had the battery in the D500 a couple weeks, been using the D810 lately...)

Thanks a question i have be pondering, to save any trouble i will stick to the original Nikon to be sure.

K1XH wrote:

This is with a 3rd-party EN-EL18a equivalent.

Please advise which 3rd party battery.

My 1.5 year old Energizer are not recognised by my D500 though they work OK in 5 other different types of Nikon body.

For those thinking D500 in the future (and maybe any future XQD/Series 2 SD body) it would be helpful to know which third part battery brands might not be a problem.

RejiP wrote:

I bought 2 of those a few years ago for my D800 and love them, I received my Meike grip for my D500 and the work perfectly.

I was going for that one, but someone just mentioned a good point about warranty void.