BG-E2 Battery Grip 20D

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I have been putting off getting the Battery Grip for my 20D because of
several reports of problems. Several people remarked about how loose the
grip was and that it wouldn't work with some functions.

I finally got one yesterday and it is great. It is solid as a rock and I
honestly can't see how it could be loose. It does add more weight to the
camera though and combined with my 28-135 lens, it feels as if the
combination weighs 10 pounds. As with anything though, I can get used to
it.

When I first saw the extra controls on the bottom of the grip, I wondered
how they could come into play, but I quickly learned that they are very
handy when using the poitrait mode. I used to tilt the camera to the right
and my hand was awkwardly placed under the camera. With the battery grip, I
tilt to the left and my hand is on top as it is when holding the camera in
the landscape position. I still haven't found it easy to locate the
viewfinder with my eye this way, but that will also come with practice.

Overall it is great and I bought it locally for $160, including tax, so I
think I got a bargain.

Don Dunlap

 

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I never noticed the need. I shot over 1000 images on a single charge. I
can see some people liking it for the controls and some people liking
it because of the added heft, but realistically, you don't need the
added battery capacity with the power fugillity of the 20D unless you
need to be able to take more than 1000 images in a singel setting.

 

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On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 10:11:15 -0500, "Don Dunlap"
<dondunlaprove@direcway.com> wrote:

>I have been putting off getting the Battery Grip for my 20D because of
>several reports of problems. Several people remarked about how loose the
>grip was and that it wouldn't work with some functions.
>
>I finally got one yesterday and it is great. It is solid as a rock and I
>honestly can't see how it could be loose. It does add more weight to the
>camera though and combined with my 28-135 lens, it feels as if the
>combination weighs 10 pounds. As with anything though, I can get used to
>it.
>
>When I first saw the extra controls on the bottom of the grip, I wondered
>how they could come into play, but I quickly learned that they are very
>handy when using the poitrait mode. I used to tilt the camera to the right
>and my hand was awkwardly placed under the camera. With the battery grip, I
>tilt to the left and my hand is on top as it is when holding the camera in
>the landscape position. I still haven't found it easy to locate the
>viewfinder with my eye this way, but that will also come with practice.
>
>Overall it is great and I bought it locally for $160, including tax, so I
>think I got a bargain.
>
>Don Dunlap
>
>
See in the foldout where it says you should get around 60-80 images
(depending on flash) with AA alkaline batteries? How many can you get?
I am just curious because I cannot rely on one.

 

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"ZONED!" <no_email@please_post.net> wrote in message
news:41ed958a.612561006@newsgroups.comcast.net...
> On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 10:11:15 -0500, "Don Dunlap"
> <dondunlaprove@direcway.com> wrote:
>
>>I have been putting off getting the Battery Grip for my 20D because of
>>several reports of problems. Several people remarked about how loose the
>>grip was and that it wouldn't work with some functions.
>>
>>I finally got one yesterday and it is great. It is solid as a rock and I
>>honestly can't see how it could be loose. It does add more weight to the
>>camera though and combined with my 28-135 lens, it feels as if the
>>combination weighs 10 pounds. As with anything though, I can get used to
>>it.
>>
>>When I first saw the extra controls on the bottom of the grip, I wondered
>>how they could come into play, but I quickly learned that they are very
>>handy when using the poitrait mode. I used to tilt the camera to the
>>right
>>and my hand was awkwardly placed under the camera. With the battery grip,
>>I
>>tilt to the left and my hand is on top as it is when holding the camera in
>>the landscape position. I still haven't found it easy to locate the
>>viewfinder with my eye this way, but that will also come with practice.
>>
>>Overall it is great and I bought it locally for $160, including tax, so I
>>think I got a bargain.
>>
>>Don Dunlap
>>
>>
> See in the foldout where it says you should get around 60-80 images
> (depending on flash) with AA alkaline batteries? How many can you get?
> I am just curious because I cannot rely on one.

I really hadn't planned on using AA batteries. I will try it some day soon
just to see how many images I can get. I'll let you know.

Don

 

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On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 18:46:39 -0500, "Don Dunlap"
<dondunlaprove@direcway.com> wrote:

>
>I really hadn't planned on using AA batteries. I will try it some day soon
>just to see how many images I can get. I'll let you know.
>
>Don
>
>
I had only planned on using them as a last resort until I found they
did not work at all in my grip. If you ever consider using AA in an
emergency, I would recommend trying them out ASAP so you can return if
neccesary. If you wait too long you must deal directly with Canon,
which is something I would not even wish on an enemy!

 

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ZONED! wrote:
> On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 18:46:39 -0500, "Don Dunlap"
> <dondunlaprove@direcway.com> wrote:
>
>
>>I really hadn't planned on using AA batteries. I will try it some day soon
>>just to see how many images I can get. I'll let you know.
>>
>>Don
>>
>>
>
> I had only planned on using them as a last resort until I found they
> did not work at all in my grip. If you ever consider using AA in an
> emergency, I would recommend trying them out ASAP so you can return if
> neccesary. If you wait too long you must deal directly with Canon,
> which is something I would not even wish on an enemy!


Canon approves using AA alkaline and Nickel-Hydride batteries. I tried
both and was bitterly disappointed. AA alkaline's didn't last very long.
I think I got about 105 shots before they became useless. Nickel-Hydride
batteries didn't work at all.

I contacted Canon when I found Nickel-Hydride batteries wouldn't work. I
was told they should work and last long enough to take about 200 shots.
I was advised to procure different brands of Nickel-Hydride batteries,
which I did, and found none of them worked.

No matter, I didn't intend to use AA batteries anyway. I carry two extra
sets of charged BP-511 batteries when I'm out among the masses clicking
away.

nick

 

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nick c wrote:
> ZONED! wrote:
>> On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 18:46:39 -0500, "Don Dunlap"
>> <dondunlaprove@direcway.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> I really hadn't planned on using AA batteries. I will try it some
>>> day soon just to see how many images I can get. I'll let you know.
>>>
>>> Don
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I had only planned on using them as a last resort until I found they
>> did not work at all in my grip. If you ever consider using AA in an
>> emergency, I would recommend trying them out ASAP so you can return
>> if neccesary. If you wait too long you must deal directly with Canon,
>> which is something I would not even wish on an enemy!
>
>
> Canon approves using AA alkaline and Nickel-Hydride batteries. I tried
> both and was bitterly disappointed. AA alkaline's didn't last very
> long. I think I got about 105 shots before they became useless.
> Nickel-Hydride batteries didn't work at all.
>
> I contacted Canon when I found Nickel-Hydride batteries wouldn't
> work. I was told they should work and last long enough to take about
> 200 shots. I was advised to procure different brands of Nickel-Hydride
> batteries,
> which I did, and found none of them worked.
>
> No matter, I didn't intend to use AA batteries anyway. I carry two
> extra sets of charged BP-511 batteries when I'm out among the masses
> clicking away.
>

My dec 27 post:

"
At the original evaluation, I took a couple pictures in each
configuration. Now I have done this:

Duracell AA Alkalines:
Loaded right up again, took a dozen RAW picts, turned it off. Turned it
on, got the low battery flasher, turned it off, removed the battery
magazine, reinserted it, turned it on, got a half-battery picture on the
LCD, took forty Large Fine pictures (nearly all with flash), got the low
battery flasher, couldn't get anything else under any conditions.

Panasonic 2100 mAh rechargables, fresh from the chargers:
Loaded right up, took a dozen RAW pictures, turned it off. Turned it on,
got the half-battery picture, took six bursts of Large Fine pictures,
each burst running until it wouldn't take any more while it wrote 20 or
21 pictures to disk. Before the last burst got the low battery flasher,
turned it off, turned it on, got the half-battery picture, took the last
burst. Got the flasher, turned it off, turned it on, nothing. Removed
the magazine, reinserted it, got the half-battery sign, took three
pictures, got the flasher. Same routine three more times, nine more
pictures. Removed the magazine, reinserted, not enough power to get any
function. Inserted the 511As and the second picture filled the
plain-vanilla Sandisk 512meg card, using up 481 plus overhead, 212
pictures total (I may have miscounted the RAWs).

So, they both worked, albeit with a bit more hassle than the Canon
"Packs". I suspect the 2500mAh AAs will perform proportionately, perhaps
230-240 Large Fines before packing it in.

So I ordered another 511A and the dual-charger. If you use two 511As in
the grip-pack, I reckon when they quit neither will be useful until
charged, and you'll never get back in phase unless you can charge both
at once, while using the single Pack until they catch up.

Anyone know how many Large Fines you can get from a 511 or a pair? Mine
still show "full" after about 400 total pictures."


Last weekend I shot about 500 from a pair of Stirlingtek 511s and the
full-battery picture is still rampant on a field of grey.

Resp'y

--
Frank ess

 

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Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Frank ess wrote:
> nick c wrote:
>
>>ZONED! wrote:
>>
>>>On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 18:46:39 -0500, "Don Dunlap"
>>><dondunlaprove@direcway.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>I really hadn't planned on using AA batteries. I will try it some
>>>>day soon just to see how many images I can get. I'll let you know.
>>>>
>>>>Don
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>I had only planned on using them as a last resort until I found they
>>>did not work at all in my grip. If you ever consider using AA in an
>>>emergency, I would recommend trying them out ASAP so you can return
>>>if neccesary. If you wait too long you must deal directly with Canon,
>>>which is something I would not even wish on an enemy!
>>
>>
>>Canon approves using AA alkaline and Nickel-Hydride batteries. I tried
>>both and was bitterly disappointed. AA alkaline's didn't last very
>>long. I think I got about 105 shots before they became useless.
>>Nickel-Hydride batteries didn't work at all.
>>
>>I contacted Canon when I found Nickel-Hydride batteries wouldn't
>>work. I was told they should work and last long enough to take about
>>200 shots. I was advised to procure different brands of Nickel-Hydride
>>batteries,
>>which I did, and found none of them worked.
>>
>>No matter, I didn't intend to use AA batteries anyway. I carry two
>>extra sets of charged BP-511 batteries when I'm out among the masses
>>clicking away.
>>
>
>
> My dec 27 post:
>
> "
> At the original evaluation, I took a couple pictures in each
> configuration. Now I have done this:
>
> Duracell AA Alkalines:
> Loaded right up again, took a dozen RAW picts, turned it off. Turned it
> on, got the low battery flasher, turned it off, removed the battery
> magazine, reinserted it, turned it on, got a half-battery picture on the
> LCD, took forty Large Fine pictures (nearly all with flash), got the low
> battery flasher, couldn't get anything else under any conditions.
>
> Panasonic 2100 mAh rechargables, fresh from the chargers:
> Loaded right up, took a dozen RAW pictures, turned it off. Turned it on,
> got the half-battery picture, took six bursts of Large Fine pictures,
> each burst running until it wouldn't take any more while it wrote 20 or
> 21 pictures to disk. Before the last burst got the low battery flasher,
> turned it off, turned it on, got the half-battery picture, took the last
> burst. Got the flasher, turned it off, turned it on, nothing. Removed
> the magazine, reinserted it, got the half-battery sign, took three
> pictures, got the flasher. Same routine three more times, nine more
> pictures. Removed the magazine, reinserted, not enough power to get any
> function. Inserted the 511As and the second picture filled the
> plain-vanilla Sandisk 512meg card, using up 481 plus overhead, 212
> pictures total (I may have miscounted the RAWs).
>
> So, they both worked, albeit with a bit more hassle than the Canon
> "Packs". I suspect the 2500mAh AAs will perform proportionately, perhaps
> 230-240 Large Fines before packing it in.
>
> So I ordered another 511A and the dual-charger. If you use two 511As in
> the grip-pack, I reckon when they quit neither will be useful until
> charged, and you'll never get back in phase unless you can charge both
> at once, while using the single Pack until they catch up.
>
> Anyone know how many Large Fines you can get from a 511 or a pair? Mine
> still show "full" after about 400 total pictures."
>
>
> Last weekend I shot about 500 from a pair of Stirlingtek 511s and the
> full-battery picture is still rampant on a field of grey.
>
> Resp'y
>
> --
> Frank ess
>
>
have you checked "Bescor" battery packs or "Digipower"?