Customer Reviews

Opteka Battery Pack Grip for Canon EOS 20D & 30D Digital SLR Camera with 2 BP-511 Batteries (3400 mAh Total)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The grip exceeded my expectations. I stuck it on and have not taken it off. Great for portraits, and extended battery life.

I have my grip from Opteka for 4 months. This grip works and feels great. Camera sits on grip very well (I have Canon 30D), I can't tell the difference between this one and Canon BG E2 (I have Canon brand at work). Some people found the side loading of batteries as the disadvantage, contrary it suits me well. I use hand strip with this grip and loading batteries on the side seems to be natural thing to do. Vertical shutter release does feel different, however I think it is a small price to pay, considering the price difference. And yes, this grip doesn't have flashy sign "Canon" on the base.

I read the product description (says it uses the same mold as the factory) and bought the product only to send it back. I found it functions the same but does not place the batteries in the same area. The batteries are placed into the side of the battery Grip. There is only one plastic door latch that holds the batteries in place.I felt it was to flimsy (for the weight of the batteries) and not the same as the canon model. The canon Grip has two catches that hold the each rechargeable battery and the door latch in the back of the grip. The Canon Grip feels more durable is more robust. The batteries are better secured by the extra latches compared to opteka's single plastic battery door.

This is my first non-Canon accessory...and I should not have bought it. One of the reviewers said it does not fit well,you can see open air in between even the screw is already tight. Worse, my camera power lights up intermittently but eventually does not work. I have tried several times and even followed the manual but it does not seem to work. I finally realized that there is a small plastic locking mechanism on the grip that does not seem to connect very well to the camera's latch which detects whether the battery grip is properly tightened. I believe that maybe not all have the same experience as I do because there were satisfied reviewers. I realize that quality assurance for this "CHEAP" alternative is so poor that some of these work and some do not. It might be a trial and error process. I paid extra $20 for expedited shipping which might go to waste plus more because I would be returning it.

I recommend that you can save time, shipping and return shipping, and especially prevent frustration by buying authentic Canon accessories. I have learned my lesson, and you should learn from what I learned.

Having owned a previous Canon battery grip I expected a cheap imitation. No so! This is a quality grip and works great! The batteries seem to be a high quality product as well. I would definitely recommend and buy this product again.

I was not sure if I wanted to go with an off brand item. The price for the grip and two batteries got me to try it. I am happily surprised.
The grip has been working just as well as I could expect and the two extra batteries are always handy. I would easily purchase this again.

With no real experience with the Canon brand I find this a fine alternate. The only issues I've had are in cold weather conditions where the batteries need to be under an armpit to warm up. Not sure if this is specific to this brand or overall. But much less expensive, even with 2 batteries.