Customer Reviews

Opteka Battery Pack Grip / Vertical Shutter Release for Nikon D40x, D40, D60, D3000 & D5000 Digital SLR with 2 extended EN-EL9 Batteries (2400mAh Total)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I did a lot of research before I purchased this item, however; there were no reviews on it as it relates to the D5000. The only thing I could ever find is the manufacturer claiming that it fits the D5000 or someone elses review of it for a different camera (D40/D60.)

I'm just getting back into the SLR frame of mind for photo's and I knew a battery grip was one thing I wanted. The lack of a NIKON grip for the D5000 nearly kept me from purchasing the camera but the D5000 was really a great entry into the dslr arena, so I bought it and the OPTEKA battery grip.

The OPTEKA grip does fit the NIKON D5000 but it's not a perfect fit. The "tray" that the bottom of the camera is nestled in when they go together is just "slightly" larger than the bottom of the camera. A person who isn't a camera entheuiast probably wouldn't notice and from a small distance it's not noticable but things like this usually bother me! Don't get me wrong, it's not a loose fit, the grip fits tight and there is no slop, it's just that the small raised lip around the top edge of the grip is "slightly" larger then the bottom of the camera! It's not really an issue but consumers need to know this because this may bother some people! The outer demensions of the grip are virtually identical to the outer demensions of the camera and the look and finish of the grip are pretty much spot on!

When you hold it, it feels similar to the D5000. It appears to have a similar build quaiity to the camera body. It doesn't add any significant weight to the camera except for you now have two batteries instead of one. This product also comes with a battery cradle that holds six double A batteries so if you get in a pinch you can buy new batteries virtually anywhere! I havn't tried this out yet!

I was also worried about taking off the cameras battery door to install the grip but that was very easy, it just snapped right out! They even have a slot in the grip for you to put the battery door in so you don't lose it!

Installation was a breeze. You just gently remove the camera battery door (instructions come with grip) and slide the electronic contacts (male) into the battery receptacle (female.) Then you turn a thumbwheel that turns a bolt (1/4") that screws into the area on the bottom of the camera where you usually attach a tripod and you're done. It's a tight solid fit and it all feels like one piece! The grip also has an area on the bottom of it where you can attach a tripod (1/4".) It all feels very good in my hands!

After about a month of use I highly recommend this product for anyone who has a D5000. Overall the benefits of this product far outweigh the fact that it may actually have been produced and intended for a "slightly" larger camera. It is a wonderful product that I am very happy with and it adds to my enjoyment of my D5000.

I can't comment on the vertical shutter release as I personally have no interest in this feature as of yet.

fit..............................9 of 10
looks.........................10 of 10
ease of assembally.......10 of 10
operational value.........10 of 10 (don't have to change betteries as often.)
value for the $..........10 of 10 (if NIKON made one it would cost much more.)

hope this helps someone.

sincerely..... Mike R.

I must say that I am quite happy with this item. It fits well onto my D40, the finish is excellent, and it gives the camera a whole new "personality". I have the Sigma 18-200mm lens, which is much bigger and heavier than the 18-55mm kit lens. This makes the camera more awkward as the center of gravity is now different. This causes my wrist to tilt forward instead of keeping the camera balanced. I have an ongoing issue with my wrist, due to a prior injury, and noticed that with the heavier lens the camera had to be gripped in a way that was a bit painful to me. With this battery grip I am able to grip the camera much better! The weight of the batteries in the bottom of the grip plus the change in the center of gravity makes it much easier for me to hold the camera properly.

I do not like the vertical shutter function at all, but I blame this on the D40 itself and not the grip. Hey, at least Opteka tried, it just doesn't work well for me. I had issues with getting the shutter to release, but I have had the same issue with the wireless remote so I don't blame the grip for this.

The option of using AA batteries with this grip was important to me as well, as I like the flexibility of having multiple power options.

Here are my rankings (1-10):

Appearance: (8)- Certainly gives the D40 a much different, more pleasing and professional look.

Fit and finish: (8)- The "crackle" finish is perfect, and even in bright sunlight looks exactly like the finish on the D40. The color is slightly off; it's slightly lighter in color than the D40. It is not a HUGE difference, but it is detectable. My grip fit slightly crooked, with the right side a few millimeters lower than the left side. Again, this was very minor but detectable.

Ease of installation: (9)- Very simple, the hardest part was taking off the battery door (I didn't want to break it) but this is a D40 issue, not the battery grip issue. The grip fit into the battery compartment and attached to the tripod mount perfectly. I would have preferred some better markings on the cartridge that holds the two batteries, but they fit well and the cartridge slid into the grip with ease.

Ease of use: (9)- The vertical shutter button is not an easy feature to use, but this is more the fault of the D40 than the battery grip. Once the grip is in place it feel like a natural extension of the camera.

Comfort: (7)- The grip feels good in my hand, although I can feel the vertical shutter button on my palm, which is minor annoyance to me.

Value: (7)- For a $100 item I would like to have seen a charger included for charging both batteries at once. I feel that a lot of the cost was for the vertical shutter option, which I won't use often, if at all.

Overall: (8)- Overall this is a very good item and I would recommend it for someone who wants longer life between battery charges as well as the flexibility to use AA batteries. I would also highly recommend this product for users who have a heavy lens on the D40 as it makes the camera much easier to hold properly. I would not suggest this item exclusively for the vertical shutter feature as it doesn't work very well, although this is a D40 issue and not an issue of the battery grip.

This puppy works great with my Nikon D40 , it fits perfectly and looks great on the D40 . Comes with 2 batteries it also has a normal battery adapter if you need to use store boughts to get by...

I have a 55-200mm Lens and with the battery grip it has a nice feel and loads of battery life.

The side (portrait ) button only works in conjunction with the infrared sensor , so while it does work .. its not like the main button....

The grip slides in nice and matches the D40.

Well, the nikon d40 battery grip from opteka was a generally good buy, i was pleased with 47th street's shipping and all of that ( no complaints there )

In this written review, i'll be going over some of the perks ( pros ) and some of the downsides ( cons ) of this battery grip/vertical shutter release device for the nikon d40/d40x/d60 DSLR camera. Feel free to debate them,just contact me at nathan_grammatico@hotmail.com, or nathangrammatico@yahoo.com

Ok, let's go over some of the Pros.

1) price- 100$ isn't that " bad " to pay for a battery grip/vertical shutter release that comes with two batteries, and claims to be a professional battery grip.

2) It adds a " professional" look to the camera, and your peers are going to be jealous, it makes your once little d40, look like a miniature version of the professional nikon d3 camera.

3) The battery life- the two batteries and the six aa's make shooting in any condition perfect, and you can literally take thousands of shots, however the batteries it came with don't come with chargers, and abnormally take longer to charge on the regular charger the nikon d40 came with.

4) The vertical shutter release ( pro. and con. )- you can shoot vertically with no delay ( although the instructions talk about there be a two second delay, you can change it to instant, which reduced the delay dramatically ). and it's very easy shooting in the vertical position.

5) It fits into the nikon d40's body well.

No, let's go over some of the cons.

1) when shooting in the vertical position, you have to change it from single, to the special remote shooting mode, which takes time, and you can't just take a horizontal picture without changing the settings. Which is very annoying, and there's nothing you can do about it. You have to change the setting before you can shoot. Oh, and another thing, this is going to sound absolutely crazy!... today, when i was shooting in the bright sun, the vertical shutter refused to go off, which i found weird.
But, when i went i went inside it went off. Is there a problem with the light in the infrared sensor? i'm not sure, but i'd say there's a good chance.

that's the only con i could think of, it's a really good accessory

nathan_grammatico@hotmail.com
nathangrammatico@Hotmail.com

contact me, if you have any further questions :)

Just received my Opteka Battery Grip today. It was ordered thru 47th Street Photo and arrived 6 days before the estimated arrival date. Awesome! Surprisingly the 2 batteries it came with were 1400mAh (2800mAh altogether, WOOHOO!) instead of the advertised 1200mAh. Just right off the bat, the experience is headed for a good start.

Installation was very easy. The battery grip even came with an illustrated instruction on how to remove the battery door. Bottom-line, open the door 45 degrees and slide the door out. The battery compartment has a slot where you can slide the battery door and it holds it in snugly. The battery grip gets screwed into the tripod mount and needs a slight tweak as you're tightening the screw so it fit snugly. I have to say, they're mounted together pretty good and tight (a good tight).

The battery compartment slides out of the side and I have the option of using either the 2 EN-EL9 batteries or 6 AAs. Even with the two batteries, the body doesn't feel that heavy. I have the Nikon 18-200mm AF-S DX f/3.5-5.6 lens so the addition of the battery grip balances the appearance of the camera. I have to admit, since this is a big lens, it is still heavier than the body with battery grip and 2 batteries, so the lens would tilt the camera forward. (Just an added piece of information in case you have this lens, doesn't really affect my opinion of the battery grip).

The appearance of the battery grip complements the body of the D60. The crackle finish of the camera can also be found on the grip. Even the lines at the bottom of the camera is complemented by the battery grip giving the appearance that they were meant for each other.

The battery feels comfortable and my pinky doesn't have to bend at the bottom of the camera (pre-battery grip). The right side of the camera and grip can now rest against my palm. My other palm can support the bottom of the battery grip giving more room for the fingers to rotate the zoom/focus.

The vertical shutter button is a nice feature. I may use it from time-to-time, but it definitely requires 1) switching the vertical release shutter to "On"; 2) popping out the infrared-sensor from the battery grip; 3) pressing the "Fn" button and selecting the "Quick-Response Remote" option. I had to do a one-time setup in the D60 that programs the Fn button (go to Menu->Custom Setting Menu->11. Timer/Fn button->Select "Release Mode"). After this one-time setup, I just have to invoke 1-2-and-3 above to activate the vertical shutter. One thing that takes getting used to is there's no half-step when pressing the vertical release button so the camera focuses, then snaps the picture. Just catches you off-guard initially.

Overall, while I was initially skeptical and contemplating between this and the Targus (I can't comment on the Targus since I didn't order it) I'd have to say I'm very happy with this battery grip and it definitely gives the D60 a whole new appearance, added battery life and ergonomic benefit. In my opinion it definitely does not make the camera "cheesy-looking".

First I want to say that I only ordered this two days ago- it arrived today!!!!! I have read all of the reviews on this item and most people tend to like it. I have a Nikon D3000 and this grip fits and looks like it was made specifically for my camera- the finish matches perfectly. I have read reviews where some people were not happy with the vertical shutter release, however on the D3000, I have no problems- i can shoot as many pictures vertically without having to go into the menu. This grip gives my camera such a professional look and I am looking forward to the extended battery life. Though it doesnt come with a charger for the batteries they charge just fine in the charger that came with my camera. Taking off the battery door to attatch the battery grip was a piece of cake!! I will definately order from this seller again and I recommend this product to anyone with the Nikon D3000 as that is the camera I use.

I ordered the Opteka Battery Pack Grip from 47th ST Photo and it's a great product. It is very well constructed in a heavy plastic, very sturdy. Removing the battery door from the D60 was a easy as opening it and twisting about 45 degrees and it pops right off, without damage.

The battery grip has a place to store the battery door should you ever need it. The grip comes with two 1200ma battery packs (not Nikon batteries) which gives it more capacity than the Nikon 1000ma batteries. The batteries charge just fine in the OEM D60 battery charger. It also comes with a battery holder for AA batteries which is a very nice feature, given the high capacity batteries that are now available.

It mounts securely to the camera and matches the finish on the D60 very well. It fits squarely against the camera bottom with no gaps. As noted by other reviewers it adds weight and bulk to the bottom of the D60 which helps the balance when using the heavier prosumer and pro lenses.

47th Street Photo shipped promply as advertised and the transaction went very smoothly. It's well worth the price IMO and I really like it.

Ok, everyone has spoken of the quality of the product already. I personally love it. As far as it being made out of plastic... nowdays even half of our cars are plastic pieces. So is your computer, tv, bla bla bla!
I sat and looked at the battery door to figure out how to remove it without damage to the door or the camera.
Here is the trick...
Open the battery door only slightly and pull. It comes right off. If you try to open it all the way to remove it, you can mess it up. If you have to pull very hard, you are doing it wrong.
Once the batteries are charged and the mount is attached to the camera, turn the camera on and use it. The ON / OFF on the pack does not have to be on to take pictures, it is only for the use of the vertical shutter release.
To use the vertical shutter release on the pack, flip the switch on the pack to the on position. Press the + button on the lower left of the back of your camera and go to the release mode. Press ok, on in your choices you now have 2 new one to choose from. The i symbol is for the vertical shutter release to work. The one that has a 2 beside it is a 2 second time delay, the other is standard shutter release speed.
I hope that helped anyone struggling with these items.

I bought this mainly because of the extra battery options (you can use 6 AA battery's or 2 of the ones it comes with. I ordered it sunday night and it came friday night, pretty quick i must say, estimated time was next monday.
It took me a while to figure out how to install, mainly because of the camera battery cover. I didnt know how to take it off and the directions didnt make much sense to me. Bascially angle it at 60 degrees and pull out.

Once i had it off i popped in two of my pre charged batters i own and started snapping a few pictures. It works fine, but not too well with the nikon camera armor i have on it. I took a razor blade and cut off the parts (mainly the bottom section) so it would fit in nicely.

Pros.
-Extra shooting without having to have that extra battery in your pocket etc, its already in the camera.
-Adds a "professional" look to the camera.
-Virtical shooting mode
-comes with two batteries.
-Can use AA batteries as well

Cons.
-Plasticy feel, but i dont mind at all, the rest of my camera feels like rubber from the armor.
-nothing else really...I like it and am glad i bought it

I like this thing better than I thought I would. I like the more "professional" look it gives my D40x. It fits good and makes the camera easier to handle with heavy lens, especially in Vertical position. I like the extra battery life you get by having the two batteries at once. I shot a wedding for 8 hours straight, came home and uploaded the images straight from camera and still have half battery power left!!!!

I haven't quite gotten the hang of the vertical shutter button. As other reviewers have said, you have to set it to the remote shutter mode. By the time I do this and get ready for the shot, it goes back to single shot mode ( you can increase the time it stays in remote mode, though). It seems a little quirky with the focusing using the vertical shutter button. You don't press it half-way like the default button, it just focuses while the shutter button is pushed - sometimes resulting in blurry, un-focused shots. What I do is focus with the horizontal shutter button, then use the vertical shutter button to take the photo.

Overall, I would recommend this product because of the advantages I discussed. Especially since there is not much choice out there for the D40/D40x cameras!