Zeikos 7D Grip Releasing Shortly!

[ManiZ]

I have wanted the Canon BG-E7 grip ever since the camera arrived but have been on the fence due to cost. I was now about to pull the trigger but am glad I wrote to Zeikos first. They just replied to say their grip for the 7D is now ready and will be available for purchase here in the US in the next 2-3 weeks.

Just some news I thought to share!

[Bill Boehme]

I have wanted the Canon BG-E7 grip ever since the camera arrived but have been on the fence due to cost. I was now about to pull the trigger but am glad I wrote to Zeikos first. They just replied to say their grip for the 7D is now ready and will be available for purchase here in the US in the next 2-3 weeks.

Just some news I thought to share!

I have not had any trouble finding the Canon battery grip. They were in stock at online dealers like B&H and Amphoto. I just walked into a local camera store a few weeks ago and bought one over the counter.

I have never heard of that brand before. Whether warranted or not, I usually have reservations about the quality of aftermarket items like this.

I saw a You Tube review which indicated that it was OK, but the doofus doing the review installed it on the camera with the batteries installed in the grip. Never install or remove the grip with the batteries installed.

[e02937]

/\/\ not sure what you mean? I think the OP was on the fence due to cost, not that he couldn't find it in stock.

Interesting, I'll be looking forward to seeing waht it looks like and the price.

[rdompor]

I saw a You Tube review which indicated that it was OK, but the doofus doing the review installed it on the camera with the batteries installed in the grip. Never install or remove the grip with the batteries installed.

What's wrong with removing the grip with batteries?

[xhack]

Never install or remove the grip with the batteries installed.
Why?

Beyond the commonsense precaution of switching off the camera, I've removed grips from my 5D and 20D for over three years without probs. Am I just lucky - or is there a really good reason to remove batteries?

edit - oops, cross post

[johneo]

See that!!! :cry: I knew it!!! :cry:

I ordered the Canon grip for my 7D because no aftermarket grips had come out yet and just 3 short days after it's delivered ... they come out!!! :mad:

Oh well! I'm going to be needing it this weekend anyway and didn't want to wait.

[Bill Boehme]

What's wrong with removing the grip with batteries?

Why?

Beyond the commonsense precaution of switching off the camera, I've removed grips from my 5D and 20D for over three years without probs. Am I just lucky - or is there a really good reason to remove batteries?

Canon instructions for 7D grip say not to do it -- reason enough for me.

Turning off the main switch does not turn off all power -- the control signal from the power switch goes through some power conditioning and de-bounce circuitry that control soft switches to insure clean make-break power switching. Mechanically interrupting power bypasses this protection and produces a huge amount of contact noise that can cause unpredictable results in digital circuits.

Odds are that you can probably get away with it, but why do what they say not to do??

[ScottsGT]

Yea....thanks. Just ordered mine from B&H this morning and it has already shipped.....

[ManiZ]

See that!!! :cry: I knew it!!! :cry:

I ordered the Canon grip for my 7D because no aftermarket grips had come out yet and just 3 short days after it's delivered ... they come out!!! :mad:

Oh well! I'm going to be needing it this weekend anyway and didn't want to wait.

Yeah, I believe I saw your posting recently about the absence of aftermarket grip options for the 7D and how you were going for the Canon one. That does suck, but you can always return yours if it still looks new!

Bill, Zeikos has excellent reputation for their DSLR grips. These forums as well as places like Amazon etc. are full of user reviews on Zeikos grips for Canon and Nikon. What sold me on them (without ever having seen one in person) was the fact that many semi-pro and pro photographers use them and are often hard pressed to tell the difference between those and the genuine grips. They have withstood years of use in many hands and still work perfectly. And the cost surely can't be beat! (approx. 65% less than the original).

I have an international trip coming up in 6 weeks and can't wait to get my hands on one of these. Really hoping it is released as currently planned. Their email to me, albeit brief, inspires plenty of confidence!

[TSY87]

Canon instructions for 7D grip say not to do it -- reason enough for me.

Turning off the main switch does not turn off all power -- the control signal from the power switch goes through some power conditioning and de-bounce circuitry that control soft switches to insure clean make-break power switching. Mechanically interrupting power bypasses this protection and produces a huge amount of contact noise that can cause unpredictable results in digital circuits.

Odds are that you can probably get away with it, but why do what they say not to do??

maybe there is some fancy wizardry going on inside the 7d grip but what difference is removing the grip with batteries in it vs removing a battery from the camera without a grip?

seems like the same thing to me, only difference is with a grip, you have to unscrew it before popping it out.

[Bill Boehme]

maybe there is some fancy wizardry going on inside the 7d grip but what difference is removing the grip with batteries in it vs removing a battery from the camera without a grip?

seems like the same thing to me, only difference is with a grip, you have to unscrew it before popping it out.

Lacking circuit diagrams and mechanical drawings, about all that we can do is to speculate on Canon's reasons. There are some additional contacts in the battery recess that are only used by the grip and, therefore, have no bearing on removing the battery from either the camera or from the grip itself. That is my idle speculation for the day FWIW. ;)

[laydros]

I think Bill has a point on the additional contacts. The grip doesn't just provide battery power, but also has signal connections for the shutter, AEL, etc.

I had a third party grip for my Sony and it was fine, didn't seem to cause any trouble and served the purpose. It was probably a little lighter than the Sony branded grip. However I'm pretty obsessive about this kind of stuff and it always drove me nuts that I didn't have the thing that the engineers intended to be used with the camera, and the plastic didn't quite match. When I went to Canon a 3rd party grip wasn't even considered.

I have also seen lots of good stuff about the Zeikos, it seems to be pretty well respected, but it seems to make a lot more sense to use 3rd party on a $500 camera than on one costing 3x as much.

[Jon]

Canon instructions for 7D grip say not to do it -- reason enough for me.

Turning off the main switch does not turn off all power -- the control signal from the power switch goes through some power conditioning and de-bounce circuitry that control soft switches to insure clean make-break power switching. Mechanically interrupting power bypasses this protection and produces a huge amount of contact noise that can cause unpredictable results in digital circuits.

Odds are that you can probably get away with it, but why do what they say not to do??
I suspect that's a carry-over from the false low-battery problem that plagued the BG-E2 when the 20D first came out. Along with some kind of change to the internals of the grip Canon issued directions that the grip be mounted before you inserted the batteries. It may be so that all the camera and grip circuitry receive power at the same time, and therefore respond as a single unit.

[savoirferret]

Thanks for this info. I was almost ready to get the Canon. I can wait a couple of weeks.

[jluspo]

$1700 camera and you're going to save $50 bucks for an off-brand grip that has electronics in it?

I think the $215 that Canon charges is fair. I doubt that Canon publishes the schematics of the 7D with all the commands that goes between it and the grip. Just like non-Canon lenses, non-OEM manufacturers has to reverse engineer their product and probably does a good job with it.

But, if they miss something, specially with "version 1" that you're buying, it may render your 7D useless and void the warranty. I would not risk it.

[ManiZ]

It is an approx $140 saving, actually; approximate because we don't know what the exact cost will be when it is released.

I have never understood why people get so fixated on "genuine MUST be better". There are cases when it is and others when it isn't. If that were always the case, no one would be putting $200 after market stereos into their $40,000 cars (the cost ratio there is ridiculously tiny). A malfunctioning circuit in one of those can cause much more in electrical damage to the car and neither warranty nor insurance would cover it.

This thread wasn't meant to discuss Zeikos' merit over the "real thing"; it was merely an announcement of a product many have been waiting for but no one knew its release date.

[Chronoknight]

This is great news! I have a 7D on the way and was hoping a 3rd party grip would come out. I bought a Zeikos grip for my 30D a few months ago, best $60 I ever spent! It's been a real godsend because I seem to shoot 80% in portrait mode. My current Zeikos feels every bit as solid, if not more so, than the OEM grip for a fraction of the price. I hope the 7D grip will be held to the same standard.

[Bill Boehme]

I suppose that Canon makes their biggest profits from anal people like me who get a warm fuzzy if all the accessories are genuine Canon. I know that many aftermarket items are every bit as good as the OEM stuff. There is also the occasional low quality low quality product (usually from shady dealers) that is worrisome. With a company that has an established reputation, even I might be persuaded to buy from them. With some things like filters, I consider certain other brands to be superior to the ones offered by the camera makers.

[c2thew]

"However I'm pretty obsessive about this kind of stuff and it always drove me nuts that I didn't have the thing that the engineers intended to be used with the camera, and the plastic didn't quite match."

man you are the person i would want to sell to if i ever owned a camera company.

[FatCat0]

Any more word on this grip? I'm also curious if it has the same dimensions as the Canon one; wonder if an L-plate would fit it just as nicely....

[savoirferret]

They responded to my query on 12/9 that the grip would come in two weeks.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=9167416

[ManiZ]

My Zeikos grip has arrived!

Evidently, I am the only consumer in the world with one currently. I checked with Zeikos CS team last week since 12/18 had passed and the grip still wasn't on their site. Turned out that it was due to ship from their factory after Christmas and would take another week after that to be available for purchase. I couldn't wait that long due to an upcoming international trip so they offered to sell me the only production-ready BG-E7 their factory sent them prior to beginning full scale production. Works for me! :D

I'd really like to compare it to the genuine Canon in person. But I can tell from pics and videos of the Canon version that it has the same rubberized coating on the battery door as the rest of the grip. The Zeikos version does not and I believe all their grips have thus far been that way.

Zeikos has (thankfully) corrected Canon's one flaw with the BG-E7; the ultra sensitive shutter release button I keep reading about on POTN. The Zeikos grip's shutter release has the same amount of travel as on the 7D's body and feels exactly the same way. The three AF-related buttons have a slightly softer feel than on the body but nothing that I would find odd. The master control dial and M-fn button have the exact feel of their equivalents on the body. I have tested all the grip's controls thoroughly and they work perfectly.

Also, the rubber used on the exterior of the Zeikos grip (front and bottom) has the same pattern, color, and texture as on the 7D body but the feel is actually slightly cushier!

The only thing I would like to see improved is the battery door; it has some play and isn't as tight as I'd like for it to be. Other than that, I am in love with this grip. Being mostly a portrait shooter, I can't believe I never tried grips before. Not just the convenience, but it really makes the 7D feel even more well-balanced and weighted.

I look forward to the long term test. Below are some pics for you guys, taken with my lowly PS A540.

P.S.: Please don't PM me with questions about cost. I paid the same cost any of you will when this grip is officially released in a few weeks but I don't want to divulge something Zeikos hasn't made public yet. I don't think they would mind this review of mine.

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/8365/img0015dpp.jpg

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/4549/img0017dpp.jpg

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/6061/img0019dpp.jpg

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/3209/img0021dpp.jpg

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/8339/img0024dpp.jpg

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/3778/img0026dpp.jpg

[ScottsGT]

Not bad. Looking at mine, I see that the Zeikos has a finger grip/ridge that will rest between the index finger and middle finger while the Canon is smooth. Your door also has more pronounced raised areas on the door too.
One thing the Canon lacks is any Canon branding on the front of it! I mean, come on Canon! At $220 I expect to have your brand all over the front of it like all the other Canon grips do! I do like the rubber "grip tape" on the Canon door though.

[ManiZ]

Ah...I didn't realize the Canon grip is smooth on the front. Yes, that ridge on Zeikos is a nice ergonomic feature. One of the main reasons I (and I bet many others) wanted a grip was my giant hands and that ridge certainly helps make things more comfortable.

[HyperYagami]

One thing the Canon lacks is any Canon branding on the front of it!

Wow I never noticed that...I guess another cost-cutting measure...:confused:

[Scout7id]

Why not post the price? What are they going to do, take it back? Or are you just trying to brag?

I'm more than sure the MSRP has been set already. They wouldn't go into full production without it being set.

[ManiZ]

Why not post the price? What are they going to do, take it back? Or are you just trying to brag?

Of course the MSRP must be set. But how exactly does that give me the right to announce it to the world? Your comment gave me a mental image of teasing Zeikos from the other end of a wide chasm asking them to come take it back if they can. There is such a thing as consumer etiquette; albeit I can see how it is in fairly short supply.

[Scout7id]

That begs the question, did they ask you not to divulge the price?

I would think that there are a lot of persons not unlike myself who would hold off the imminent purchase of a Canon grip if we knew what the price would be for the Zeikos grip. The grip looks like it is a very fair competitor to the OEM and it could only be a good thing for Zeikos to be able to claim some of those Canon sales for their grip.

[ManiZ]

Nah, they never mentioned it. Hence why it's best to err on the side of caution. No worries though; the cat will be out of the bag soon enough.

You are correct about there being plenty of potential customers out there who, just like me, have wanted a grip for their 7D but have been hesitant due to cost. However, Zeikos' track history in ROI should be sufficient by itself to make a little wait worth their while; an exact $ amount shouldn't really make a huge difference to anyone. After all, I had never even heard of Zeikos until I saw a thread about their 5DII grip here and read online reviews here as well as on Amazon etc. on all their other grips. Was enough to make me email them to get an ETA on the 7D grip and continue to wait. I knew the ROI would be there!

[savoirferret]

Thanks for the review, ManiZ. Even if by chance it isn't going to be significantly cheaper than the Canon (but I expect it will be), the news that the shutter button action more closely matches that of the camera is enough to put it on my get list.

[HyperYagami]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=Zeikos+ZEZECBG7D+ZE-CBG7D+Power+Battery+Grip&N=0

wow, 1/2 the price of canon's.

[booja]

i have a zeikos grip on my 5d2. it works great, not loose, mounts perfect... like oem

only thing is it doesnt feel as strong as the canon ones since its plastic and not magnesium.

but i only paid 90 for the zeikos one instead of 250+ for the canon one.

[ManiZ]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=Zeikos+ZEZECBG7D+ZE-CBG7D+Power+Battery+Grip&N=0

wow, 1/2 the price of canon's.

Great to see it is finally available and to be honest, I am relieved that they did charge me the same price. I was sure they did but this is a good reassurance nonetheless.

[isaax]

It's now on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Zeikos-ZE-CBG7D-Battery-Power-Camera/dp/B0032JTOBM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1262626429&sr=8-1) too but out of stock and $39 more than B&H.

[tivoboy]

N
One thing the Canon lacks is any Canon branding on the front of it! I mean, come on Canon! At $220 I expect to have your brand all over the front of it like all the other Canon grips do! Doesn't the canon say CANON right above the thumb wheel on the front?

[timecube]

Doesn't the canon say CANON right above the thumb wheel on the front?

When the BG-E7 is mounted there is no visible Canon branding.

[linh811]

you guys with the grip, how do you lay your camera down on a flat surface w/o the weight of the lens tipping it over?

[rijndael]

you guys with the grip, how do you lay your camera down on a flat surface w/o the weight of the lens tipping it over?

I can't specifically comment on the griped 7D, but I used to put my T1i down on it's side, specifically the left side. It leaves the right side of the grip facing up so it's easier to grab quickly, and it keeps it relatively stable. Exactly like ManiZ's last picture.

[pbelarge]

I just came back from a trip to B&H. I tested both grips. I came home with the Zeikos...because the difference in price paid for a Canon battery. ;)

I just had enough money for the toll, spent more at B&H then I should have. :)