Meike grip MK-6d for Canon 6D REVIEW

[hemidesign]

The Canon Meike grip review...

http://marcellorodarte.com/artstudio/

after 25 days of waiting..

 

[aalbert]

Looks pretty damn close to the factory unit... Little bit of extra screen printing of functions, and what appears to be a shinier plastic..... Gotta say, good deal for $200 under retail.

 

[oscaroo]

I've ordered mine.
With any luck it'll arrive before my camera comes back from repairs.

What I'm most curious though, is whether the 6d meike battery grip will fit a 60d also?
The two cameras are very similar.

 

[hemidesign]

I did many shots today (around 400) outside in the cold snow in Chicago, using the grip in Vertical position all the time.. love it! so far, everything seems to be fine... ;D

 

[mclaren777]

Has anybody else received one of these grips?

 

[hemidesign]

I don't know.. But i bought other another one from this EBAY US seller:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Meike-MK-Vertical-Canon-BG-E13-Battery-Grip-for-Canon-EOS-6D-Camera-Black-/310557602742?pt=US_Camera_Battery_Grips&hash=item484eacf3b6

I'll be here Tomorrow (Monday)

 

[Stig]

I haven't had a grip before, but thought about it for some time and decided to try it with the new camera (for the price, should be a small risk)

I got it today and can just second the review...
looked like the reviewed one, including the packaging,
yes, the lock wheel seems to be the most flimsy part and the gap around it is big enough to notice light coming from the other side,
the ergonomics isn't as great as I hoped (some parts could have been sculpted more... handfriendly, maybe), but it works good

... and, mine smells too... not in a pleasant way, so i hope it is just a smell that's going to disappear and not some nasty chemical that I will press on my face

 

[oscaroo]

With any luck it'll arrive before my camera comes back from repairs.

??

Anyway, my battery grip arrived today.
It seems nice.
I don't have my 6d back yet.
However, I tried to put it into my friend's 60d. The tripod hole matches and the battery hole matches. But when I push it in, the "battery" sticking out bit doesn't quite click into position in the battery bay of the camera body.

Bummer.

 

[mclaren777]

I'm concerned about the locking wheel not being strong enough.

I use a carry strap that attaches to the tripod mount and I would hate to see my camera fall to its death.

 

[Marsu42]

However, I tried to put it into my friend's 60d. The tripod hole matches and the battery hole matches. But when I push it in, the "battery" sticking out bit doesn't quite click into position in the battery bay of the camera body.

So does the 6d grip also work on the 60d (though not optimally) or does the grip fail to get contact to the camera?

 

[oscaroo]

So does the 6d grip also work on the 60d (though not optimally) or does the grip fail to get contact to the camera?

Gday.

It wasn't my 60d. It was my friend's. They were going overseas the next day. I did not dare try to power it up.
The battery grip battery stick and tripod mount were aligned. However, with "normal" levels of pressure I was unable to make the battery stick latch onto the camera's battery hole.

Perhaps, with additional force it may have worked.
I have never used a battery grip before and thus don't know how much is acceptable force. My 6d is still out for repairs so all I have is a grip

 

[Marsu42]

I have never used a battery grip before and thus don't know how much is acceptable force. My 6d is still out for repairs so all I have is a grip

Thanks for the quick answer, I doubt if it really works - though the 6d grip seems to be very closely related to the 60d grip (look at the blue markings on the grip that are also on the 60d, but not on the 6d). I just would have been nice to dual-use it for both cameras.

 

[stephan]

The rubber on my 60D meike grip smellled like plastic-softeners - it was very unpleasant holding the camera up to my face so I just removed the rubber from the grip. In the OPs pictures the rubber looks just like my smelly one.

Great to hear they've done a version for the 6D - absolute necessity.

 

[Stig]

The rubber on my 60D meike grip smellled like plastic-softeners - it was very unpleasant holding the camera up to my face so I just removed the rubber from the grip. In the OPs pictures the rubber looks just like my smelly one.

smelly plastic softeners... as of toxic, cancerogenous, infertility causing phthalates?

I bought a Meike branded 6D grip as well (ebay uk dealer "ukpartsdeal")... build quality is fine, but mine smells as well and after a couple days it is not going away, so, reading up on phthalates some while ago, plastic softeners came to my mind as well (apparently they are not chemically well bound to the rubber/plastic and the smell is the softener fume... some say that's also the source of the "new car smell")

I dont like to overreact, but the smell is really unpleasant, not disappearing and the potentially toxic plastic softeners are making me think about getting rid of it and going with Canon one

 

[Marsu42]

The rubber on my 60D meike grip smellled like plastic-softeners - it was very unpleasant holding the camera up to my face so I just removed the rubber from the grip. In the OPs pictures the rubber looks just like my smelly one.

smelly plastic softeners... as of toxic, cancerogenous, infertility causing phthalates?

Afaik there's no connection between "smelly" and "harmful", all plastics contain softeners and emit them over time ("aging"). When I studied chemistry I had to learn that the most cancerogenous, mutagenic and toxic chemicals aren't the green liquids or smelly gases :-o ... if the Meike grips smell that imho only means that the product is very new, so no harm in putting it outside until the smell gets better.

The real problem is that even manufacturers most of the time don't know what softeners their products contain, because they keep switching providers for plastic granulate plus the providers keep their formulas as trade secrets. The Canon grips, being more expensive, might contain less toxic softeners, but then again they might not.

I really recommend the documentary "plastic planet" on this, a mandatory viewing for any adult ever coming into contact with plastic (i.e. everyone):

Plastic Planet - Trailer

 

[Stig]

Marsu42,
thanks, nice to get a reply from somebody who actually studied chemistry (though ye, I thought that toxins don't always come as a bubbly green liquid : ) ... however some googling suggested that there might be a "phthalates smell")
btw. I had it outside for three days, took it for a short shoot today, still smells, is now back on the balcony... and I'm thinking I shouldn't see the movie as it probably won't calm me down about this... then again, for some reason I felt like having a burger after seeing Super Size Me : )

 

[Marsu42]

thanks, nice to get a reply from somebody who actually studied chemistry

... though I should mention it was quite some time ago and "only" for 2 years, but I did all the basic cooking and theory and have a general idea what might be toxic - which is a lot and becomes more every day, which is part of a reason I didn't end up as a chemist :-o

though ye, I thought that toxins don't always come as a bubbly green liquid : )

Watch out, if you continue to inhale the fumes you might mutate into a hulk-like "super photog", only take stellar shots and can carry a 5d3+70-200L2 all day long without flinching :->

... however some googling suggested that there might be a "phthalates smell")

Ah, well, if you googled it I rest my case ... no, really, I don't want to downplay it and phthalates are banned in Europe for children's toys for a reason. The sad truth is that it's a global scandal, the issue is very complex and cannot be narrowed down to "smell" and you're probably already stuffed with phthalates thorough the food chain (plastic wrappings, esp. in fat foods).

So no smell is better than the a supposed toxic smell, but if you fail to produce children the reason probably won't be the Meike grip :-o ... but please let us know if the smell gets better after a week or so?

 

[Stig]

you might mutate into a hulk-like "super photog", only take stellar shots and can carry a 5d3+70-200L2 all day long without flinching :->

in a case of hulkification I would look for a Sigma 200-500mm f2.8 ... you know, color matching

 

[xps]

I bought the grip from Ayex. Seems to be identical. But its taste is neutral, not unpleasant.
95€ @ amazon. Fuction is ok. Buttons are well built and the pressure, you need to push is the same like on the camera.

So, it was a good deal. 265€ for the Orirginal Grip is a little bit to much

 

[Marsu42]

I bought the grip from Ayex.

There seem to be other brand names for the same item - does your grip have also the blue 60d markings like the Meike one described above?

95€ @ amazon [...] So, it was a good deal. 265€ for the Orirginal Grip is a little bit to much

Then again, shipped from CN it's currently €50 + €10 tax if you're unlucky (I missed the €30 deal, shame on me).