List Price: $490.00
Sale Price: $272.00
Today's Bonus: 44% Off
First off, this is the first Canon made battery grip I've purchased, all my previous grips have been knock offs made by Zeikos, which I feel offered a better value than the canon grip. So what made me change my mind this time and shell out the bucks for Canon's priciest grip to date? Two things first, the construction this grip is made of the same magnesium alloy as the 5D's body where the previous ones were made of plastic. Second, Canon changed the orientation of the batteries to load from the side instead of the rear. So now the palm of your hand rests on the solid metal portion of the grip vs. the battery door on the older models. This brings a much more solid, one-piece feel to the grip and brings it in line with the MarkIII's upgrade in construction over the MarkII It's nice not having the battery door creaking under your palm as you squeeze.
The side loading batteries *should* have allowed Canon to improve the ergonomics of the grip to be more like the 1D series cameras too, but this is where I think they missed the mark. The old, rear loading grips were always a bit thick because they had to be as wide as the batteies are long. Because of this, the rear the grip where your palm would rest, would protrude in addition to the forward grip area. This made the grip thicker feeling than a 1D and was a bit much for those with small hands. So now with the batteries loading from the side, just like a 1D, the grip should now be able to be dimensioned just like a 1D grip but it's not. This version still protrudes as much in the rear as the old models. I absolutely love the vertical grip on my 1D and was really hoping this new grip design would bring my 5D to the same level but it doesn't.
So is this a bad product absolutely not. Extra battery life and improved vertical shooting ergonomics and controls are still there and the much improved quality of construction has made me comfortable with the decision to go with the Canon branded version. Most should be very happy with this grip.
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