Battery Grip vs. Body Only / Your Choice & Style w/ Poll

I'm interested to learn what other photographers prefer regarding using battery grips or not. I touched on this months ago. I use grips now but may sway based on other's preferences. My gear grew and paid work increasing, so I'm pondering options to shed weight. Canon DSLR and lenses served me so well, mirrorless doesn't appeal yet. Part of the matter is space gain too. The poll is particularly of interest if enough photographers complete it, but written reasons will be appreciated too.

There's pretty much 1,000 threads that will mirror this thread. And I think you'll see a spread of both for and against, with various reasons. Some people sway one way or the other over time too. It's all very personal and specific to what they're doing.

I used to love grips for the extra battery time and extra space and the easy of shooting in vertical orientation with the placement of the grip's extra buttons.

But, I also grew to dislike the added bulk, weight, etc. So went back to bare camera with no grip.

Then I went back to grip on my larger camera(s) again for easy of the buttons in vertical orientation and battery life.

Now I'm split on both. My tanks all have grips and there's no option not to have it (1D series). My smaller cameras have no grips anymore, and I'm leaving them off to keep them lighter, smaller, and fitting into smaller bags. I'm tired of taking out massive loads of gear, big bags, heavy this and that and going for a smaller volume and smaller weight where I can and just throwing a few extra batteries in there. I can change a battery in a hot second no problem. So lose a grip, gain room for another speedlite. Things like that.

Very best,

MalVeauX wrote in post #18454359
SNIP ... But, I also grew to dislike the added bulk, weight, etc. So went back to bare camera with no grip.

Then I went back to grip on my larger camera(s) again for easy of the buttons in vertical orientation and battery life ... SNIP

Some of what you wrote sounds familiar to my end. Right now, I'm finding the decision harder to make than expected. I would like to pick one choice or the other and just stick with it. The double batteries are nice. But the grip with the plates mounted for tripods pushes the cameras to the brink in a backpack and I settled on leaving the plates attached. I've learned to use the extra grip to hold, but don't use the buttons on the grip. I think I could even reconfigure my bag. It's a strange contrast. One kind of convenience vs. a bulk that started to annoy me more than expected the past year.

No grip.
1. When I use my canon gear I almost always have a bag on wheels full of kit. I would rather the spare batteries stayed in the bag until needed than carry them around in a grip all day.
2. If I don't have my full kit/wheels I would much rather just have a spare battery in my small bag/pocket than the extra bulk of a grip.
3. I never shoot portrait orientation so the extra buttons aren't helpful.

No grip and I guess it al depends on what you are comfortable with

I have grips on my bodies but will likely be removing them. They fit my hands well but I'm beginning to object to the extra weight.

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I currently use a Canon 1D Mark 4, with the grip "built in", which is what I prefer.

When I used bodies like the 5D classic and the 50D, I used them with a battery grip. . Why? . Primarily because I wanted the cameras to be bigger, and the grip would add some size to the overall setup, so that it would feel comfortable in my hands.

By the way, I do not have large hands at all - just regular average sized hands and fingers. . I just hate how awkward and uncomfortable it is to use small, light cameras. . This is one of the primary factors that has kept me from getting one of the newer mirrorless cameras - they are simply too small for comfortable use.

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For events / streets, I would use it with battery grip.

For travel, I would use body only.

For all the advantages that battery grip have, I find many grips (7D2, 5D4, etc) doesn't mirror the buttons well onto the grip resulting in different feel when using in the vertical orientation.

Hope future grips would design with this in mind.

After using a 1 series for ten years, i can't use a camera without a grip now.

I only use a grip when I know I'm shooting mostly (or all) portrait orientation. Example would be an all day beauty shoot or ecommerce.

I use a grip when I use a 1D but when I'm not using a 1D I'm not using a grip. The Grip just doesn't feel right after you man handle a 1D beauty.

I have a grip on both my 80D and my 7D Mark II, I prefer the added weight for stability when shooting with larger lenses like the Sigma 150-600 C or Sigma 50-100 f1.8. I also like the added battery life and the ability to swap batteries without having to take the tripod plate off. The bit of added bulk doesn't prevent it from fitting in my small daily-carry bag so I see no benefit to be gained by removing the grip in my situation.

-Joe

those are large lenses? sweet... my 120-300 or 200L are mammoths

TreeburnerCT wrote in post #18455596
I have a grip on both my 80D and my 7D Mark II, I prefer the added weight for stability when shooting with larger lenses like the Sigma 150-600 C or Sigma 50-100 f1.8.

Talley wrote in post #18455665
those are large lenses? sweet... my 120-300 or 200L are mammoths

Balancing the weight of large lenses is a good point that you both bring up.

I have two very heavy lenses - the first gen 400 f2.8 IS and the Sigma 300-800mm. . They're each around 12 pounds, and mounting a camera without a grip to either of them creates a balance problem when using my gimbal head.......especially the Sigmonster, because the weight (center of gravity) in that lens is so far forward.

My new Canon 100-400mm is quite small and light, relatively speaking, and I have no trouble balancing that on a small body without a grip.

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I've been using a grip since the early 70s. I have short fingers but very wide palms. My hand cramps within minutes without something larger than the body itself to wrap my mitt around.