5D Battery Grip ?

[Jannie]

I'm quite comfortable with my 5D except when shooting vertical portraits with the 70-200 f2.8 which seems to be on my camera all the time. Does the grip really facilitate a more solid holding and possibly balance the set up better? I know it adds weight but I've noticed that sometimes balance is more important than weight.

[BBrat]

I'm quite comfortable with my 5D except when shooting vertical portraits with the 70-200 f2.8 which seems to be on my camera all the time. Does the grip really facilitate a more solid holding and possibly balance the set up better? I know it adds weight but I've noticed that sometimes balance is more important than weight.


I feel it does and I dont think I could ever go without. Also it double's the battery life too.:D

[WhiteInsight]

Why not go to your local camera shop and see if they have one for you to try out? Its always hard to find out what something is like untill you try it.

[Ralph Merlino]

I have battery grips on all my cameras. Much better balance.

[rcheung07]

I had the same problem with weight and balance with all my 2.8L until I got the grips. Battery will last all day at a wedding and the balance definitely helps big time.

[Nick_C]

I find the 5D + 24-105L are quite well balanced, so I decided against buying the grip as the batteries last long enough & I can carry more in my bag if need be.

Im sure it would be very good though on a 70-200 f/2.8 as that weighs 1.8Kg I think, thats pretty heavy hanging on the body like that.

The only thing I do miss with not having a grip is the vertical shooting, it was a little easier although I always thought the viewfinder ideally needed moving up a little when shooting vertical, but of course thats not possible ;-)

[Jon]

I use the 70-200 2.8 a great deal on the 20D and 5D, ungripped. You really need to learn to hold the camera properly. You should be bearing all the weight on your left hand, supporting the lens. That will also help minimize tendencies for the lens to waggle, as it may if you're relying on your right hand, holding the grip, to support everything.

[Nick_C]

Thats how I hold my L & its not a very heavy lens, 600g I think!

I think the worst way is both hands on the body.

[Jannie]

Yeah the 24-105 is a piece of cake vertical without the battery grip, but it seems lately I've got the 70-200 2.8 on the camera most of the time and I'm sure shooting a lot of people stuff at 170-200mm and loving it. I just never feel quite as solid as I want to be, yes I've done a lot of this and messed with every way I can imagine with my hand on the lens, even with and without the tripod bracket just to see if there was an area of confidence there.

I also notice that after a couple of hundred frames shooting vertical that it gets much less steady and I don't like that. When I'm shooting I'm generally locked in and that'll distract me. Anyway I think the store's open today so I might drop by to try one on my camera.

[P51Mstg]

Got one, got the grip. Well worth it. Does make the camera a lot heavier with the second battery, but still a very useful addition..........

Mark H
PS: You also get to shoot longer, a pair of batteries lasts a LONG time

[b.d.bop]

I love mine - couldn't do without it. ;)

[ben_r_]

I had the grips for my 40D and 5D and really didnt like how "non-1D solid" they feel. I also found that I like the lighter weight of the bodies ungripped as well as the smaller size. I have had no problem using any of my longer heavier lenses without a grip either. Just like Jon said, its all in how you hold it and where you put the weight of the lens.

[Nick_C]

I had the grips for my 40D and 5D and really didnt like how "non-1D solid" they feel. I also found that I like the lighter weight of the bodies ungripped as well as the smaller size. I have had no problem using any of my longer heavier lenses without a grip either. Just like Jon said, its all in how you hold it and where you put the weight of the lens.

hehe yeah the 5D was made as a lightweight/smaller alternative to a FF 1D but without sacrificing quality, then people go & bung a grip on it to make it more 1D'ish :p

[b.d.bop]

hehe yeah the 5D was made as a lightweight/smaller alternative to a FF 1D but without sacrificing quality, then people go & bung a grip on it to make it more 1D'ish :p
Right, but don't forget cheaper - by far - so you can't blame them.
The cost of the grip is far less than the difference in price between the 1D and the 5D. ;)

[Jannie]

I bought the grip, "Re: You really need to learn to hold the camera properly." I have a very good idea how to hold the camera having worked with them most of my life, and that's a very long time. I wanted more, I wanted it better. One thing I was quite proud of was how smoothly I could hand hold motion picture cameras making the shots look as if shot from a tripod with a fluid head.

I put a grip on my camera in the store with my 70-200 2.8 on it and wow, I started taking photos of the salesperson, very smooth, very solid, and yes very heavy but the balance was so sweet that it tood about 20 seconds to forget the weight.

There will be times I will take it off because of the weight and because it does make it look so "professional" which is a big detriment for a lot of what I do, I would be shooting an XTi if it had the same quality as the 5D. The last thing I need or want is to try to impress anyone with the equipment and I've been working behind a camera long enough to where the only think I'd ever care about you being impressed with is more about appreciating my photos, impressed or not.

I just picked it up to practice a bit, I'm tired, it's hot and I'm also pretty frustrated about some other things today but I started shooting at first 135mm/1/30th sec @2.8 and chimping in and got a big dose of wow, so I started going around shooting at 200mm, 1/30 sec and 2.8-I'm amazed, very good, not quite excellent at that length, there only seems to be sharp or not sharp, really no grey areas at all, but it's new I've only got a dozen frames on that camera with the grip but it makes a huge difference to me. I'm going to go practice now with the IS turned off and see how well I can do.

[Jannie]

OMGosh it's like I just got a whole new camera, it might be a dream but it's waaaaayyyyy better when using the IS off than ever before; this brings back both the 85 1.2 and 135 2 into serious consideration.

This is absolutely thrilling but I assumed I would hate walking around with it hanging from my neck. A couple of weeks ago I got one of the POTN neck straps-do it, they are very convenitent and comfortable and I'd hesitated because the photos make them look so big, they are not-just a little wider where the pad is than the original Canon strap and soo comfortable. This is in reference to having it hanging around my neck, the only way I use a strap as I only carry one camera.

So I did some tests with the 24-105 and came away feeling that I hardly need to think about IS if I can still shoot at 1/30th of a second, even at 105mm, but I will leave the IS on all the time like I usually do.

Maybe it's just because it's new and you pay more attention when something is new but I'm convinced this is a hugely excellent tool. And I'd had trepidations because some had said they were not solid and they could feel flex, well they must have changed something in the design because it's as if it was built as part of the camera.

And yes there will be sometimes I'll want to go light, it's rock solid on my camera and feels fantastic but the camera felt good with everything but the heaviest of my lenses before so there will probably be times I have it off.

But there is another thing that is very noticable, it's the way the camera is now balanced with the lenses, I've caught myself shooting vertical shots and forgetting and putting my hand up on the top and it's more solid doing that as well as using my hand on the side, pretty interesting, it just overall gives greater balance and confidence.

[Nick_C]

^ well good for you, im glad you got it sorted out a little more now.