Battery Grip Controversy

It is true that on my Opteka the second half of the shutter button press needs more pressure than the top release button. But the fact is that I rather like it. I find that it makes for steadier shots because it reminds me to relax and press slowly rather than just banging away. I certainly wouldn't have spent $80 for a lighter trigger, but as the equation changes each buyer will have to make his own calculations.
Elie

now there is only a 45 dollar difference, maybe i can get my hands on both and make a final decision, until then im clueless, thanks for all the input

I've had the chance to play with both the Canon and Opteka and also completely disassembled both to see if there is any other major differences. From what I have discovered, I can tell you that you do get what you paid for. While the feel is the same between the two grips except for the soft shutter button on the Opteka vs. the better button on the Canon, the quality of the components used to make the grips are a lot different.

Read my comparison here... https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=172981

If you have the money, I would go for the Canon BG-E3 because it's an overall better grip. But if you are on a tight budget and have never held the Canon grip in your hand, I would get the Opteka.

Howdy,

FWIW, I have the Canon grip and my 350D freezes now and then when shooting a steady stream of shots (say one every five seconds or so on average, with lots of servo AF going on).

I.e. I wouldn't say power problems were limited to the Opteka.

Otherwise I like the grip a lot. I also can't lay the freezing issues completely at the door of the grip, since I've not shot in the conditions above without it.

Mark

wow.. you never know what your going to read.. I had my camera freeze on me once... ofcourse it was in the middle of a shoot and made me panic a little bit.. I just took the batteries out of the grip, put them back in and I was good to go again and haven't had any issues again... btw I have the BG-E3.. and allthough I have suggested the opteka if folks are on a budget I couldn't quite bring myself to make the same decision for myself... I just preferred to have the Canon brand.... but, considering the opteka price is coming up I'm not nearly as impressed with the idea of it.. sixty bucks.. good deal.. a hundred bucks and the gap between generic brand/name brand get's blurred and I'd rather purchase name brand.....

sari

Howdy,

Yep, that's how I fix it when it happens to me (with the addition of shutting off the power first, and turning it back on last).

I'm getting pretty fast at it, though its not a skill I particularly wanted to have.

Mark

I have the BG-E3 grip. I've only used it for one outing at Mid-Ohio and had a problem the first time I took "rapid-fire" shots. I just re-seated the battery tray and didn't have a problem the rest of the weekend.

As far as using AA's, I only carry them as a last resort. I have two NB-2LH's in the grip, and I shot close to 1000 photos in one weekend at mid-ohio, and had power left over. Didn't need the AA's

I'm another with the Canon BG-E3. Bought mine off ebay from a german photo-store. About 2/3rds the price of the same item in the UK. Never had a spot of trouble with it and it never leaves the camera. As for using the AA tray - I suppose it's ok for emergencies but remember that the rechargeable NiMH & Ni-Cad are only 1.2V so the camera will see them as being only partly charged when they are fully charged.