Rating

If you have the 5D MKII, my strong suggestion would be to get this.

Reasons being (strictly my point of view) -

- Makes the camera feel *complete* in balance while shooting

- Solid, strong build

- Vertical shooting is so simple with this

- Battery compartment offers (2) methods of powering the camera; by AAA batteries or using (2) lithium batteries (you know, the one that came with the camera…just have to get another one and you’ll be shooting for a very long time!!)

Would certainly also recommend getting the E1 handgrip strap. It cost a small for a lot of insurance especially if you’re going to be doing a lot of handheld shooting with the added weight of the grip…you certainly don’t want to drop your baby…and this grip will certainly help.

Rating

Works fantastic, not sure why I choose to spring for the Canon version instead of a 3rd party version for a third of the price. But it is sturdy and if it holds up like the one I had for my 5D it will last the lifetime of the camera.

Rating

I bought this shortly after getting my Canon 5D Mark II camera. While I have never run out of battery power using a single battery in the camera, having a second battery gives one that extra piece of mind on a long day of shooting.

Also if you are using one of the larger IS lenses (such as the 70-200 f2.8 IS) the battery grip helps balance the camera in addition to the extra juice needed for the IS features.

If you have the Canon 5D Mark II and don’t have this battery grip, place it on your wish list today and hopefully someone will gift it to you soon

Rating

I’ve always bought battery grips for every Canon dSLR I’ve owned. Sure, it’s an expensive piece of equipment, but if you’re spending a lot already on a higher end camera, what’s a few hundred more? (as my credit card groans)

The battery grip holds two of the newer Canon LP-E6 Battery Pack for Canon 5D Mark II Digital SLR batteries, and both are registered on the camera so you can see the percentage of charge left. That in itself is incredible – but, it requires you to buy the rather expensive Canon LP-E6 batteries instead of generic equivalents. The grip works fine with generic batteries, but you don’t get the detail of percentage left and shutter count.

It also has a battery magazine for holding 6 AA batteries. This is pretty much treated as an emergency effort.

The additional benefit of a battery grip for me is that as a larger guy with larger hands, I can’t get a excellent grip of the camera body. And any of the heavier white lenses (70-200′s, 100-400) place some serious torque on my wrist so after a day of shooting, I’m sore.

The grip itself is pretty solid, and doesn’t feel cheaply made. There’s no flex to it when you hold the camera by it and throw it around. The shutter button and the dial to hold in portrait mode is pretty handy, so you’re not contorting your right hand to press the shutter.

The only real knock on this is the price. I know, it’s well made, but it just seems like an additional insult. Overall this gets 4.5 stars. It’s absolutely worth buying, but be prepared to gripe about the price to your fellow 5D Mark II owners. It’s a bonding experience.

Rating

Very excellent product!

Comes with an extra magazine for AA batteries. Simple to install feels very solid.

Remember to get an extra battery you are only purchasing the grip no an extra battery

Rating

it is effective, right size and full of features for when you hold the camera in 90 degree angle. you nearly don’t lose any immediate functionality. i like it

Rating

I knew I was going to need more than one battery to feed the camera when I go shooting. I was tired of tracking battery life and having to swap batteries mid-session. I was uncomfortable about the possibility of running both batteries down and not having an alternative.

The Battery Grip solves all that. It holds two batteries and comes with an insert that holds AA Batteries (I bought some lithium ones) so you can shoot at least twice as long before needing to recharge, AND you can use readily available AA Batteries if you hit the wall and need to keep shooting.

The extra features of this grip include the second set of controls on the side so that when the camera is in vertical you can still shoot with all your controls handy – and no contortion. Second, the base cover for the battery compartment on the camera stows inside the Battery Grip where you pretty much can’t lose it and where it is readily available if you need to swap off the grip and go back to using the battery inside the camera (some lenses on a tripod won’t tolerate the Battery Grip because of fit issues with the tripod).

Does this add to the size of the camera. DOH! For me that’s not an issue. I have really huge hands and it really helps me better manage the camera. But if you’re trying to travel light, you will find that from a size point of view, it’s a trade-off. For me, there is no doubt this was the way to go. Now when I climb Mt Fuji…we’ll see… But I will still have extra batteries!

Rating

I bought this grip while my Canon EOS 5D Mark II was still on preorder. In fact, it arrived a week before the camera did. I did this because I fell in like with the feel of a vertical grip a long time ago, and every camera I’ve had since then has had one added nearly immediately (including: EOS Elan IIe, D-Rebel 300D, 30D, and 40D).

The grip is a real benefit to those like me that have huge hands, since all of your fingers can now rest against the camera instead of curling up underneath. It’s also a fantastic counterweight when shooting with heavy lenses such as the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L. The arrangement of the vertical shutter release and related buttons on the side makes for very comfortable vertical shooting.

The grip duplicates the shutter button on the lower right corner of the camera, as well as the series of buttons (AF-ON, EL/FEL, and focus point select) that are normally under your right thumb on the camera body. So when you are shooting vertically, all of these buttons are in the standard location and you can shoot as you would horizontally, without having to reach your hand across your forehead to shoot. The grip also has an on/off switch that defeats these buttons when they’re not needed, so they aren’t accidentally pressed.

The grip accepts one or two LP-E6 batteries, and includes a tray for emergency use that can be loaded with 6 AA batteries. While you can get a couple hundred shots off with the AA’s, that number drops off quickly with a lot of LCD use, and there’s no point in even TRYING to use the AA’s to shoot video. I carry the tray in my bag in the VERY unlikely event that I manage to drain both of my LP-E6′s. You can find AA’s anywhere in a pinch.

With the two LP-E6′s installed, the 5D Mark II will register both of the batteries and list their statistics simultaneously in the Battery Info screen. The Shutter Count numbers even operate independently. For example, after a long day of shooting (over 1500 frames), the Battery Info screen told me that Battery 1 was responsible for 806 frames, while Battery 2 was responsible for 746 frames. At this point, the batteries still showed a 78% charge on each one.

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[Edit 01/08/2009] I have a shoot tonight that I need to be safe for, so I’ll be charging both of my batteries before I leave. But I wanted to update my battery info for those that are interested in how long two batteries will last: Battery 1: Shutter Count 1400, 60% charge remaining. Battery 2: Shutter Count 1318, 61% remaining.

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Grips for lower-end and earlier cameras (such as the grip for my D-Rebel 300D, etc) were made entirely of plastic and had too much flex when attached to the body — it nearly felt like you could break it right off. That is NOT the case with this grip. It feels as solidly built as the camera itself, and there is absolutely zero flex. It is also weather sealed around the buttons, battery compartment and dummy stalk, so you won’t need to worry about it being the weak point in your camera’s weather sealing.

The bottom of the grip has a fluted rubber base to reduce slippage and a sturdy tripod socket. It also has a strap mount for use with Canon’s hand strap (you use the one on the grip, and the right strap mount by the shutter to install the hand strap).

Finally, as is the case with the BG-E2(N) (but not earlier models), there is a spot for you to store the camera’s original battery door since it won’t be in use while you have the grip attached.

If you have small hands or often worry about camera weight, you may want to try this out in a local camera shop before committing to the (admittedly expensive) buy. The weight of the grip plus an extra battery is not negligible, and for those with small hands, it may just make the camera unwieldy. Otherwise, you’ll want this. Certainly.