Battery Grips

[Ian White]

Hi all

I was thinking about getting a battery grip for my Nikon D3000,i have found out nikon dont do one,so i would have to buy a 3rd party one that would fit my camera could you give me some advice,pro's and con's

Thanks,Ian

[greenwing]

There are various grips available on eBay. I don't know how well they fit the D3000, as most were initially made for the D40 and so any differences in the body since then would show up. The vertical shutter release would work via the infra-red remote control, as there's no connection on the camera for a shutter release. This means two things - firstly, a trip into the menus to enable the remote receiver, and no half-press of the shutter.

Personally, I wouldn't bother.

chris

[Ian White]

Thanks Chris for the reply,i see what you mean, i think i'll just get a spare battery

Thanks,Ian

[jet_kit]

You'll probably be better off with a spare battery. The only advantages with battery grips is the increased continuous shutter rate, IR shutter trigger and longer battery life, but the downside is lots of extra weight and bulk. I only use mine when I need one or other of these features.
If you do decide to go down this road make absolutely sure that it's suitable for your D3000. Nikon take great delight in making each camera model different in this respect.

[canoman]

I purchased a Nikon MB-D80 battery pack from the now defunct BEST BUY shop. It cost me 75 notes,.It takes 6 AA nimhs. I estimate them at about 6 notes. Yet the battery for the D90 is far more expensive. I do not get it.

[jet_kit]

Originally Posted by canoman

I purchased a Nikon MB-D80 battery pack from the now defunct BEST BUY shop. It cost me 75 notes,.It takes 6 AA nimhs. I estimate them at about 6 notes. Yet the battery for the D90 is far more expensive. I do not get it.

Where do you buy your batteries from????

Amazon sell genuine Nikon EN-EL3e batteries for £32.75

[canoman]

You sound like mob who think that if its NIKON or CANON it must be the best. Long time since I purchased NIMH batteries. From MA.PLIN or ALDI

[greenwing]

One spare EN-EL3e (Nikon or 3rd party) is a lot cheaper, smaller and lighter than a grip, 12 NiMH, and yet another charger, and probably recharges quicker than 6 NiMH, too.

Chris

[Cathus]

I think people miss the point of a grip, it's not just about the extra battery life, though this can be very useful, especially if you shoot hundreds of pictures at a time, such as sporting event or airshow.

It also adds balance to the camera, especially if you have big hands like me or use one of the dinky sized DSLRs, the camera feels better in the hand and the vertical buttons make it much simpler and faster to use when held in portrait mode.

I'd suggest trying one to see how it feels. I've had them on on both my 20D and 5D MkII and the higher end DSLRs have them built in.

[greenwing]

Originally Posted by Cathus

...and the vertical buttons make it much simpler and faster to use when held in portrait mode...

Not with the OP's D3000, where the vertical shutter button of the grip operates the Infra-red remote function of the camera. The half-press for focus & meter isn't available, and a trip into the menus is needed to enable or disable it - can't use the regular shutter button whilst it's enabled. I have to emphasise that it's not a Nikon accessory.

Otherwise, I agree wholeheartedly.