Zeikos 7D Grip Releasing Shortly!

I have wanted the Canon BG-E7 grip ever since the camera arrived but have been on the fence due to cost. I was now about to pull the trigger but am glad I wrote to Zeikos first. They just replied to say their grip for the 7D is now ready and will be available for purchase here in the US in the next 2-3 weeks.

Just some news I thought to share!

ManiZ wrote in post #9108334
I have wanted the Canon BG-E7 grip ever since the camera arrived but have been on the fence due to cost. I was now about to pull the trigger but am glad I wrote to Zeikos first. They just replied to say their grip for the 7D is now ready and will be available for purchase here in the US in the next 2-3 weeks.

Just some news I thought to share!

I have not had any trouble finding the Canon battery grip. They were in stock at online dealers like B&H and Amphoto. I just walked into a local camera store a few weeks ago and bought one over the counter.

I have never heard of that brand before. Whether warranted or not, I usually have reservations about the quality of aftermarket items like this.

I saw a You Tube review which indicated that it was OK, but the doofus doing the review installed it on the camera with the batteries installed in the grip. Never install or remove the grip with the batteries installed.

/\/\ not sure what you mean? I think the OP was on the fence due to cost, not that he couldn't find it in stock.

Interesting, I'll be looking forward to seeing waht it looks like and the price.

Bill Boehme wrote in post #9108445
I saw a You Tube review which indicated that it was OK, but the doofus doing the review installed it on the camera with the batteries installed in the grip. Never install or remove the grip with the batteries installed.

What's wrong with removing the grip with batteries?

Bill Boehme wrote in post #9108445
Never install or remove the grip with the batteries installed.

Why?

Beyond the commonsense precaution of switching off the camera, I've removed grips from my 5D and 20D for over three years without probs. Am I just lucky - or is there a really good reason to remove batteries?

edit - oops, cross post

See that!!! I knew it!!!

I ordered the Canon grip for my 7D because no aftermarket grips had come out yet and just 3 short days after it's delivered ... they come out!!!

Oh well! I'm going to be needing it this weekend anyway and didn't want to wait.

rdompor wrote in post #9108569
What's wrong with removing the grip with batteries?

xhack wrote in post #9108592
Why?

Beyond the commonsense precaution of switching off the camera, I've removed grips from my 5D and 20D for over three years without probs. Am I just lucky - or is there a really good reason to remove batteries?

Canon instructions for 7D grip say not to do it -- reason enough for me.

Turning off the main switch does not turn off all power -- the control signal from the power switch goes through some power conditioning and de-bounce circuitry that control soft switches to insure clean make-break power switching. Mechanically interrupting power bypasses this protection and produces a huge amount of contact noise that can cause unpredictable results in digital circuits.

Odds are that you can probably get away with it, but why do what they say not to do??

Yea....thanks. Just ordered mine from B&H this morning and it has already shipped.....

johneo wrote in post #9108602
See that!!! I knew it!!!

I ordered the Canon grip for my 7D because no aftermarket grips had come out yet and just 3 short days after it's delivered ... they come out!!!

Oh well! I'm going to be needing it this weekend anyway and didn't want to wait.

Yeah, I believe I saw your posting recently about the absence of aftermarket grip options for the 7D and how you were going for the Canon one. That does suck, but you can always return yours if it still looks new!

Bill, Zeikos has excellent reputation for their DSLR grips. These forums as well as places like Amazon etc. are full of user reviews on Zeikos grips for Canon and Nikon. What sold me on them (without ever having seen one in person) was the fact that many semi-pro and pro photographers use them and are often hard pressed to tell the difference between those and the genuine grips. They have withstood years of use in many hands and still work perfectly. And the cost surely can't be beat! (approx. 65% less than the original).

I have an international trip coming up in 6 weeks and can't wait to get my hands on one of these. Really hoping it is released as currently planned. Their email to me, albeit brief, inspires plenty of confidence!

Bill Boehme wrote in post #9108688
Canon instructions for 7D grip say not to do it -- reason enough for me.

Turning off the main switch does not turn off all power -- the control signal from the power switch goes through some power conditioning and de-bounce circuitry that control soft switches to insure clean make-break power switching. Mechanically interrupting power bypasses this protection and produces a huge amount of contact noise that can cause unpredictable results in digital circuits.

Odds are that you can probably get away with it, but why do what they say not to do??

maybe there is some fancy wizardry going on inside the 7d grip but what difference is removing the grip with batteries in it vs removing a battery from the camera without a grip?

seems like the same thing to me, only difference is with a grip, you have to unscrew it before popping it out.

TSY87 wrote in post #9109224
maybe there is some fancy wizardry going on inside the 7d grip but what difference is removing the grip with batteries in it vs removing a battery from the camera without a grip?

seems like the same thing to me, only difference is with a grip, you have to unscrew it before popping it out.

Lacking circuit diagrams and mechanical drawings, about all that we can do is to speculate on Canon's reasons. There are some additional contacts in the battery recess that are only used by the grip and, therefore, have no bearing on removing the battery from either the camera or from the grip itself. That is my idle speculation for the day FWIW.

I think Bill has a point on the additional contacts. The grip doesn't just provide battery power, but also has signal connections for the shutter, AEL, etc.

I had a third party grip for my Sony and it was fine, didn't seem to cause any trouble and served the purpose. It was probably a little lighter than the Sony branded grip. However I'm pretty obsessive about this kind of stuff and it always drove me nuts that I didn't have the thing that the engineers intended to be used with the camera, and the plastic didn't quite match. When I went to Canon a 3rd party grip wasn't even considered.

I have also seen lots of good stuff about the Zeikos, it seems to be pretty well respected, but it seems to make a lot more sense to use 3rd party on a $500 camera than on one costing 3x as much.

Bill Boehme wrote in post #9108688
Canon instructions for 7D grip say not to do it -- reason enough for me.

Turning off the main switch does not turn off all power -- the control signal from the power switch goes through some power conditioning and de-bounce circuitry that control soft switches to insure clean make-break power switching. Mechanically interrupting power bypasses this protection and produces a huge amount of contact noise that can cause unpredictable results in digital circuits.

Odds are that you can probably get away with it, but why do what they say not to do??

I suspect that's a carry-over from the false low-battery problem that plagued the BG-E2 when the 20D first came out. Along with some kind of change to the internals of the grip Canon issued directions that the grip be mounted before you inserted the batteries. It may be so that all the camera and grip circuitry receive power at the same time, and therefore respond as a single unit.

Thanks for this info. I was almost ready to get the Canon. I can wait a couple of weeks.

$1700 camera and you're going to save $50 bucks for an off-brand grip that has electronics in it?

I think the $215 that Canon charges is fair. I doubt that Canon publishes the schematics of the 7D with all the commands that goes between it and the grip. Just like non-Canon lenses, non-OEM manufacturers has to reverse engineer their product and probably does a good job with it.

But, if they miss something, specially with "version 1" that you're buying, it may render your 7D useless and void the warranty. I would not risk it.