Battery Grips, are they worth it?

[midluk]

Re: Public Image

One other factor in favor of battery grips... I think they make the photographer look more professional. If you work with the public shooting events like weddings, the client will be just a bit more likely to feel they got their money's worth if you show up with a gripped body. It's likely they won't know the difference between that and a 1D series pro body.

This is identical to my observation.
Once at the zoo I overheard a conversation of two women talking about a photographer at a wedding who had an inappropriate camera (likely some mirrorless) and not such a professional camera as I had (70D with battery grip).
And at the wedding of one of my cousins where I took some photos at the reception with my gripped 70D the official professional photographer added a grip to his camera shortly after I showed up…
Bigger is better, at least if you want to impress and appear professional.

 

[Talys]

Re: Public Image

One other factor in favor of battery grips... I think they make the photographer look more professional. If you work with the public shooting events like weddings, the client will be just a bit more likely to feel they got their money's worth if you show up with a gripped body. It's likely they won't know the difference between that and a 1D series pro body.

This is identical to my observation.
Once at the zoo I overheard a conversation of two women talking about a photographer at a wedding which had an inappropriate camera (likely some mirrorless) and not such a professional camera as I had (70D with battery grip).
And at the wedding of one of my cousins where I took some photos at the reception with my gripped 70D the official professional photographer added a grip to his camera shortly after I showed up…
Bigger is better, at least if you want to impress and appear professional.

I've done this at on-site corporate shoots too, even when cameras are mounted on a tripods. I usually leave the lens hood on as well. Having a rebel with a 50mm STM feels less satisfying for the customer, even though they'd never be able to tell the difference in the finished product.

It's no different than rolling in Pelican/SKB cases instead of tote bags and backpacks. Appearances matter!

 

[neonlight]

Here's a question for the techies in the group...

A long time ago I read that the two batteries in the grip would provide higher voltage to the focus motor in the lens, resulting in faster autofocus. I think the same article said higher battery voltage allowed the 1D series to provide faster autofocus than smaller bodies. I presume that some lenses would benefit from the higher voltage more than others.

Two batteries will give the same off-load voltage, but will maintain a higher voltage on load than a single battery because the effective internal resistance is halved. Unless Canon have added some sort of series regulator in their grips which controls the current from each, that is. I haven't taken mine to bits to find out, but wonder whether it would be possible even then to find out .

So yes, it is possible that auto focus etc would be faster if the motor loading were increased.

Another advantage is that if each battery is run at half the current, the effective capacity may be a little higher than when discharged at full current.

 

[Maximilian]

Here is another vote against battery grips.
I've tried them but never really needed them at all.

But it really is all about personal preferences of ergonomics.

I have medium sized hands and feel comfortable with the normal camera grip (5D3).
I have never had any problems in rotating my combo to portrait orientation.
Here I'd more often would lose time by changing the grip during action photography.
Even with lenses like a 70-200/2.8 or 100-400 I have no need for a "counterweight".
My "lens hand" holds the majority of the weight and I hold it like I would hold a rifle.
So with the elbow on my breast this is as stable as it could be.

Battery live is no argument, if you don't expect 1000+ shots from one pack.

And I prefer a smaller camera body. I don't know if I'd ever switch to a 1D body, except if I'd really feel the need for it's additional functionality.

 

[pwp]

Re: Public Image

One other factor in favor of battery grips... I think they make the photographer look more professional. If you work with the public shooting events like weddings, the client will be just a bit more likely to feel they got their money's worth if you show up with a gripped body. It's likely they won't know the difference between that and a 1D series pro body.

This is identical to my observation.
Once at the zoo I overheard a conversation of two women talking about a photographer at a wedding who had an inappropriate camera (likely some mirrorless) and not such a professional camera as I had (70D with battery grip).
And at the wedding of one of my cousins where I took some photos at the reception with my gripped 70D the official professional photographer added a grip to his camera shortly after I showed up…
Bigger is better, at least if you want to impress and appear professional.

Earlier in my career, shooting portraits when I had a big Mamiya RZ67 kit, I always got a very different response than if I pulled out a Canon, though I invariably got better shots with Canon because of the flexibility vs RZ67. There was somehow more respect with the RZ. I always take the line of being reassuringly expensive, and client perception is a very real thing. You've got to come across as genuinely professional in all sorts of facets, including the kit you use. It's nonsense of course, I'd get the same shots most of the time with an ungripped Rebel as I do with my 1DX or gripped 5DIV.

Clients often feel more reassured if you turn up in a nice car, well dressed, with a tidy polite assistant and latest equipment. Big equipment. Gripped bodies that don't look like the camera they take on holidays. It's all part of the great game.

Even so, putting client perception aside, I've always preferred gripped bodies.

-pw