Customer Reviews

Opteka Battery Pack Grip / Vertical Shutter Release for Nikon D40x, D40, D60, D3000 & D5000 Digital SLR

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

 

 

Having just received this grip, it was time to bolt it on and see just how 'bad' the fit actually is. I for one, take negative reviews lightly, especially those authored by amateurs (non-pros), many of whom seem to have problems with everything.

As it turns out, the Opteka D40/D40X/D60 Grip is very well made indeed! A full 1/4" thick hard plastic molding - practically indestructible. The machined casting is made to very close-fit tolerances, requiring exact alignment (it can take a bit of patience). Once positioned correctly (there is a tight-fitting dowel hole to mate to the body), the grip fits snug and flat. It looks very well mated to the contour of the D40/60 series body.

I popped in 2 1800 mAh Li-ion batteries (3600 mAh total) and it was a somewhat different camera! Moving the single battery from the battery chamber down into the grip, along with another, adds additional weight, and also lowers the center of gravity of the entire assembly. Now my Nikkor 18-70 & 70-300 (heavy) lenses feel much more at home hung on this more-stout little DSLR!

The included pop-out infrared diode works well with the camera receiver. Contrary to others who cry about 'what a pain..menu settings..', it is quick, simple, and efficient. Simply press the fn button on the front of the camera body, next to the lens mount, when taking a vertical shot, and pop out the infrared sender in the grip. On the D40, D40X, and D60 cameras, the fn button defaults to infrared/2 second delay (no menu needed!!). Thus, when the vertical button on the grip is pressed, the camera will set aperture and shutter, auto-focus, (depending on your other settings), and click the shutter. It returns the fn button back to off (default) after exposure. What could be easier than that?

All in all, a great addition for those who are looking for more body bulk (I'm talking about the camera!), lower center of gravity, better heavy lens balance, more serious pro-like looks, easier vertical shot triggering, and several times the power available, this is a really great add-on. I recommend it highly - do it, you'll like it!

I like my Nikon D60 but it always felt small in my big hands. I bought this battery pack to extend the grip and it worked perfectly. The battery grip fits the camera like a glove, looks like it belongs and makes the camera very "beefy". When I add my 55-200mm lens the entire outfit is well balanced and feels just right in my hands. Make no mistake the entire outfit is also heavy in today's camera world but it feels nice and looks really professional. It vastly improves the portrait grip of the camera and the vertical shutter is nice but a bit awkward to use. I would recommend this item if you are looking for more "grip".

Quality: The grip seems well built - hard plastic that feels solid in the hand. I have no doubt that this thing could take a beating before any serious damage happens. The grip sits snugly onto the bottom of the camera and doesn't rock at all.

Appearance: Don't expect the grip to look like a seamless addition to the camera and make it look like a D3 or D3X - it will look like an addition. Saying that, the addition matches really well. The color and texture matches my D60 really well.

Comfort: The added weight of the battery grip changes the feel of the camera entirely. When holding the camera regularly, the center of mass is lower, and the grip continues from the camera to the battery grip very smoothly. Holding it vertically feels natural.

Value: For the relatively little amount I spent on this grip, it was certainly worth the purchase. I don't find myself wishing I bought something else or that I spent too much.

Some Things to Note:
-The vertical shutter button is a single action trigger and can not be pushed halfway down to focus. I don't use the vertical shutter button as much as I thought I would so it doesn't bother me much.
-The vertical shutter button works like a wireless remote for the camera. You first switch the camera to the remote mode by using either the menu or Fn button on the side. Make sure to set it to instant rather than a 2 or 10 second delay. The next thing to do is slide a lock that allows a spring loaded sensor to pop up on the horizontal grip part.
-For some reason, whenever I use the vertical shutter button, the camera always takes two pictures, even though its on single shot mode. I'm not sure what is causing this - perhaps an overzealous sensor?
-When loading the batteries into the grip, make sure they are in the right orientation with the contacts facing away from the battery tray. If they are upside down, they will not fit into the grip and trying to force them in will damage them. If they are in the correct orientation, the battery tray should glide right in.
-To attach the grip, you will need to remove the battery door on your camera first. To do this, just angle the door at about 45 degrees from closed and pull firmly. It should pop right out. Make sure to store this in a safe place - you don't want to lose it.

Overall I'm very happy with this grip and would recommend it for amateur or hobbyist photographers. There are better grips out there that feature battery duration monitors, exposure timers, and extra storage capacity for more professional photographers or just someone that is willing to pay significantly more.

I would say this works just ok, if your just doing landscape, or just portrait, but as far as versatility, you have to turn the infrared on every time you have to go on portrait and turn-off the infrared when going to landscape again. it screws on nicely, but you can tell that there is still a gap, and worried that it might come undone, in other words I don't use this at all, ebay here it comes.

I just received the package containing BG-D80. I have not tested this item yet and going by my previous experience with this company, I don't have any reason to doubt their products. Well built.

Oftentimes the products advertised online with cheap price are a real headache. They tend to call you to verify, but in fact they will call you so that they can make you buy more other stuff. Oftentimes, once you initiate a transaction with those rogue companies, you can't even cancel the order. But not Opteka. I wouldn't have not written this review except for a letter that accompanied with the product requesting me to contact them before leaving any negative comment online. The sincerity with which they request and the manifest eagerness to help solve any irregularity is a big plus with Opteka, let alone my positive experiences with the products that I purchased previously (especially the batteries for my earlier several versions of camcorders and digital SLRs).

Raj

Great item, fits great, works great, I love it. I've uploaded pictures of it on the camera but I took them using my camera phone so the images are poor quality but I hope they help anyone who is interested.

Good low end product. To be able to use the shutter button you have to use the IR fuction, so it's not very practical. If I'd know this I would have paid a little more for other products. Great battery pack tho!!

The Opteka battery pack does its job, but I haven't been able to get the shutter working. Apparently the camera (Nikon D40X)does not recognize a second shutter, after following the instructions enclosed with the battery pack none of the shutters work. I have to set the camera as if the battery pack wasn't there and it works fine. For what I need it, it works just fine.

After using the thing for a while I decided to put it in the "round file". It was stated that my battery life would double and I've found out that it's just the opposite. Batteries get drained very fast (I only use original Nikon batteries), more so than with one battery in the camera itself. Piece of junk... You get what you pay for I guess. Too bad Nikon doesn't make one for the D40x.

The bad...
Its big, its heavy, and I do not care for the way it looks...

The good...
Its cheap, the vertical button works if you are willing to fight your way through your cameras menu to activate it each time (which I am not)... but the real advantage (and only reason I would order it again) is because you can run your camera off AA's instead of being tied to your rechargeables. If you are traveling, this is 100% necessary to take with you if you are not 100% sure you are not going to have power. Also... if you are not consistent in keeping your batts charged, this is a way you can put lithiums in it and KNOW your camera will power up and funtion at the drop of a hat.

Verdict...
Its big, its ugly, its heavy... but if you travel or are inconsistent with keeping your batteries charged, it is 100% necessary to have.

Caution on what you order. When I received this product in a fast and timely manner, I found that the product does not work with the camera's it's advertised to work with. Even the product manual shows only D40, D40x and D60. Although the product itself may be in working condition and appearence and value are of high ranking, the advertised product is misleading and frankly, incorrect. I'm in process of returning this item for the correct item or a full refund. Not only do I have to pay shipping for the misleading advertised product, but there is a 15% restocking fee. We'll see how this ends up....