Customer Reviews

Canon BG-E3 Battery Grip for EOS Digital Rebel XT Camera

5 star:		(140)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a well-made accessory that makes the Rebel XT or XTi very comfortable to hold, either horizontally, or especially, vertically. Several camera controls are replicated on the grip (shutter release, AE lock button, AF point selector, AE compensation, and command dial) for ease in shooting vertical formats.
I'm used to the Digital Rebel, which fits my hand almost perfectly. I found the Rebel XT to be a bit too small. It felt OK with a 50mm 1.4 lens, but I found it hard to hold steady with a 70-200mm f/4 "L" zoom, or with a Canon 420EX flash attached. The battery grip adds extra room for holding the camera, and helps balance the lens or external flash by moving the center of gravity down and towards your hand, making the combination much more comfortable to hold and steady.
The grip works great with two NB-2LH batteries. I was more intrigued with its ability to use 6 AA batteries. Canon advises this option is for "emergency use" but after reading the supplied literature, the explanation for this worrisome statement became clear: Canon expects fewer shots from 6 AAs than from 2 NB-2LH batteries. You may try different types of AA batteries. I have found that the BG-E3 provides very good results with Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries. These batteries have long shelf life and maintain adequate voltage longer than most other AA rechargeable batteries. I also have used Energizer disposable lithium batteries with no problems.
I plan to leave the battery grip on my camera all of the time. I probably will use it most with two NB-2LH batteries, but like having the option of using the included AA battery holder, when necessary.

When I bought the XT, I had pre-ordered it like so many other people, which meant I hadn't had a chance to test it out before it arrived from Amazon. I knew it was a small camera based on the reviews and size descriptions but I didn't REALLY know until I got it in my hands! It felt alright in my hands, but I knew it could be better once I got the battery grip, and I am so glad I did.

The grip is great for extended battery life since it takes two of the lithium Canon batteries. As for the battery life itself, I shot an ENTIRE wedding, the bride getting ready, the pre ceremony shots, the actual ceremony, the post ceremony formal group shots, the entire reception, and the battery level never came on low. And you can imagine how often I had to use my 420EX flash! There was enough battery to last the car trip back while I looked at each picture on the cameras LCD screen, over 700+. That, in it of itself, is worth the purchase. To be able to have the peace of mind that you can just keep shooting and shooting and not have to worry about running out of juice is a godsend.

The added weight is great too. The camera feels more secure in my hands, especially when I have my telephoto lens on it.

I love the vertical shooting as well, I don't have to compromise my hand positions just because I am shooting vertically, because there is a shutter button on the bottom along with aperture & shutter length controls.

This really is one of those 'must have' accessories that if you are buying the camera, you might as well go ahead and buy this too, along with a few extra batteries. I can't say anything bad about it! If you were thinking of skipping over the XT because of the smallness, ask your camera shop to fit it with this grip and give it a shot, its a great camera and with a great grip, you can't go wrong!

Others said everything I need to say, but this is something they missed. In most situations, you don't really need two batteries. It is good that you can use only one battery for this grip. It is a feature, not a bug. Enjoy yours.

I tried this product out at local camera store before I was sold on the idea. The two main things I was concerned about were how does it attach and does it add too much weight to the camera.

The attaching to the camera was a little concerning, I was worried that it may damage the camera. But, after watching the guy at our local camera shop put one on a Rebel I was sold. Basically you remove the door to the battery compartment. Which comes off a lot easier than I anticipated. The grip slides in like a battery and you screw it on the bottom of the camera. Don't worry their is another hole on the bottom of the grip for the tripod.

The grip does add weight but its not that significant and I noticed it adds a lot of stability while holding it. Since the grip adds height to the camera its easier to hold the camera in one hand. Much like holding one of the more expensive models. It also adds battery life since the grip holds two batteries.

If you hold the new grip to take pictures with the camera on its side. You will be pleasantly surprised to see a duplicate set of buttons and the scroll wheel added on the new grip just for that purpose. It is now a permanent attachment and I am glad I decided to buy it. The buttons work just as well as the camera even at 3fps.

Another note is that the quality of the Canon grip is much better than the cheaper version.

Overall, this is a fine product. I agree with the May 21, 2005, review that the BGE3 enables you to hold the camera securely in a vertical position, and that it gives a longer battery life than the single NB2LH lithium ion battery that you put into the Canon Digital Rebel XT (EOS 350D) body. It comes with magazines for both lithium (BGM-E3L) and AA (BGM-E3A) batteries, can be used with optional AC adapter kit ACK-700, and anchors one end of optional Hand Strap E-1 for horizontal photos. At about 1 pound (454 g) when you insert your 6 AA batteries, it's not too heavy.

But several aspects of the batteries are frustrating. First, when you're in a rush, it's easy to slide the magazine into the grip and twist the knob to try to lock the magazine into place, only to find a few seconds later that the magazine is not actually secure because it wasn't pushed all the way into the grip. The designers should not have allowed the knob to rotate when there is a 1 mm or larger gap between the grip and the magazine.

Second, if you use 6 AA batteries, it's difficult to remove the far right one. You can push the other five out easily by putting your finger through the holes in the plastic magazine, but the hole for the far right battery is too small.

Third, as noted in the previous review, when you insert 6 fully-charged AA nickel metal hydride batteries, you see a "battery level is low" symbol on the camera's LCD display. That isn't very useful or accurate.

Finally, the six-AA Ni-MH battery life is not stated on the instruction sheet. Instead, you get only the specification of 300 shots for alkaline batteries at 20 degrees C with no flash which drops to 220 shots with 50% flash. (Apparently, the camera won't work with alkalines at freezing temperatures, as it's rated for 0 shots at 0 degrees C.) I did not do a formal test, but without flash it seemed that six 2300 mAh NiMH AAs lasted perhaps a thousand shots (comparable to the 1200 shots claimed with two NB-2LH lithium ion batteries in the grip).

If you can tolerate its idiosyncrasies, purchase this item (UPC 013803049770) from Amazon.com!

Plus points

If you are concerned about the small size and low weight of the EOS350D camera the BG-E3 battery grip is a 'must have' accessory.

The grip makes vertical shooting a breeze and adds much needed size and weight to the camera when using a longer lens, improving the overall balance of the camera/lens.

Purchasing an additional NB-2LH battery to fill both slots of the BGM-E3L magazine instantly doubles battery life/shooting time and you can extend shooting time even further by loading the additional BGM-3LA magazine with 6x AA size batteries.
Using the figures quoted in the grips' documentation you can achieve a total of 1500 shots with no flash and 1020 shots with 50% flash using both fully loaded magazines. (@ min temp 20°C)

The optional Handstrap E-1 (purchased seperately) can be attached for a more secure grip.

Minus points

The magazines are quite flimsy in design and care is needed when handling them as they could be easily damaged.
There is an issue when using the BGM-3LA magazine loaded with AA size batteries where the camera display shows a low battery condition even with fully charged batteries. The number of shots is not affected by this false reading.

The AA size batteries can be difficult to insert and remove.

Care is need when inserting the magazines into the grip as it is possible in a rush to rotate and lock the locking knob even though the magazine is not fully pushed home.
When the locking knob is turned to the locking position, it is important to remember to flip the knob flush with the body of the grip as this closes an electrical contact and the camera will not power up unless this is done.

Slightly pricey.

Unique to the EOS 350D camera, not transferrable to other models (same issue as the 300D and 20D grips) as the grip matches the contours and size of the 350D

Additional magazines not available for purchase seperately.

Final thoughts.

The Pro's far outweight the Con's...this is probably the best value adding accessory you can buy for your EOS350D camera.

I have written a full web based review which can be found here:
http://www.shutterschool.com/bge3/index.htm

I've used a battery grip on almost every Canon camera I've owned since 1980. This Rebal XT battery life seems to be almost forever and with the battery grip, that gets doubled.

The grip also allows you to use regular batteries so you could use them should the rechargables ever die on you and need to keep shooting.

It adds another shutter release button for turning the camera 90 degrees.

Larger hands would probably find the camera more comfortable with more grip area.

It adds more mass which can be a pro (a little more stability) or a con (heavier to carry around).

It would have been nice if Canon could have slightly remolded it to stand the camera up. As it is, the camera will lean forward on it lense.

Bottom Line: I'm glad I purchased but think it could have been much cheaper. When you consider (way back when) these types of devices added a motor winder (standard on modern film SLRs and not used on digital cameras) along with added battery capacity. All this adds is additonal battery capacity.

The price is the reason for 4 stars instead of 5. Of course most businesses don't care as long as people are buying.

Mark H

I love it. Shooting horizontal or vertical, all the needed controls are accessible. Extended battery life is welcome when shooting with Image Stabilizing lenses. With my somewhat bulky EF 28-135 IS USM zoom lens attached, the battery grip really balances out the camera. Without it the small XT body is ackward with some of the larger lenses attached.

I had a hard time convincing myself that this was really worth the price considering it doesn't seem to really add much at face value. Now I am kicking myself for not getting it as soon as I got my XT. I use several large lenses such as the 100-400 and 180 macro that weigh around 3 lbs and without the battery grip they were a pain to use without a tripod. But now they, and all of my other lenses, are much easier to handle. Plus the extra controls on the side are great when using a tripod collar. The build quality is good and they even thought about a place to store the battery door from the camera body so you don't misplace it. The extra battery life is also nice and the option to use regular batteries in a pinch gives you a real piece of mind when shooting away from home. Plus it makes the XT look a lot more professional and people seem to stay out of your way more when you at least look like you know what you are doing. So don't make the same mistake that I did, if you are reading this review and have the money to buy this, do it, you will not regret it.

Many folks think of grips as something that pro photographers use for taking brusts of pictures quickly. In the digital world the BG-E3 has some other fine uses. The Grip wll allow you to use two Canon Batteries or Standard AA rechargeables. In addition to adding an extra shutter release button to your Rebel XT it also adds to the size of the camera - which is actually a good thing.

I thought that my wife would complain about the larger size and heft but in reality the body needs to be a bit bigger to be comfortable and the extra weight offsets the lens weight nicely. All in all, I'm very happy with the unit and thing it was a wise investment.