End all to 40D grip questions..hopefuly..

I plan on getting the BG-E2N in the near future.

My only gripes are how poorly designed the backs of the grips are. Have you ever seen Nikon's battery grips?! They completely destroy Canon's. Im hoping Canon can see this, and decide to do a slight redesign in the near future.

Mr.M2 wrote in post #5979639
I bought the Canon grip when I bought the camera from B&H.
I wanted quality with no worries.
I bought it for the benefit of using AA batteries in a pinch.
Since I got it I've taken nearly all of my shots 'vertical'.
I couldn't be more happy.

canonloader wrote in post #5987564
Although there are supposedly 4 grips that fit the 40D, including some aftermarket brands, I went with the Canon BG-E2N. I actually ordered it the same day as the camera, from different places, and it got here first, so it went on the body before I ever took a picture. Been on ever since.

A note of caution. I used NiMh AA rechargables in the grip. While they did work well, lasted for several thousand shots, I started getting ERR99's a lot. When I quit using them and went to double BP-511A's, the Err99 stopped. Too bad too, cause the AA's are a bit lighter, but they just caused problems.

I ordered the BG-E2N at the same time I ordered my 40D. I have Canon grips on both my 20D and D60 and just like the added peace of mind that having the Canon grip gives. I've seen too many horror stories about the third-party grips to take that risk.

I think the AA battery tray for the BG-E2 grips is nothing more than a sales gimmick. I tried AA batteries in my 20D and found them to be very limited in their life. I've eliminated the need for AA batteries by having a total of 12 BP-511 type batteries for the three cameras (and my G-5).

x2x3x4x5x wrote in post #5989299
I plan on getting the BG-E2N in the near future.

My only gripes are how poorly designed the backs of the grips are. Have you ever seen Nikon's battery grips?! They completely destroy Canon's. Im hoping Canon can see this, and decide to do a slight redesign in the near future.

And before you say it, I'd gladly pay the Nikon price for the Nikon grip quality.

I also think the BG-E2 grips aren't as well made as the BG-ED3 grip for the D60. In the battery compartment of the BG-ED3, there is a solid partition between the batteries that isn't present in the BG-E2 (because of the need to insert the AA tray.) Additionally, the BG-ED3 conforms to the contours of the D60 body where the BG-E2 looks like an afterthought on the 20D and 40D. I've managed to disguise the poor fit of the BG-E2 grips by putting RRS L brackets on the cameras, although that wasn't the prime reason...

Well, if you believe the info on them, the AA's I had were 2700MaH, while the BP-511's are only 1350. And I did get close to 3000 clicks off the first charge. But there is something about the quick recycle time, that didn't hold up, like shooting at 6fps, the twin BP's were more stable.

canonloader wrote in post #5989537
Well, if you believe the info on them, the AA's I had were 2700MaH, while the BP-511's are only 1350. And I did get close to 3000 clicks off the first charge. But there is something about the quick recycle time, that didn't hold up, like shooting at 6fps, the twin BP's were more stable.

I was using AA alkalines... Not the best batteries, but I gave up on rechargeable AA batteries years ago.

I hear ya, but anymore, I hate the thought of them going into a landfill.

I do use the rechargables for my 550ex flash though, and can shoot at 3fps all day long with 4 in the flash and the battery pack holding 8 more. No Duracell can do that.

canonloader wrote in post #5989652
I hear ya, but anymore, I hate the thought of them going into a landfill.

I do use the rechargables for my 550ex flash though, and can shoot at 3fps all day long with 4 in the flash and the battery pack holding 8 more. No Duracell can do that.

I don't know about anywhere else, but here we have to recycle them. We just can't throw them in the trash. It's state law... From the California state website:

"All batteries are considered hazardous waste in California when they are discarded. This includes all batteries of sizes AAA, AA, C, D, button cell, 9 Volt, and all other batteries, both rechargeable and single use. All batteries must be recycled, or taken to a household hazardous waste disposal facility, a universal waste handler (e.g., storage facility or broker), or an authorized recycling facility."

I stick my used batteries in an old coffee can and when I have enough I take them to the city recycling center.

And then they throw them into a landfill. They have to end up somewhere.

Out of all things our existence did to this earth, I wouldn't feel guilty for throwing out a few AA's.

Just guessing, but at my age, I bet I have thrown out my own weight in dead batteries, not even counting car batteries. Now multiply that by 300 million. It adds up.

Well of course.

It's a true rarity however to see someone so apt to change behavior for the sake of the environment. Than again, isn't that what Al Gore is banking on?

Overall, I think building rechargables is just as bad on the environment as any other thing we do. I also think it's too late for changing behavior. The changing environment is going to change our behavior for us, whether we want to change or not. The biggest mistake we have made all along is to think we are in charge of our world.

Agreed. We are a product of the world in which we live.

But errr, back to talking about how terribly designed the bg-e2n is?

While it's lacking perfection, the BG-E2N isn't such a bad accessory. After all, it's main purpose is to provide comfort whilst shooting in the vertical orientation, and it does that quite well IMHO. I do have some gripes:

1) The bottom doesn't have a rubber foot like the ones for the Nikon, which can be particularly helpful if you're using a tripod.

2) I wish the batteries were oriented perpendicular to the lens, instead of parallel. This would allow the grip to be smaller for easier access to the scroll wheel on the back and a more profiled look to the camera overall.

I have the Canon BG-E2N on my 40D and the Phottix battery grip on my 30D. I don't see much difference in the two. I paid $80, shipped, for the Phottix grip on Ebay. I did try the Opteka grip and it was horrible. If I would have seen the Phottix grip before I bought my BG-E2N I would have saved some money and got 2 of the less expensive grips. It has the identical shape and feel as the Canon product and is a great alternative. Just stay away from the Opteka 30D/40D grip!

cheson74 wrote in post #5987393
Get the Canon grip. You paid a lot for your 40D. Don't cheap out on the grip.

i read through before i posted this because i figured someone would have posted it....



i plan on buying the Canon version of the grip for my 40D.