View Full Version : Battery grip
Schnauzer
08-08-2005, 2:22 PM
I have been thinking of a battery grip . I have fairly large hands and my little finger in completely under the camera and only half of the next one up is on . It gets annoying after a while . Would the battery grip help ?
paradise
08-08-2005, 2:36 PM
YES!!!!
I love mine. It makes my 20d so stable. it puts the lens in the center of the body, makes it much more balanced. I dont even put the second battery in. :) I also recommend replacing the shoulder strap with the hand strap (Canon makes one or there are 3rd party ones). Here is the link to one:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=12984&is=REG
The camera feels JUST right with the grip and the hand strap. I can hold it for hours, and it doesnt feel 'heavy' at all.
Another HUGE reason is the ability now to shoot Portrait and have the button in the right spot (not having to move your hand to the topleft to press the shutter). That is huge if you ever shoot portrait.
Schnauzer
08-08-2005, 2:52 PM
Ed how would that hand strap be carrying it around at horse shows for 5 or 6 hours at a time with my 70-200 0n ?
paradise
08-08-2005, 3:08 PM
Ron, you wont know till you try, but it's hard to believe till you try. the camera seems lighter actually, because it's more balanced. Go into a camera shop and ask them to try one. Many will let you. Anyone who has one loves it. Plus if you DO get the 2nd battery then you also got double the battery life. That is great. Oh, and it gives you the ability to use AA batteries on the fly if you run out and have no way to charge.
Schnauzer
08-08-2005, 3:19 PM
I'm going to get the grip so I might as well get the strap as well . The strap isn't that much I''l get that also .
Schnauzer
08-08-2005, 4:54 PM
Well Ed the grip and strap are ordered . Going out today . Now the waiting game that I am not good at .
congrats on your new purchase. :) how did your last horse show turn out?
Schnauzer
08-08-2005, 8:03 PM
Thanks hirO . We have had several horse shows . I haven't posted any pictures because I can't get it right very often . I don't know what I am doing wrong . I bring them up in RAWSHOOTER and they look great and I feel good . Then I process them doing almost nothing to them and they fall through the floor . I have another show right off and I think I will shoot it in JPEG . One good note . Their is a professional photographer that follows all the big horse shows and my pictures I am told look as good as hers and often better . I have a bunch of people e-mailing me asking if I got any pictures of them .
I have discovered one thing . It is real easy to get taken advantage of .
paradise
08-08-2005, 8:08 PM
hey Ron, can you send me one of the raw files you think look great in Rawshooter?
I just want to make sure it's not your monitor setup. I would really recommend getting a good monitor and a calibrator. If you decide to look for a monitor, I suggest the biggest size you can afford, and also one that has a Color Temperature setting. You should be able to select the right color temp for your environment (like 65k for daylight).
phishphorphun
08-08-2005, 8:16 PM
I would really recommend getting a good monitor and a calibrator. If you decide to look for a monitor, I suggest the biggest size you can afford, and also one that has a Color Temperature setting.
CRT or LCD? Is there one that is supposed to be better than others without having to mortgage the house?
A CRT will do the trick, unless you have the dough to afford a higher end LCD.
Schnauzer
08-08-2005, 9:08 PM
hey Ron, can you send me one of the raw files you think look great in Rawshooter?
I just want to make sure it's not your monitor setup. I would really recommend getting a good monitor and a calibrator. If you decide to look for a monitor, I suggest the biggest size you can afford, and also one that has a Color Temperature setting. You should be able to select the right color temp for your environment (like 65k for daylight).
I have them all on CD Ed . I will look throught them tonight and send you a couple . Any help would be appreciated . I have a new Dell computer and moniter ( 5 months ) that was supposed to be a very good one . At least I paid for top of the line . I have been so discouraged I told my wife I wasn't even going to take my camera to the next show .
paradise
08-08-2005, 9:24 PM
Ron, most monitors come very uncalibrated. I dont know if you tried to calibrate at all, but if you did I suggest you try and reset the monitor if you can. Either way, you should calibrate it. If you want to try, email me, we'll work something out, I will get you a Spyder to try out :) as a loaner.
And dont get discouraged. Remember with raw, you can fix them quite well, as long as you have the original that is done well.
benny
08-08-2005, 11:40 PM
Good choice on the Battery Grip and an even better choice on the hand strap.
With or without the neckstrap, the hand strap will ensure that your equipment is firmly in your grip.
For myself, I never have a camera without a battery grip and I don't use a neck strap. Even when I shoot for an extended period, it does not borther me. And so far, I have never dropped any of my equiment from not using the neckstrap. Although I have seen folks with gear (on neckstrap) smashing into things when they bend over. Ouch!!
Cheers,
Schnauzer
08-09-2005, 12:30 AM
Ed I sent a couple of Raws . I hope I had your e-mail address right . With my camera if I set to the center of the light meter it always overexposes. Is their a setting for that so I won't have to set a couple of bars to the left every time ?
Benny I hate the neckstrap . I just put it on lately to keep my wife happy . She thinks its such a pretty strap and that I am going to drop my camera .
paradise
08-09-2005, 1:55 AM
Ron, I got only one of them (my service allows only 10mb), here is what I got, opened in Rawshooter, a tad more exposure, corrected white balance for the white fence, send to PS, crop, smart sharpen at .9 and about 89%, saturation up a tad, and done. :)
Original, untouched, just resized to 800
http://aquatic-photography.com/pics/ronshorse2.jpg
finished product
http://aquatic-photography.com/pics/ronshorse.jpg
What do you think?
PS: I never use the neckstrap either when I use my new handstrap. I actually spent about 6 hours with my cam in my hand a couple of weeks ago at Lake Arrowhead, and NEVER felt tired.
Schnauzer
08-09-2005, 8:12 AM
You got what has been driving me crazy . I can't seem to get the facial tones quite right .
Some how when the original got transfered to you Ed it came out much darker .
Here is the original , untouched , just resized to 800 .
http://aquatic-photography.com/gallery/files/7/7/8/_MG_4580.jpg
paradise
08-09-2005, 1:11 PM
Ron, it's quite easy in Rawshooter to get the tones (white balance) done right. They have the eyedropper tool, you just find a spot on the photo that is white or light light gray, and click on it. It should adjust everything to the right colors. Do it after you adjust exposure. It's the same as 20D's Custom whitebalance feature.
Schnauzer
08-11-2005, 2:19 PM
Big brown just dropped off the battery grig and Canon handstrap . Anybody know where I can find a picture of the handstrap installed ? I am not sure how it is supposed to go on .
Got the battery grip on and like it .
The instructions for handstrap installation are with the battery grip Ron.
Cheers,
Schnauzer
08-11-2005, 2:59 PM
Thanks Benny I just found it and have it on . I like it but it will take a little getting used to . If I get it tight enough to hold the camera well , I have a hard time to get my finger to controls . If I have it loose , the camera doesn't feel secure . Probably just need to get used to it . With the grip and the ST-E2 on it looks huge .
congrats Ron. if you don't mind i'd like to look at one of your RAW's also. if you have the time and inclination shoot a different one over to michihiro@hawaii.rr.com