# Thinking of buying an aftermarket battery grip? Think again



## Restomage (Oct 23, 2011)

This is why you don't buy cheap aftermarket battery grips. I bought my  grip from an online company hoping to save some money, but the buttons  and command dials stopped working after a while, and the wheel that lets  you take off the grip broke and was stuck on. So I had to use a dremel  and some precise cutting to get it off.


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## Overread (Oct 23, 2011)

Flickr: Discussing First Disappointment with Canon in Canon DSLR User Group

To be fair official ones have plastic cogs in them and its a well documented fact that if you overtighten the screw the grip will get stuck on the body (as is the case with my grip on my 400D*); that said own brand and good quality 3rd party grips shouldn't have the buttons die on you. 



* that said I use a wrist strap and - never have any need to want to take the grip off anyway so its no problem for me


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## sm4him (Oct 23, 2011)

Wow, you're a braver sort than I to use a Dremel that close to your camera body...but then, I have a hand tremor...


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## D-B-J (Oct 23, 2011)

My brand-name grip works great!


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## 480sparky (Oct 23, 2011)

Wow. I didn't realize OEM grips have a perfect track record.


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## MLeeK (Oct 23, 2011)

Guilty! I have 2 aftermarket grips and (KNOCK ON WOOD) I have never had a problem with them. I use them rarely. Being female it makes my cameras so big and bulky without any major lens, then add my 70-200's and it's painful. I keep one on the 7D because I seem to have a battery eating problem there with an IS lens on it.


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## 2WheelPhoto (Oct 23, 2011)

My 2 aftermarket grips have been flawless, but maybe by me posting this i just jinx them


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## Overread (Oct 23, 2011)

MLeeK said:


> Guilty! I have 2 aftermarket grips and (KNOCK ON WOOD) I have never had a problem with them. I use them rarely. Being female it makes my cameras so big and bulky without any major lens, then add my 70-200's and it's painful. I keep one on the 7D because I seem to have a battery eating problem there with an IS lens on it.



Actually I think the 7D also drains batteries faster because of its viewfinder which requires constant trickle power to be usable (take the batteries out and get a shock when you look through the viewfinder!). I've certainly noticed that thought light use my 7D with 2 batteries still drains down faster than my 400D.


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## MLeeK (Oct 23, 2011)

Overread said:


> MLeeK said:
> 
> 
> > Guilty! I have 2 aftermarket grips and (KNOCK ON WOOD) I have never had a problem with them. I use them rarely. Being female it makes my cameras so big and bulky without any major lens, then add my 70-200's and it's painful. I keep one on the 7D because I seem to have a battery eating problem there with an IS lens on it.
> ...



Glad I am not the only one. I have had people think I am insane for saying that! It's the same battery as is in the 5D2 and the 5D2 doesn't drain them that fast. Or at least I don't think it does... I don't use it as much or in as demanding circumstances, so... Maybe?


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## Overread (Oct 23, 2011)

I'm not sure and with all the gadgets inside a DSLR its hard to guess - but I'd suspect that whilst IS does put more drain on the batteries, something in the 7D puts a bigger drain; if its not the trickle power for the viewfinder I'd then say that it could be that highly advanced AF system that might be drawing more power.


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## Markw (Oct 23, 2011)

Hmm..I've used off-brand grips on both my D90 and D300s.  Neither of which ended badly.  If I don't jump to a camera with one built in, I'll probably use one again on my upgrade, whatever it is.  Sorry to see your experience. 

Mark


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