using grip - awkward in portrait position?

I got an aftermarket grip for my 5D. Although I haven't used it extensively, I've noticed it feeling weird. I think mostly it's because the viewfinder is off-center. When in portrait I have to have my hands held higher up relative to body/eye level

Is this just something you adjust to? I sort of imagined it feeling more comfortable than it does!

Are you saying you can't get used to it being off center because of the grip? It's the same no matter if you have a grip or not.

Yeah, you get used to it pretty fast. Don't let it get to you and think what you are shooting.

Are you holding the grip right? I found it much easier than without a grip. Your hand should still be at your side with a grip vs. no grip where your elbow is floating in the air.

Gregg.Siam wrote in post #17208735
Are you saying you can't get used to it being off center because of the grip? It's the same no matter if you have a grip or not.

Yeah, you get used to it pretty fast. Don't let it get to you and think what you are shooting.

Are you holding the grip right? I found it much easier than without a grip. Your hand should still be at your side with a grip vs. no grip where your elbow is floating in the air.

Yeah, I think it's mainly that (at least it feels) when you shoot standard your hand is basically in line with your nose, but then when you go vertical you have to hold it basically at your forehead.. just feels very different to me, I guess.

My grip on a 7D has an extra shutter button and index finger controls so my hands are in the same position, portrait or landscape.

I thought all grips would be like that (?)

It's one of the reasons I don't use a grip. I just carry an extra battery. I've never needed it as I put in a new battery each day anyway. Never saw the need for a grip, the camera is heavy enough as it is.

kaitlyn2004 wrote in post #17208639
I got an aftermarket grip for my 5D. Although I haven't used it extensively, I've noticed it feeling weird. I think mostly it's because the viewfinder is off-center. When in portrait I have to have my hands held higher up relative to body/eye level

Is this just something you adjust to? I sort of imagined it feeling more comfortable than it does!

Having used after market vertical battery grips with three Canon DSLR's - the XTi, T2i and 60D, I've never had the slightest problem with the grips. The right hand wraps around the grip, the index finger finds the shutter button, and the left hand holds the lens and operates the lens' framing ring.

From the start, the experience of using a grip has been like second nature. Now, what may have made a difference for me is that I also was used to operating cameras in portrait mode without a grip, and found that the vertical release button was more convenient than the usual shutter button.

And, photographing dozens of basketball games each season with a camera in portrait mode helps you get used to vertical grips. I was so busy tracking the action that I didn't pay attention to the grip.

I have 3 cams, all gripped, and can't at all understand what the OP's issue is. I'd much prefer a gripped cam when shooting portrait.

OP,

Even with a grip you're hand position relative to your face is going to change in portrait vs. landscape. This is because the axis that you are rotating the camera on isn't positioned at the center of the camera or down the length of the lens where you would expect it to be. You're actually rotating the camera around the viewfinder as the axis.

What the grip does is minimize the amount of change by allowing you to stay gripping the right side of the body rather than the top when in portrait mode. You'll get use to it quick enough, I'm actually surprised you picked up on such a small difference I never really even noticed it until I read your post and started thinking about what you were describing.

Agreed your hand might be a bit higher using the grip but its preferable to having to raise your elbow and twist your wrist without a grip in portrait orientation.

tvphotog wrote in post #17211871
It's one of the reasons I don't use a grip. I just carry an extra battery. I've never needed it as I put in a new battery each day anyway. Never saw the need for a grip, the camera is heavy enough as it is.

I agree! never saw a need as my batteries seem to last forever. And I always carry a charged spare or two... just in case. I can shoot 1000 shots and have my camera ON for 3 hours straight and still have power left for a couple more days. And I don't shoot as many vertical shots either.

Working event pro... sure makes sense to grip. T3 owner.... wants to look pro.

Shane W wrote in post #17213770
I agree! never saw a need as my batteries seem to last forever. And I always carry a charged spare or two... just in case. I can shoot 1000 shots and have my camera ON for 3 hours straight and still have power left for a couple more days. And I don't shoot as many vertical shots either.

Working event pro... sure makes sense to grip. T3 owner.... wants to look pro.

I gripped my T3 and it was NOT to look like a pro. It was so I could shoot in Portrait mode easier. I alwasy keep both batteries in the grip, however again battery life was not the reason I went with a grip. It was so I did not have to twist my hand and raise my elbow to shoot portrait.

kaitlyn2004 wrote in post #17208639
I got an aftermarket grip for my 5D. Although I haven't used it extensively, I've noticed it feeling weird. I think mostly it's because the viewfinder is off-center. When in portrait I have to have my hands held higher up relative to body/eye level

Is this just something you adjust to? I sort of imagined it feeling more comfortable than it does!

Yes, you're not wrong, which is why one of the neat things about the Minolta (now Sony) battery grips is that they place the vertical shutter button so it'd be in a very similar position relative to your head level when you're in portrait orientation.

Shane W wrote in post #17213770
Working event pro... sure makes sense to grip. T3 owner.... wants to look pro.

I'm not a working pro and own an XSI. How I look had nothing to do with me picking up a grip. I enjoy shooting sports and airshows and when doing so tend to spend a good portion of the day shooting in portrait mode. I'm sorry to say but whether I'm getting paid or not has nothing to do with how comfortable I am in these scenarios.

For people with large hands a grip makes sense on a rebel.

As others have mentioned, I bought a grip so my hand is not on top of the camera when shooting portrait.