battery grip???

this may sound really dumb, but im really new to this

whats the purpose of the batterygrip

There are several purposes.

1. It holds two batteries.
2. It has a vertical shutter release
3. It allows a handstrap to be put on the camera.
4. It makes the camera not as front heavy with a telephoto lense on it.
5. (my fav) It makes it look bigger and cooler.

LOL

lol thanks....i totally agree with number 5

Alex - I never use a second battery in my grip. Its purpose for me is strictly to get a better hand-hold on the camera. I also use the Hand Strap E1 with my grip, and the combination makes a tremendous difference in hanging on to the camera.

most will also put the shutter release button in 2 places --
BUT a standard case won't fit , it makes it tight to put in small bag and adds weight if you use neck strap - [I leave my neck strap on even when on a tripod .]

Adding the battery grip with the E1 is a great setup. I dont normally shoot with my BG-E2 but when I put heavier lenses or flash on my 30D, I put the grip and handstrap on as well. This will balance the whole thing a lot better.

I just got mine...

It makes all the difference in the world when hand holding a long lens.

I never used one and never really thought I needed one until I switched from the 70-200mm non-IS to the IS model. Suddenly, I was doing a lot of hand holding with this long and relatively heavy (heavy in comparison to the XT body) lens. IMO the combination did not balance well.

The extra size and weight of the battery grip (I use a YXTM grip which I purchased through eBay directly from Hong Kong) definitely help balance this combination.

The extra button for use when shooting verticals is nice also.

Another plus is that it seems to help keep my right thumb off the control buttons in the rear of the XT. Now I don't inadvertently change my drive from single shot to self-timer by accidently hitting the control button.

The battery grip also helps balance my 24-70mm f/2.8L which is another rather large and heavy lens.

The extra battery is really of very little consequence to me (except for adding weight) since the XT is so great regarding battery life. However, since I am using my 70-200mm f/4L IS lens 3-4x more than I ever used its non-IS sibling, and since I almost always hand hold the lens with IS on - the extra battery might just come in handy.

My battery grip cost $64 USD including shipment from Hong Kong. I held my breath while waiting for it but, it arrived in a reasonable time and works just fine.