CameraPorn

Hello out there in camera land, this is chl coming at you with my first review! This, as it turns out, is the first piece of gear we’re talking about that does not affect image quality in any way. Thus the lack of image quality rating stars up there. Nonetheless, I consider this to be a critical component to my kit.

The grip doubles the capacity of my 30D’s battery life, by allowing a second battery to be used. Additionally, it has an adapter that lets you use AA size batteries if you wish instead of the rechargeable variety. From a full charge on both, the battery life is just astounding. I can easily shoot regularly for two weeks before needing to recharge. The 30D has good battery life out of the box, but with this thing engaged you just never run into the “oops… low on power” situation.

Another addition you get with the grip is a second shutter and associated buttons which you can see in the lower left of the grip on the picture above. This is convenient for when you rotate the camera 90 degrees to take a vertically oriented image. Since I’m taking a lot of portraits these days, in many cases of standing people or groups, this is a nice bonus.

But, really, these things aren’t why this grip gets me hot under the collar. Honestly, and I make no joke here, it’s the size. I love the extra size this thing gives to the body of the camera. I have fairly long hands, and as you can see from the shot just here, the addition of the grip makes this kit just the right size for me to hold onto with my hand outstretched. Without it, I end up just kind of pinching the body from the sides instead of really being able to grab onto it. So, it’s true. Size matters. A lot.

The downside I suppose is the added weight. With this thing on, you can definitely feel a difference. So much so that rygood, for example, feels it’s a bit unwieldy (although he is something of a wuss about these things.) Personally, I actually enjoy the additional weight as it just makes the thing feel so much more substantial to me. But, if you’re walking around for an extended period of time, you’ll definitely feel more fatigue. Investing in a good strap is a wise additional move.

This is one of those pieces of gear that I simply must have for my shooting. Once you get used to the feel of that extra large body, you just don’t ever go back. I definitely recommend it for anyone with large hands or long fingers.