Battery Grip for Rebel XT

Cason

Anybody have the Opteka battery pack for the Rebel XT?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EDB1II/ref=pd_cp_title/002-5236965-9716868?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=502394

At $60, seems like a better buy than the $140 BG-E3. Reviewers state it feels, works, and looks the same...minus the Canon branding.

ziggy53

RTP,

Thanks for this. I have been looking for an affordable vertical grip for the XT. This is a very good alternative, and it sounds like the only major difference is the "feel" of the vertical shutter button.

I use a tripod a fair amount and I'm still not too clear whether this grip allows the battery trays to be changed without dismounting, although it would appear so.



It kinda looks like the tray slides in from the side, which works for me (if the generic trays work the same).

I do believe I'll be ordering one tomorrow.

Thanks again,

ziggy53

Cason

ziggy53 wrote:

RTP,

...This is a very good alternative, and it sounds like the only major difference is the "feel" of the vertical shutter button.

ziggy53

Yep, that is what I noticed in all the reviews. But I don't mind pushing the shutter button a little harder for $80 less.

I'll be ordering one as well. I'll post a review on it.

pchr

I bought the canon one (had no idea that someone else would have ago at making these) and it really made a difference to the feel of the camera. I thought the site was pretty funny as one under photo quote said "Don't worry, no huge, yellow OPTEKA logo." There was one picture which clearly shows the magazines, they, like the rest of the grip, look virtually identical to the one I've got, so you're probably safe to assume you can change batteries while camera still on tripod.

Zoom Raider

I see they make them for the D70, D100 and D200, and perhaps for many other Nikon and Canon models, but I don't see any for the D50.

CBC1260

If anybody decides to buy, get it from Amazon; $59.95 + free shipping.

ziggy53

Well, I messed up. By the time I got around to ordering, the price through Amazon was $80. I went looking and found an EBay store offering it for $65 plus $8 shipping.

Guess who? 47st Photo no less.

I just ordered one.

Thanks,

ziggy53

Cason

Hey Ziggy. I saw the $20 rise as well. It is still a must get. Let me know how you like it!

ziggy53 wrote:

Well, I messed up. By the time I got around to ordering, the price through Amazon was $80. I went looking and found an EBay store offering it for $65 plus $8 shipping.

Guess who? 47st Photo no less.

I just ordered one.

Thanks,

ziggy53

Red Bull

No Opteka battery grip for the 20D? Poo.:cry

ziggy53

Red Bull wrote:

No Opteka battery grip for the 20D? Poo.:cry

I'll trade you your 20D body for an XT body plus the Opteka grip! Such a deal!

ziggy53

WooHoo!

The Opteka grip just came. That was quick.

First impressions:

This is heavier than I expected. It's not that it's too heavy, I just had thought "cheap" and this feels more like a "chunk". Quality wise, it's about what I thought, not bad, not perfect.

The shutter button is much different from the camera's button, but very usable. It does seem a bit recessed, probably to prevent accidental exposures.

I read somewhere else to make sure and turn the unit's power button to "off" when not in use, because it will drain the batteries otherwise. I think I will take the advice instead of test to see if it's true. (... unless I accidentally test it.)

The extra set of feature buttons are a nice touch, and I think I'll appreciate them. All work as they should.

You can indeed change the batteries while the unit is mounted on a tripod.

The tripod socket alignment appears to be preserved both fore-aft and side-to-side. I don't feel any major extra "give" or "wiggle" on the tripod, like one poster mentioned. Fit and finish are very good and the attachment feels solid.

You do have to remove the battery compartment door from the camera, but there is stowage for it on the grip so it won't get lost.

The unit works fine with just one battery in either position.

The AA battery tray is nice, but I'm pretty happy with the performance of the NB-2LH, so I'll mostly keep using them.

That's about it, and it's almost all positive. If the unit would "sleep" with the camera and not drain the batteries, with the switch to "on", it would be almost perfect for my needs.

Thanks,

ziggy53

pchr

If it works like the canon one I think you'll be alright leaving the switch to on. I leave mine on all the time and don't notice any battery drain. My understanding is that the sole purpose of that switch is to allow you to deactivate the buttons, so you can't accidentally take shots.

Too be honest though what's the deal? Boo hoo I've accidentally taken a shot, that's what the little picture of the dust bin is for. ("trash can" to our American cousins)

If anyone thinks I'm wrong about usage of this switch then let us know.

Cason

Ziggy.

How does it fit? I've read some posts about the grip not being flush to the camera. There is sort of a gap; therefore, it wiggles around a bit. Have you noticed that?

Birthday money should be coming soon. I hate that it went up $20. However, I still plan on getting it unless your camera blows up.

ziggy53 wrote:

WooHoo!

The Opteka grip just came. That was quick.

First impressions:

This is heavier than I expected. It's not that it's too heavy, I just had thought "cheap" and this feels more like a "chunk". Quality wise, it's about what I thought, not bad, not perfect.

The shutter button is much different from the camera's button, but very usable. It does seem a bit recessed, probably to prevent accidental exposures.

I read somewhere else to make sure and turn the unit's power button to "off" when not in use, because it will drain the batteries otherwise. I think I will take the advice instead of test to see if it's true. (... unless I accidentally test it.)

The extra set of feature buttons are a nice touch, and I think I'll appreciate them. All work as they should.

You can indeed change the batteries while the unit is mounted on a tripod.

The tripod socket alignment appears to be preserved both fore-aft and side-to-side. I don't feel any major extra "give" or "wiggle" on the tripod, like one poster mentioned. Fit and finish are very good and the attachment feels solid.

You do have to remove the battery compartment door from the camera, but there is stowage for it on the grip so it won't get lost.

The unit works fine with just one battery in either position.

The AA battery tray is nice, but I'm pretty happy with the performance of the NB-2LH, so I'll mostly keep using them.

That's about it, and it's almost all positive. If the unit would "sleep" with the camera and not drain the batteries, with the switch to "on", it would be almost perfect for my needs.

Thanks,

ziggy53

ziggy53

RTP wrote:

Ziggy.

How does it fit? I've read some posts about the grip not being flush to the camera. There is sort of a gap; therefore, it wiggles around a bit. Have you noticed that?

Birthday money should be coming soon. I hate that it went up $20. However, I still plan on getting it unless your camera blows up.

RTP,

Mine seems to fit fine. No appreciable extra movement.

If you buy it through the 47street EBay store, it's $65 plus shipping. It came to less than $80 total. At this point, that's what I recommend.

ziggy53

I used the Opteka grip in a practical application last night, my daughter's Commencement Ceremony. I used it on one body, with the Canon 70-200mm, f2.8 and a Sigma 500 Super flash, all atop a monopod. (The monopod was connected via the tripod ring of the lens.)

No problems. Worked great!

It was awfully nice to just shoot and shoot, and not worry about the batteries or how much power remained. The grip did its job.

I did have a second body with another short zoom attached, just in case (it's the "Boy Scout" in me, "Be Prepared".) The second body was in a full camera bag, while I transported the first body/long-lens/grip in a "holster". After the main ceremony, I switched the flash to the other body, holstered the "long" setup, and took off looking for my daughter for some individual shots with the Sigma 18-50mm, f2.8.

I'm pretty happy with the results, and I'm happy with the setup, especially the grip.

ziggy53

Cason

Ok...It's been a little over week since I've received my OPTEKA battery grip for my Rebel XT. I've played with one Canon grip on a Rebel so that is the only comparison I can make.

The shutter button does have to travel a little more until it clicks. I don't mind at all. Also, I noticed the Off/On switch does not feel like it has a definite "click" in whatever position. Other than that, it functions the same.

Save some money and get this grip.

TylerW

How much more life do you get out of this grip? Also, does opteka make a grip for the canon 10/20/30d line?

ziggy53

TylerW wrote:

How much more life do you get out of this grip? Also, does opteka make a grip for the canon 10/20/30d line?

Tyler,

I'm assuming you mean to ask how is the battery life affected using the Opteka grip?

If that is your question, it should be double that of a single battery. I would guess that I can easily shoot 500-600 shots without worry. In a long shoot, I usually get more shots because I'm always using external flash and I only occasionally "chimp". I haven't had any shoot more than 300 images since I got this grip, so I haven't reached a limit yet.

I did not find an Opteka grip for the 10D/20D/30D cameras. That doesn't mean they don't exist, I just didn't find anything besides Canon grips for those cameras.

ziggy53