# Do you remove your battery grip for tripod use?



## Destin (Oct 7, 2017)

So I’m looking for input. I’ve always removed my battery grip when shooting landscapes/tripod based photos because I feel like it allows for some flex or movement. 

Asking because I’m wondering whether to order L brackets for just my camera bodies or for the body with a grip. 

Input appreciated as usual.


----------



## Overread (Oct 7, 2017)

My battery grips never come off - I've got canon E1 wrist straps and I'm not unthreading those every single time I want to use a tripod. I also have araca swiss quick release plates and, likewise, I don't want to have to keep swapping that back and forth just to use a tripod.

The only bonuses I can see of taking it off are

1) A very limited number of tripod heads, when combined with a lens collar, can sometimes bump parts against the camera battery housing. 

2) Making the camera lighter if you are using the camera off-centre of the tripod (often used if you've not got an L bracket and thus have to turn the head out on an angle). 


Honestly I'd say get an L bracket as that should resolve your issues. You might use this time to consider Arca Swiss, though that would require adaptors/a change of tripod heads to achieve. Arca Swiss setups (or Kirk plates a little cheaper and the same product) are basically custom for each camera body/lens collar but totally eliminate any rotation of the camera around its tripod screwthread.


----------



## Destin (Oct 7, 2017)

Overread said:


> Honestly I'd say get an L bracket as that should resolve your issues. You might use this time to consider Arca Swiss, though that would require adaptors/a change of tripod heads to achieve. Arca Swiss setups (or Kirk plates a little cheaper and the same product) are basically custom for each camera body/lens collar but totally eliminate any rotation of the camera around its tripod screwthread.



I’m actually about to invest a substantial sum of money into upgrading a lot of my gear. That includes a new D850 and battery grip. I’m also going to be upgrading my tripod to RRS legs, head, and L bracket. I’m just not sure whether to get the L bracket for the camera with grip or just for the camera (so I’d have to remove the grip to use the bracket.)

I currently only use my battery grip for sports and portraits and tend to remove it for landscape work...

Actually come to think about it I just answered my own question. I hike a lot for my landscape work and want my kit as small as possible so I’m going to order the L bracket that fits just the camera without the BG.

But I’m still curious to hear opinions on whether a battery grip introduces higher risk for camera shake/instability when using a tripod.


----------



## Overread (Oct 7, 2017)

I'd wager that any difference is undetectable outside of a laboratory conditions. 

The increased weight of the whole setup can increase stability, but many tripods have a hook on the bottom of the plate/central column or can have one added or you can get sling bags that hook onto the three legs - all of those let you throw a few rocks or other weights into a carrier to increase the tripod weight and improve stability.


----------



## bratkinson (Oct 7, 2017)

I don't see any plausible reason to remove the grip when using a tripod.

With a hand strap and L bracket mounted to my gripped camera, it's about 5 minutes to remove the grip.  And due to the complexities of the Canon hand strap, puting it back on and getting the strap adjusted 'right' is perhaps 10 minutes or so.   

I DO, however, have the option  to shoot without the grip, bracket and strap.  I have an old, very sturdily built pan-head tripod that I mounted an arca-swiss clamp on.  (ditto for my ball head on a monopod).  So, I could easily remove the clamp and use the 'old fashioned' screw mount to put my camera only on the tripod.  But then, that makes my flash bracket, which mounts to the L-bracket, completely useless as well.


----------



## kalgra (Oct 7, 2017)

For whats it worth I always remove my grip for landscape work for the sole reason that I like to pack as light as possible so that means removing the grip.  On a side note I have the RRS TVC-33 with leveling base and BH-55 ballhead and love! Its seriously one of my favorite things. I don't think I could go back to any of my previous tripods.

The new style brackets from RRS have the strap anchor at the top of the L bracket which adds an additional anchor to the body. I have no personal experience with the full grip brackets but I really can't see how it would add any more vibration.  with my standard RRS bracket Ive shot 30sec exposures at 400mm on a 50MP body and the images are as crisp and sharp as can be. The 50MP I'm using is not forgiving to even the slightest vibration or camera shake.


----------



## adamhiram (Oct 7, 2017)

I take off my battery grip when using a tripod for 2 reasons:

It just feels more stable to me.  There isn't much play with an OEM battery grip if tightened properly, but I still feel like it's enough to affect long exposures.
The tripod I use (Manfrotto 055XProB with 054 ball head) is the perfect height for me with legs fully extended and center shaft all the way down, which is really quick and easy to deploy.  The battery grip adds just enough extra height that I have to either stand on my tiptoes or shorten the length of each leg by around 3", which is kind of a hassle.


----------



## astroNikon (Oct 8, 2017)

Destin said:


> I currently only use my battery grip for sports and portraits and tend to remove it for landscape work...
> 
> Actually come to think about it I just answered my own question. I hike a lot for my landscape work and want my kit as small as possible ...


I do the exact same thing.
Hiking /landscape /telescope I just take the grip off.
Everything else the grip stays on.

I also prefer to use the lens mount when available.  My Tripods can handle the weight of my camera/grip/lens combos but sometimes taking the grip off just "seems" more stable when doing landscape when the body is connected directly to the tripod head.


----------



## benhasajeep (Oct 8, 2017)

Sorry for this answer, but I do both.    Sometimes I leave the grip on.  Other times I take it off.  When using lenses with collars I leave it on.  When shooting a larger / heavier lens I take it off.  So, my reply is both!


----------



## Destin (Oct 8, 2017)

benhasajeep said:


> Sorry for this answer, but I do both.    Sometimes I leave the grip on.  Other times I take it off.  When using lenses with collars I leave it on.  When shooting a larger / heavier lens I take it off.  So, my reply is both!



Fair answer. And I suppose I do the same.


----------



## ronlane (Oct 8, 2017)

@Destin - I never take my battery grip off of my camera. I shoot similar genre's, sports, portrait and landscapes.

With the 850, grip, battery(ies), RRS setup, you are going to lay down a boat load of cash. If you are getting the grip and the D5 battery and charger to get the 9 fps, why not just leave the grip on so that you don't have to buy additional batteries to do landscape. It is my understanding that the D5 batteries will last longer than the 850 battery. So you will be able to shoot longer with it and not have to carry extra batteries for landscape.

Just something to think about.


----------



## Gary A. (Oct 8, 2017)

I never take the grip off, granted I rarely use a tripod.  I don't remove it when shooting with a monopod.


----------



## astroNikon (Oct 8, 2017)

ronlane said:


> @Destin - I never take my battery grip off of my camera. I shoot similar genre's, sports, portrait and landscapes.
> 
> With the 850, grip, battery(ies), RRS setup, you are going to lay down a boat load of cash. If you are getting the grip and the D5 battery and charger to get the 9 fps, why not just leave the grip on so that you don't have to buy additional batteries to do landscape. It is my understanding that the D5 batteries will last longer than the 850 battery. So you will be able to shoot longer with it and not have to carry extra batteries for landscape.
> 
> Just something to think about.


Ron
With the Canons do t you remove the body battery and put it in the grip.  And the grip has an extension that goes into the body making it inconvenient to remove the grip?

With the nikons you keep one battery in The body and the grip contains one and screws on the bottom.  This making it convenient to take on and off in a few seconds.


----------



## Destin (Oct 8, 2017)

ronlane said:


> @Destin - I never take my battery grip off of my camera. I shoot similar genre's, sports, portrait and landscapes.
> 
> With the 850, grip, battery(ies), RRS setup, you are going to lay down a boat load of cash. If you are getting the grip and the D5 battery and charger to get the 9 fps, why not just leave the grip on so that you don't have to buy additional batteries to do landscape. It is my understanding that the D5 batteries will last longer than the 850 battery. So you will be able to shoot longer with it and not have to carry extra batteries for landscape.
> 
> Just something to think about.



I’m not buying the D5 battery. 7fps is plenty fast for me. I just prefer the way the grip feels when shooting vertically. 

I already own 4 of the batteries the D850 takes. The nice thing about Nikon recently is that all of their prosumer and semi-pro bodies since the D7000 have taken the same battery.


----------



## Gary A. (Oct 8, 2017)

astroNikon said:


> ronlane said:
> 
> 
> > @Destin - I never take my battery grip off of my camera. I shoot similar genre's, sports, portrait and landscapes.
> ...


Yes.  I dunno about inconvenient. Not that big of a deal, remove the battery in the body, then slip the grip extension into the battery well now vacated by the battery.


----------



## Frank F. (Oct 8, 2017)

I have a custom made NPP-tripod-head and need to remove the battery grip in order to mount the camera to the head.


----------



## fmw (Oct 8, 2017)

No, I don't use battery grips.  I bought one once to try it out but I didn't like - particularly the weight and bulk.


----------



## snowbear (Oct 8, 2017)

I haven't tried the grip with the tripod but today I put the QR on the grip,  Surprisingly, I hardly noticed it.



astroNikon said:


> With the nikons you keep one battery in The body and the grip contains one and screws on the bottom.  This making it convenient to take on and off in a few seconds.



One exception is the F/N90 film body - the grip has an extension that fits into the camera's battery compartment, so you only get one set of AA batteries either way, gripped or grip-less.


----------



## Dave442 (Oct 8, 2017)

I just use one camera with a grip and the other without. Almost always the camera placed on the tripod is the one without the grip.


----------



## rosh4u (Oct 8, 2017)

Yes, I take off battery grip when using a tripod for 2 as it feels stable to shot and exposure can be managed too.


----------

