Battery grip

[markgozz]

I know there's a thread on here somewhere about battery packs but I can't find it so apology’s if this has all been said before but I just wanted to share my experience with my Meike battery grip for the Nikon D90 .

I've had it for a couple of weeks now and I must say that I'm very impressed with the build quality , it fits nice and snug to the body with little to no movement between the two , all the control buttons and dials feel very positive and work perfectly and the materials used in the grips construction match the Nikon’s perfectly too . There is a slight issue with the camera switching from one battery to the other when the first one runs out of power , in the battery info section of the menu it shows both left and right hand battery’s and their power % but when the first one runs down to 0 it just turns off the camera as if there isn't another battery there , if I pull the dead one out the camera will fire back up with the fully charged one now recognised and even when I put the dead one back in the camera will still work . I have read that this can happen when you mix branded and third party accessory’s together , the two battery's I have are Nikon parts so it's just the Meike grip but if this is the only issue I have I think it's well worth the savings I've made . ( Nikon £ 125 / £ 150 and the Meike £ 35 )

The biggest plus point for me is the way the camera feels with the grip attached , I don't have large hands but the camera just feels more balanced comfortable and a lot more stable to use , it hasn't been off since I got it and I can't think why I would take it off .

Oh yes by the way , as stated on other posts it does make me look more professional and I'm sure it will make me a better photographer

It's amazing how strapping on an extension can make a bloke feel so good

Mark

[OldBoy]

Originally Posted by markgozz

It's amazing how strapping on an extension can make a bloke feel so good

Mark

[jet_kit]

Hi Mark,
I agree with a lot of what you say. The only thing I've noticed is the battery drain seems faster with the grip fitted. On it's own I can get about 1000 shots from a single charge. The grip only gives me about 800. Because of this I tend to use the grip only in certain circumstances, preferring to carry a spare battery in my pocket. However, if I want the IR remote control ...!

[markgozz]

Chris to be honest I haven't noticed any difference in the battery life but then again I don't think I have ever just continuously shot until I've run the battery down , I'm always in and out of the menu and viewing my shots on the LCD to delete off my duds . I spent the day at Pensthorpe Nature Reverse last weekend and fired off about 700 shots half of which were shot with an O/S lens the other half with a non O/S and spent quite a lot of time viewing my shots , all of this was done without having to eat into the second battery which is about the norm for me even without the battery pack .
I will keep an eye on the battery life but I must admit this is the first time I have heard anyone mention this .
I think even if there was a loss in the battery life when using the grip I would probably still use it because of the better handling qualities , when I moved from my Lumix FZ8 to the Nikon D90 I was amazed at how a larger heavier camera could feel so much more comfortable to use and now I'm of the same mind with the grip .

I didn't realize an IR remote was part of the package , oh well I'll put it with my other one .

Mark

[donoreo]

I am charging my batteries right now. I use two in my grip. In warmer weather I have gone over a month before needing to charge my battery. Lately it has been less but that may be to my using Live View more often working on close up shots or the colder weather or that my original batteries are getting worn. I have my original Canon battery that is just over 3 years old now and a generic that is just under 3 years old. i have two replacements ready to go, one being a high capacity 2000 mAh while the rest are 1080 mAh.

I will admit I have never logged how many photos I have taken on a charge.

I do love how my camera feels with the grip on. It does feel more balanced. I picked up my sister in law's Nikon D5100 the other day and it felt odd (aside from it being a Nikon ). Not only did the 18-55 lens feel "front heavy" but the camera felt unbalanced overall without a grip. Not sure why she even has it, she upgraded from a D40 which felt better, she always shoots in full auto.

[wave01]

I got a battery grip for my 550d from amazon £32 for the grip 2 batteries and a remote cable release. the batteries did over 500 shots and to be honest the only reason i changed was I was doing a wedding and it was a break in proceedings

[markgozz]

wave01 do you prefer the way the camera feels with the grip on or do you think it doesn't make much of a difference ?

Mark