Not sure if I've already posted this on here - thought I had but can't find it.
To grip, or not to grip: It's horses for courses but these are my thoughts...
I wouldn't shoot without a grip if I had the choice.
The extra controls make the camera more usable when shooting vertically (portrait)
When I borrow my BIL's 400d that doesn't have one, it doesn't feel right and doesn't have as much usability as a body with a grip.
My 10D and d30 both had grips as does my 40D
The extra weight of a grip is so negligible, it's not worth talking about.
A 600ml bottle of water weighs more than a grip.
Most sports photographers might shoot as many as 4-5000 frames (sometimes more) in a day. I average around 2000 a day just at a club race meeting and as much battery life as possible is required. It's just one less thing to worry about when shooting.
Remember that it's not only firing the shutter that uses power, but also AF, the LCD screen and all the other electronic circuits in todays cameras.
However it is horses for courses and each to their own but I'm afraid I can't get my head around this "so much extra weight" thing that people always bring up with grips.
It borders on the ridiculous.
This is why...
A grip for a 40D weighs around 460g fully loaded with two batteries, at least that's what the kitchen scales I used told me - hahaha.
Thats 300 grams for the grip itself and and 160g for two batteries at 80g each.
If you are carrying two spare batteries anyway, then the grip adds only 300g extra.
Hardly back breaking.
And you've already got one battery in the camera anyway.
The average grip for other brands and aftermarket ones would be of similar weight, give or take a little either way.
A decent jumper/windcheater weighs around that, maybe more. A jacket even more than that again
If you're going out shooting and it might turn cold or wet, do you leave the jumper/windcheater/jacket home because they add too much extra weight? - err, probably not. You'd probably take all three AND the bottle of water.
Looking at it another way - lets say you get rid of your 75-300 "kit" lens and upgrade to a better, heavier lens such as a 70-200/2.8L or 100-400L or Nikon/Sigma etc equivalent that weighs considerably more than the "kit" lens.
What do you do? Take the new heavier lens or leave it at home because its too heavy and take the kit lens instead?
I know, you leave the new lens at home because it's to heavy.
Or this scenario - you finally upgrade the 20/30/40/5D etc (or Nikon equiv) and finally get the 1D MkIII you've been hanging out for that comes with its own built in grip and big battery and weighs considerably more than the old camera with no grip. Again, what do you do? Take the new camera or leave it home because its so much heavier than the old one?
Tough call that one - Not!
What would I do? - Take BOTH bodies.
I'll bet there's people here who lug a tripod around on a shoot with them, in a lot of cases, unnecessarily, but won't have a grip because it "adds too much" weight.
I've never been able to work that one out.
As I said earlier, a 600ml bottle of water weighs more.
I guess those suggesting that a grip is too heavy would never consider carrying two or more bodies with lenses to go with them let alone owning a 100-400 or 300, 400 or even a 500 prime - 'cause they weigh a TON.