Canon BG-E7 Battery Grip for the EOS 7D Digital SLR Camera (Retail Package)

by Canon

Product Details

• Item Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B002NEFL8W
• Item model number: BG-E7
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 24, 2003

Product Description

Canon BG-E7 Camera Battery Grip 3815B001 Battery Accessories

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

142 of 143 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Completes an already great camera, November 25, 2009

By 

C. Franz (Zurich, ZH Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Why would you need a battery grip? When over a year ago I purchased the battery grip for my 450D ("XSi) I was surprised by how much more I got out of my camera by simply adding a battery grip. It's not the fact that you have twice the amount of battery power - simply getting a second battery pack will do that, and since the grip comes without any batteries, you'll have to purchase that anyway.
No, the best thing about a battery grip is that it literally allows you to get a better grip on your camera. Now, the 7D is somewhat larger than the 450D, and thus this may not be as important to people with smaller hands. But there are more than one reason to add the grip to the 7D: it transforms this great camera into a truly outstanding one:

- first of all, the grip significantly enhances the 7D's handling. Since it is added to the bottom of the camera, it adds some height, making the camera fit your right hand much better. But that's just the beginning. The grip has near-perfect molding (at least for my hand), making holding the 7D so much more comfortable.
- I shoot lots of portraits, and the grip adds shutter button, and main camera controls to the portrait orientation. Being able to hold the camera upright comfortably alone is worth the price of this grip. Again, the mold for this orientation is near perfect.
- (this may look obvious at first, but is often overlooked) you can remove the grip. The reason why I point this out is because with the grip installed, the 7D is very similar in size to the 1D. But if for some reason size or bulk is at a premium, you can take the grip off - something that is impossible with the 1D
- The grip is by no means light, and adds almost 50% of weight to the camera. This is a mixed blessing. The added bulk is noticeable, and on longer field excursions may add some discomfort. On the other hand, it balances the camera better with many of the heavier lenses. The added bulk will prevent you from shooting single-handedly in most situations, as steadying the camera with a mounted L lens now requires significant strength. That being said, the added bulk also makes it less susceptible to small movements, something I discovered to my advantage when shooting with a (non-IS assisted) macro lens.

Energy-wise, the grip is quite cleverly engineered: you can either load one or two battery packs into the grip, and the packs do not have to be charged evenly. You can, therefore, simply take a pack from the grip, load it into the camera, and discard the grip. After a while you can then reload the slightly more drained pack into the grip, and continue shooting with the grip. You can also replace the packs with 6 AA batteries for emergencies. Be carful, though - AA batteries get drained significantly faster than a normal battery pack, and the battery display will not correctly reflect charge status when you use AA.

The grip mounts from below into the 7D's battery bay and tripod mount. The tripod mount is replicated on the bottom of the grip, so you don't lose mountability with the grip installed. Unlike the BG-E5 (the grip for the EOS 450) this grip has much better weather sealing, making me much more comfortable using the 7D in weather. Also like the E5, this grip's 'On/Off' switch does not control power but activates and de-activates the additional (portrait orientation) controls. Battery Pack are conveniently loaded from the back, and do not require a magazine like in the BG-E5. AA batteries do need to be inserted into a magazine first, though.

Although near perfect, the are some minor quibbles I've found:
- there is no way to charge the whole grip with batteries loaded. You have to take the packs out, charge them individually, and then put them back into the grip. Since you can use the grip with only one pack installed this is an inconvenienca rather than annoyance, but still...
- the grip cannot provide power to external flashes. If there is one thing Canon should improve than it is this. I do realize that this would require re-designing the grip - but having a flash feed from the grip would be a godsend, as the batteries in the flash unnecessarily increase bulk.
- the grip's shutter button seems more sensitive than the one on my 7D, causing me to accasionally shoot where I wanted to aquire lock. I would have preferred if both shutters felt the same.
- A battery charge tester in the grip that is usable without turning on the camera (or for that matter: without being installed) would be a welcome addition (the camera *will* tell you the remaining charge)

Summary:
The battery grip turns the already great 7D into an exceptional camera. Especially if you shoot portraits a lot, this grip will immediately let you wonder how you ever got by without it. Although the improvements in handling are not as dramatic as with the BG-E5 (for the EOS 450/500), I feel it is still significant to warrant purchase. As a 'bonus' feature you get the option of doubling battery power, and even use AA batteries in an emergency. As a whole, I recommend this battery grip to anyone who wants to get more out of their (already great) 7D.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grips are great - Highly recommended, December 11, 2009

By 

A. Wiersch (Lantana, TX USA (near Dallas)) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

I have been buying all the battery grips for my Canon cameras (10D, 20D, 40D, and now 7D). This is the latest grip I bought for my new 7D. It was also the first accessory I purchased.

Pros:
* Overall GREAT accessory - very useful
* Significantly improves handling and feel of camera
* High build quality and feel
* Improved battery life with two LP-E6 lithium batteries
* Can take 6x AA batteries instead of the two LP-E6 batteries
* Includes a place in the grip to put the battery door so it doesn't get lost
* Well designed with control buttons and knobs
* Makes you and your camera look like a PRO!

Cons:
* It costs a bit of money, but considering the price of a 7D, it worth the added cost
* (minor) Shutter button does not have the same feel as the one on the body - it's easier to activate/more sensitive

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So you want to know why to get this..., November 15, 2010

By 

E. Link "TL" (Boston) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

Everyone has been ranting (for the most part) about this grip. As it compliments an already outstanding product, it's hard for Canon to mess this one up. They didn't, either. In order to break things down, I'm going to talk about the grip on two different aspects, ergonomics and functionality:

1. Ergonomics. 3 stars. Not the grips fault, however, more my hands' fault. I'm no grizzly bear, so my paws don't quite make it all the way around the grip. However, if you find yourself palming boulders, this will probably be your favorite new toy. When shooting vertically, my pinky finger sits right in the corner that my 7d and grip create, and it is quite the comfortable home for this finger. However, when I switch to vertical, I find that the grip is a bit too wide, and a bit too rectangular. If you look closely at the side of a 7d (the right side of it) you will see that it tapers slightly, getting thinner towards the bottom of the camera body. The grip does NOT follow this tapering line, it is much more square. After using the grip for a while though, if you have small hands like mine, you get used to this, so it's not a terrible problem. All that said, the grip itself feels just like the camera does (texture wise) and is sturdy just like the camera body. It's not just textured plastic, but an inlaid rubber grippy material just like the 7d. Plus, there's a little bar on the bottom of the grip to add either a hand strap or any other add-ons you please.

2. Functionality. 4.9 stars. Shutter button, scroll wheel, on/off switch (which simply disables the grip's buttons, but still provides power for the camera when in the OFF selection), zoom buttons, and AF-On button, all work perfectly with the camera. The camera records the battery levels and battery information in the menu just like when the battery was inside the camera, and does this for BOTH batteries (pretty cool). 6-AA's are usable, but will drain in about half the time that a normal canon battery does, so I would only use this in emergencies, and use rechargeable AA's (I find these last longer, and in the long run, they are cheaper and better for the environment). Thus, you must be wondering why 4.9 stars? I've pushed the shutter button on the 7d about 30,000 times so far, and I know exactly what it feels like. The shutter button on the grip is slightly different in "springiness," if you will. Not a deal-breaker though, because that vertical shutter button makes taking portrait shots 200% easier. Also, when using a big L lens like the 70-200 f/2.8 L -- especially if it has IS and/or you use extenders -- the battery grip adds weight to the camera, thus balancing out the weight. What this means is that the center of gravity of the camera and lens together is closer to the camera, (i noticed it is perfectly over the tripod foot, making monopod/tripod use awesome) and this makes the overall feel of the camera nicer.

A few quick notes, just to wrap things up:

+
vertical shutter release, great for those with meaty paws, optional AA use for emergencies, balances the camera.

-
a bit bulky and heavy (but you can just hit the gym and pump up those arm muscles), shutter release is *just* off.

I'll never take this thing off, it's near-perfect. I would never buy a non-canon (third party) version, because I know canon never fails to bring the good stuff. If you have any questions please comment!