Canon BGE2 Battery Grip for the EOS 20D and EOS 30D Digital SLR Cameras

by Canon

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 4.9 x 3.2 inches ; 15.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (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: B0002YE6G8
• Item model number: 9444A001
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 17, 2003

Product Description

The BG-E2 is made for both the EOS 20D & EOS 30D Digital SLR Cameras and holds up to 2 - (BP-511, BP-511A, BP-512, BP-514) Lithium-ion Battery Packs or 6 AA Batteries (using the included battery holder BMG-E2) to offer double-length shooting time. The vertical shutter release makes shooting with the camera in a vertical position just as comfortable as shooting horizontally.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mine works great ! ! ! (6-21-05), June 21, 2005

By 

Just Anonymous (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canon BGE2 Battery Grip for the EOS 20D and EOS 30D Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I must admit the reviews scared me away for a bit but with an impending camping trip - I decided to jump. I think that Canon had a bad production run or mislabeled product which they have since fixed since I just got mine and fits great.

Two things that surprise me nicely about my grip:
1) Comes with a AA Magazine!
2) Full set of controls for index finger and thumb on the side (Shutter release, spin wheel, focus point selector.) Nice Job!

On the problems others noted:
1) mine fits perfectly flush with the bottom of my 20D (it reads Canon BG-E2 on the front and complements the look of the 20D)
2) I noticed no problems with electrical misreads or torquing since mine fits perfectly flush.

Pros for the Grip:
1) The comprehensiveness of the extra set of controls surprised me which was not why I bought the BG-E2 but which some people will find indispensable. Now that I have a full set of controls for portrait mode it will have me shooting portrait quite a bit more. Great job Canon!

2) On battery power with two batteries - I spent three weeks in Africa with this grip. After 8 days of heavy picture taking (about 15gigs worth of pictures), it asked for a recharge and After 14 more days of lighter shooting, its still showing fully charged. Amazing. I took the magazine and extra batteries but never used them. The power is amazing and if you're going abroad into desolate environments, get this grip.

3) Comes with the AA Magazine that holds 6 AA batteries. This will add a ton of flexibility when traveling in remote locations.

4) Portrait controls have "on / off" switch which is nice extra to prevent accidental pressing.

5) Great Pinky rest. My pinky has a home (ok not a really big bonus but still a nice thing since I guess I have big hands)

6) I see the loop at the bottom for the handgrip but I haven't used that. Since the "rig" is heavier now - I'm sticking to neck strap or lens strap.

7) Has the tripod mount screw at the bottom for mounting to tripod.

Cons against the grip:
1) None that I can tell yet - I'll update you all potential buyers if I learning anything.
2) Some bad press which worries me. I don't know to date if I got a good "fixed" grip or if I'm going to have issues later.

Subjective stuff:
1) It makes the camera bigger and heavier. It feels more balanced but this definitely turns it into a two hand rig which is proper I guess for this type of equipment.

2) The bottom grip is wide so this attachment was bigger than I expected. It makes you look like a "pro" which I am not - can be good or bad.

I'm very impressed with my BG-E2. I received 6/21/05 from Amazon. I have a 20D with an 85mm lens mounted on it and two batteries. I just held it in my hands by the grip alone and there is Zero torquing. It solid. I imagine if I put a 70-200mm lens, I wouldn't hold it just by the chassis - bad form and bad on the mount. Sturdy grip overall! They fixed whatever was wrong!

I recommend you try from Amazon! They did good by me. Good luck and I hope this helps.

146 of 169 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Truly disappointing accessory, November 17, 2004

By 

Tervagant (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canon BGE2 Battery Grip for the EOS 20D and EOS 30D Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

This has to be one of the worst EOS accessories Canon has ever put out; hopefully they will revise its design soon. The grip does not rest flush with the bottom of the EOS 20D regardless of how much you torque the nut. The small amount of play is annoying, but there is a much more serious problem in the form of intermittent power interruptions. A medium-heavy lens (e.g. 70-200mm 2.8) and a flash cause enough flex in the BG-E2 when you hold the camera by the grip that the electrical pins on the grip lose conact with the terminals in the 20D body. Quite unacceptable for anyone who needs a reliable camera for active work. There are work arounds in the form of shimming the grip, but Canon should have done a better job, especially considering how wonderful a camera the 20D is.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must be a personal preference!, February 16, 2006

By 

DSR "The Grumpy Moose" (Anchorage, Alaska) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canon BGE2 Battery Grip for the EOS 20D and EOS 30D Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

Reading over some of these reviews, its clear some people absolutely love this accessory, while others just hate it! I just got one and put it on my camera - I'm definitely in the first group! I doubt I'll ever remove it! Makes the camera fit much nicer in my hand and much easier to control. Particularly balances out a large "L" zoom lens (I'm using the new 24-105mm L). Canon must have fixed the poor fit up problem others have described as mine snugs up just fine. Yeah it's plastic, but still well built. Very ingenious that there is even a compartment to store the original battery cover so you won't lose it. I also like the neat little spring-loaded opening to accomodate the cord from the optional A/C adapter. They thought of everything! Kind of ironic though that Canon goes out of their way to advertise the 20D is smaller and lighter than it's predecessor, then we go out of our way (and spend more $$$) to make it bigger and heavier again!