Rebel XTi and battery grip

I LOVE MINE!!!!

this is the Opteka from Amazon.com - only $94 with 2 high capacity batteries and express shipping

also... I haven't charged the batteries in OVER 600 triggers w/ onboard flash and it's still half charged

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I've just bought grip for my 400d (xti) and it really makes the difference. Very big difference.

The battery grip was by far the best thing I purchased for the camera, it sees more use than any other lens/accessory I have, mainly because I never take it off.

It was also the first thing I purchased for my 40D, couldn't live without one.

Can't live without the grip. My only advice: DON'T BUY THE TARGUS GRIP. I bought one for my nephew's camera. Total piece of crap. And, after I got it, I saw that it has gotten horrible reviews for durability. I've got the Canon grip and others seem to like the Opteka.

Randy1213 wrote in post #5570225
Can't live without the grip. My only advice: DON'T BUY THE TARGUS GRIP. I bought one for my nephew's camera. Total piece of crap. And, after I got it, I saw that it has gotten horrible reviews for durability. I've got the Canon grip and others seem to like the Opteka.

I have zero complaint with the Opteka... the build seems solid and durable

do you think canons grip for the 400D will drop in price. since its replaced with a bg-e5 for the 450D?

The grip actually feels better than the XTi (400D for me) itself. I wouldn't want to handle my camera without it!

i think I will pick one up then for the camera, cant really hurt to have it. thanks for the tips!!

Red Dot wrote in post #5572353
do you think canons grip for the 400D will drop in price. since its replaced with a bg-e5 for the 450D?

not as long as there are XTi's and XT's out there and still forsale. Market value will always go up and down.

I cannot echo what was said above enough. The XTi is a whole new and better body to hold with the grip. You will love it, spend the money, give in to temptation.

beezwax wrote in post #5574208
not as long as there are XTi's and XT's out there and still forsale. Market value will always go up and down.

you can find them on sale every now and then. i picked up the XT/XTi accessory kit (grip, extra battery, 58mm UV, bag) for $150 last year.

I bought the XT/XTi accessory kit on an impulse for 200 bucks a few days ago.
Overall, I'm very content with the battery grip itself. Just can't get it to fit in my Nova 1 AW bag with grip and lens attached.

the opteka grip, as i've said a thousand times before, is out-freaking-standing for the price. i got the one with the 2 generic batteries, so i have 2 canon batteries, and 2 digi-whatever-brand ones. i couldn't tell you the difference between the batteries, they both last frickin' forever. as far as the grip itself...good lord it'll change the way you shoot. i have one on my XTi and also gripped up my work's 5D and 20D. it only takes a few days to get used to. as a matter of fact, i thought it was just kind of 'meh' at first, as i didn't even realize the scroll wheel and second button on it! after i realized those were there, it occurred to me how important an addition to the camera it was. more power, better flexibility in shooting, better grip, it balances out nicely with my 580 on top of the camera...you can't go wrong for a $70 investment.

for the record, i have the canon grips for the 5D and 20D...you honestly can't tell the difference between the opteka and the canon one. and neither can anyone else

also, to further thread-jack, i have 3rd party hoods on my 50mm 1.8 & my 85mm 1.8...no one's ever noticed those either..
paying 50 bucks for a freakin lens hood is ridiculous. www.dealextreme.com has so many awesome 3rd party lens accessories that have saved me a ton of money. it's a chinese site, but they have awesome quality gear.wireless remotes, center-pinch lenscaps, umbrellas, flashes, you name it.

but yes, get the grip. you'll need a bigger bag though.

Molnies wrote in post #5560388
That's a third party hood, the Canon one has the markings "Canon EW-83J Canon inc Made in Japan" and a red dot under the EW-83J. Honestly I don't really understand why people would pay $1000 for a lens and don't spend an extra $50 or so for a real Canon hood — but that's just me.

I spent $1,000 for the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens simply because no one has made a comparable knock-off that is selling at $100. If a totally comparable lens was available at 10% of the cost of the Canon lens, I would be the first in a long line of purchasers.

Since a totally comparable knock-off hood is available at a fraction of the price of an OEM hood (which any other manufacturer supplies as part of the lens package at no extra charge) I decided not to feather the Canon God's nest with my hard earned money and purchased the knock-off hood.

If the name on the hood is important to anyone, my knock-off reads "For EW-83J Canon".

By the way, there are knock-off lens caps on eBay which IMO are superior to the Canon models. These lens caps are center-pinch rather than edge pinch. IMO, it is a lot easier to put a center pinch lens cap on a lens that has a hood mounted (either an OEM or a knock-off) than it is to place an edge-pinch cap on the same lens.

The Canon OEM cap on the used 300mm f/4L IS lens I bought was defective. I was able to replace the lens hoods on all my Canon lenses with knock-off center-pinch caps for the price I would have paid to replace the one OEM cap.

And for folks who are brand conscious, guess what? My knock-off center-pinch lens caps read "Canon" just like the OEM models.

From what I've seen the third party hoods don't have flocking in them, or are there versions that have the exact same texture and such as the Canon hoods? That bit of cloth really helps cut down reflections, at least from my experience, and it seems to be worth the extra price. I mean I personally see no reason to cheap out on a hood for like $50 when you've bought a lens for $1000, but I know some people do.