Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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79 of 79 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Completely transforms your camera, August 8, 2008
Ostensibly, the goal of a battery grip is to extend the amount of power you have for your camera. This grip does that, but simply buying an additional battery pack (which you'll have to do anyway if you want to use the grip that way) would do the same job, wouldn't it? It would - but the grip does a whole lot more:
This battery grip transforms an already excellent camera (the Canon 450D -- or Rebel XSi as it is called in the US) into a great one. First of all, the grip is excellently designed, and people with medium to large hands like me can get a much better handle on the camera which, although nicely shaped, was a bit to small for my liking. Now, with the grip, this is transformed into a natural fit (it now feels similar to the Nikon D70, which I thought to be more comfortable to hold than the 450D). The advantages of using this grip are many:
First of all, you have double the amount of battery power available (provided, of course, you purchase an additional battery pack. The package does not contain any batteries). The grip is designed to hold one or two of the 450D's battery packs at the same time. You do not have to use two packs. If you do, the packs do not have to carry the same amount of charge, and both packs are drained simultaneously. Even better, Canon has designed the grip to house a sled-like device they call 'magazine'. This magazine holds one or two battery packs. The nice thing, however, is that it comes with a second magazine designed to hold 6 AA batteries. In a pinch, this can bridge the gap until you can re-charge the packs. Also, you can replace the magazine with an adapter to connect your camera to a normal power outlet (this is not included in the package). The magazine slides in from the left side (as seen from the camera's back), making exchanging the magazines slightly awkward for right-handed people.
The grip is designed to slide into your camera from below, replacing the battery pack (you'll have to remove the battery cover for this), and is secured in place with a screw. If there is room for improvement, then it would be here: I'd have liked a rubber environmental seal to better protect the camera's now permanently open battery housing.
The grip almost doubles the weight of the camera, making it much better balanced with many of the larger lenses (e.g. the EF 100 Macro lens). Even better, when shooting in portrait orientaton, the grip provides its own shutter, aperture, AF lock and AF select buttons as well as another selector dial. To prevent accidental use of these buttons, the grip is also equipped with an ON/OFF switch (this switch will not operate the battery power). This is in addition to the large, separately molded grip now provided for this orientation. The bottom also houses a replicated tripod socket, and a mount for the handstrap. The latter is very useful, as I have found myself shooting more in portrait orientation, and have now set up the camera to use this as the default orientation.
The few small flaws I've found are this: I would have liked the ability of the grip to be able to also provide power to my (external) flash. Even more than that I would have welcomed a charger for the whole grip. Currently, you have to remove the battery packs from the magazine, charge them separately, and then re-insert them into the magazine, then insert the magazine into the grip. Also, you have to remove the camera's battery cover from the camera -- this forces you to carry the cover with you seperately should you want to use the camera without the grip. Finally, I would have preferred a slightly better environmental sealing than the rudimentary one that is provided. All things considered, though, these are small annoyances compared to the much better handling and feel the grip brings to the camera.
To sum up:
This grip truly incrases the 450D's already great features. I like the fact that I can choose to use one or two packs, and even swap them for AA batteries in a pinch. The whole assembly feels much improved, and shooting in portrait orientation has been immensely enhanced (both in feel and simplicity). I recommend this grip for anyone who wants to get more out of this camera, and especially for those who find themselves shooting often in portrait orientation.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great addition to an already fantastic camera, February 12, 2009
I already loved my Canon XSI, but this grip has really made the camera even more special.
Having the power of two LP-E5 batteries is a confidence booster to keep on shooting. If you're reading this, you already know how long one lasts, having two... I'd guess for my usage it'd be good for 1200 shots or more. Your mileage may vary on how much you use the LCD, flash, IS lenses, Live View, etc, but if one is good enough, two is great! I've never even seen the battery indicator go down a bar when shooting with this grip and two LP-E5's
For me, the battery power of one battery has always been more than enough. I often am in remote areas when I shoot, so the fact this grip will comes with a "sled" that accepts six AA batteries adds a comforting level of assurance that even if I run out of juice, a quick stop at any gas station in the country and I can pick up some AA's and get back to shooting if need be.
Where this accessory really shines is in balance, handling and control of the camera.
The XSI is very small and light for a DSLR. I often shoot with quite heavy lenses that make the camera feel VERY front heavy and off balance. With two batteries as low as they can be with the grip on, the camera is feels a little better balanced with a heavy lens attached.
Handling feels much better with the grip as well in the standard landscape orientation. No more is my right pinky just hanging out in space, it can now help grip the camera. I have medium sized hands and had found the standard XSI grip just a bit small for my liking, this fills in the gap and it feels quite natural.
Control is the key selling point. If you have felt uncomfortable shooting in portrait orientation, this is your relief. It keeps you from having your right hand across your face in portrait orientation. You have shutter, selection wheel, AE lock, AF Point, and Exposure Compensation buttons in a very similar place for both portrait and landscape. This can't be understated as I can now just flip the camera and do everything by feel when switching from landscape to portrait. Changing settings when shooting in portrait before always meant I had to take the camera away from my eye and switch it back to landscape to look down and work the controls on the same axis I was used to, then switching the orientation back before bringing the viewfinder back to my eye. With this grip, the controls are close to where you're used to them being even when the camera is oriented 90 degrees off.
Compared to the price of the camera itself, this is a cheap accessory, and one I've found quite useful. There are some things that I don't like about it however:
The grip adds about 1.75" to the height of the camera. That means it doesn't fit well or at all in some camera cases with the grip on.
There is no ISO button on the grip. I hate this as I always want to change the ISO to get it as low as I can for a given shot. Without the button for it on the grip, I've got to take down the camera and make the change where I'm used to changing it without taking my eye off the viewfinder while in landscape.
I wish you didn't have to remove the battery door, it's one more thing to loose. **Correction, please read my update at the bottom of this review!**
Purely aesthetic, but I'd like the grip to follow the lines of the camera better.
All in all, my biggest gripe is that it doesn't have an ISO button. That being said, it's been a great accessory that has made me like my XSI even more. At the Amazon price of $130, it's a steal! If you would like to shoot longer (with an extra battery that is not included,) would like a backup power option for AA's, or would like to shoot in portrait orientation more comfortably, you need this.
Hope this has helped with your decision.
KO
Update 9/23/09:
User D. Andrews states that the grip will store the battery door while in use. I tried it out and D. Andrews is correct. The battery door will store on the shaft going from the grip to the battery terminals in the camera body. There's even an icon for it on the battery grip if you look carefully. Very good call D. Andrews! Thank you for the correction!
KO
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must have..., May 13, 2008
This is a great item and a must have for the XSi. I got the XSi to pair with my 40d as a back-up and also for a small, compact dSLR for my fiance to use when helping me on photo shoots. The grip isnt necessary for everyone, but considering that just about every lens I use regularly is larger or the same size as the XSi, the grip definately makes me feel more comfortable. Adds more size to the camera with minimal weight. I am just waiting for Canon to release the battery magazines for it so that I can buy some spares. Also allows for my hands to fit comfortably on the camera instead of having to jam them in. Still doesnt feel right using the Canon 70-200 2.8L with this and the XSi though...
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