Batt grip for travelling?

[Noobic]

Do you bring along your battery grip while youre on a vacation or just save some weight and leave it home?

[Deejayry]

I'll be taking my 10d with grip (and possibly 50d with grip) when i go traveling next year, i need as much shooting time as possible, i will have a 30kg total weight limit because of airline restrictions (20kg in main baggage and 10kg for hand luggage) so far the weight of my camera gear is going to be 11-12kg, but i only have about 7kg of kit in my main baggage, where possible try to buy lightweight camping gear ect and weight shouldn't be too much of a problem.

For me the traveling experience is mainly about the chance for photography, so i value the camera equipment over having an extra set of clothes or luxury items for example.

I have the advantage that i will be overlanding so i dont need to have all of my kit with me very often.

[BigBlueDodge]

I'll be leaving both of my grips at home for my upcoming trip to Costa Rica. I want to keep weight down to a minimum, and am okay with using one battery in the camera at a time.

[Noobic]

cool...but for normal casual shooting(Christmas, birthday parties and so on) do you guys still attach the grip on?

[Jon]

I don't have grips for any of my cameras (except the 1D3 - they didn't give me a choice). I had one for the 20D back when but I sold it - it didn't offer anything and it took up more space in my bag than I liked. If weight's a concern, a second battery in your pocket weighs less than the same one in the grip you had to attach to your camera, and lets you get just as many shots.

[BigBlueDodge]

Both of my cameras are gripped (50D & 5D MKII). For everyday shooting I leave the grip on (since my normal shooting doesn't generally require me to carry them much). For traveling, i take grips off.

[Mirarch4960]

My battery grip stays on camera all the time. Regarding taking it with the camera while on vacation; I think that depends on how many pictures are you planning to take. In my case I took over 2000 shots while in France and about the same in London. Moreover, in my view, the battery grip enhances the camera ergonomics. Keep in mind the Rebel T1i/500D is a bit small (at least for my hands).

Cheers,

[Bushplane Ken]

My Wife and I were recently on a 13 day cruise from Auckland, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia with extra time at each end we were away for 3 weeks. I decided to take my Rebel XT as a backup, but I left the grip at home. My 40D travelled; gripped!

[AKHOO]

My wife and I were recently in Indonesia and Malaysia visiting relatives over a 3 week period. With a gripped 500D, the batteries did not require a single charge - we took over 2000 shots.

I will be getting a grip for the 7D, not so much for the battery charge but the ergonomics. I find it easier to hold and steady myself with the grip.

[dovaka]

i dont think i have ever taken a grip off of one of my cameras after i had attached it nevermind left it at home. i honestly have a hard time using some of my friends cameras that arent gripped.

[yogestee]

Once fitted,,never removed.. Take them everywhere with me..

[bohdank]

I debated leaving it at home on my last trip. At the end of the day, the minor savings in weight wouldn't allow me to bring more stuff anyway so I just left it on.

[picturecrazy]

I've totally lost all interest in grips for a couple reasons:

1. it hampers your usage of the joystick for AF point selection
2. it's heavy and takes up more space, and doesn't make your pictures any prettier
3. the battery life on the canon cameras are really good. If you can totally drain one whole battery while shooting vacation snaps then you are crazy! And if you shoot lots of video, having a spare battery in your bag or pocket is a lot less than having a big grip attached
4. When strapped around your neck or shoulder, cameras with no grip rest nicer against your body, especially with heavier lenses.
5. If I have to carry more weight and make more space in my bag, it might as well be a lens or flash rather than a grip.
6. I have to constantly check the torque on the screw knob to make sure it's on tight. It can work itself loose now and then. This is also why some people experience more Err99 due to a loose grip creating poor electrical contact.

But for some, the grip is just more comfortable in the hands, which really trumps everything.