Digital-Camera Reviews

Yeah, yeah the extra battery is overkill but this baby's best feature is the ergos.....the easy to find & use buttons when you take vertically oriented pix. No fumbling to find stuff. The grip also makes holding the camera more comfortable.

Go ahead, get it! You won't regret it.

With the battery packs that are available for the Digital Rebel having a grip just for more power is shear over-kill. Not that it is a bad thing, it's just that most people don't have enough flash memory to even take advantage of one battery, much less two. A 512mb chip holds around 150 photos on the best JPEG setting, a single battery will last you more than 400 photos! Unlike many other digital camera's the Rebel sips power even with a lot of photo review, so don't feel you need this add-on for a day of shooting. On the other hand if you like a nice solid feel to your camera and have big hands and find most digitals a little toyish, then you'll love the extra grip and weight the battery grip provides.

If you're going to buy just ONE accessory to your Digital Rebel then you're looking at it: it HAS to be this one. Additionnally to longer shooting time (batteries not included) it gives a great sense of balance and ease of vertical use. Yesterday I grabbed a friend's digital rebel without the grip and it felt like a toy in my hands. This is a MUST.

If you purchase a 10D, I consider this as a "must have" accessory. The portait position auxillary button and data wheel are lifesavers when you're popping out a lot of shots. The dual battery slots make for what seems like an unending amount of battery life. I can honestly say that I've never run out of battery life on an assignment when starting with a full charge. In between assignments I can go a couple of weeks of occasional use before I need to charge up even if I use the LCD a lot. It does add a bit of weight to the camera and may be considered bulky to some but having used motor drives on my SLR film cameras for years, the feel is completely natural to me and I wouldn't leave home without it.

The Canon BG-ED3 battery grip is an accessory which depending on your shooting preferences, may provide features that are extremely useful. The device is compatible with Canon's D30, D60 and 10D model digital SLR cameras, and accommodates two BP-511 type batteries, providing power capacity for an extended period of time. BP-511 batteries are generally very long lasting, and having available the power of two batteries provides peace of mind for those who shoot for long hours, or frequently use the LCD display.

Very handy for some shooters is an auxiliary shutter button, located on the grip, and positioned to be used when the camera is held in the conventional vertical shooting position. The shutter button is activated by a recessed switch on the grip, and operates in a manner identical to the camera's shutter button.

Though it is relatively light, some may find the grip's additional weight objectionable. Others find the camera to be more balanced and easier to hold and handle, with the grip attached. Especially when a long or heavy lens is attached. Be advised that with the grip attached the space requirement in your camera bag or other carrying gear, will need to be increased a bit. Another "benefit" is purely esthetic, as some users feel the camera simply looks "better" with the grip attached. Secured primarily by a screw that threads into the tripod socket, the grip does have a tendency to loosen up with continued use, and just needs to be tightened occasionally.

With some other Canon camera systems, buying a battery pack grip could be justified for cost saving reasons. Using rechargeable batteries in the grip, eliminates the need to purchase non-rechargeable lithium batteries. Over time, one could save enough to pay for the cost of the grip. In this case, there is no such benefit, as these cameras only use rechargeable BP-511 type batteries. So unless the other features are useful to you, the BG-ED3 may not be a recommended purchase. It mainly depends on the kind of shooting you do, and perhaps the type of lenses you have.

I have extremely large hands and simply cannot hand-hold a standard EOS 10D without the BG-ED3 battery grip. Without it, I cannot grip the camera with the little finger on my right hand, making the camera feel unbalanced. The front of the BG-ED3 grip rests neatly and comfortably in the heel of my left hand and provides support for the lower half of my right hand, making for very stable shooting in horizontal format. For vertical format shooting, Canon have neatly arranged the controls so that there is minimal difference in feel when shooting this way, again making steady shots much easier. It's ergonomically brilliant. The extra power provided by the second battery is really appreciated when you are shooting with flash. My battery grip lives on the camera and I will, like as not, never take it off. It's an essential piece of kit and I would not use an EOS 10D without it.

This is a great piece of armor for the S100, if you're looking to take pictures fully submerged. It is overkill for casual boating use -- though it would save the camera if dropped in, the S100 shrugs off rain and spray without this protection. Solidly built, large but not too large (still a one-hand camera.) Controls are still convenient. I've mostly used it underwater in swimming pools, but I would have no problem taking it white-water rafting, it feels that sturdy and well-sealed.

For casual use, the Aquapac bag-style case is more economical, but this case is a perfect fit for the camera, and if you do a lot of in-water shooting, would be a much better choice.
----
Long after first posting this, I took it along on a trip to Kauai, Hawaii - and successfully grabbed hundreds of pictures of tropical fish and coral in their native habitat. The camera probably spent 20 hours submerged, completely protected, as far as 2 meters below the surface (camera held out at arms length for upward and sideways shots.) It measured up.

I agree with the previous reviewer (the first I think was referring to the soft case) but I will add a couple of things.

First of all, like the camera itself this case is very high quality. There are two negitives I'll mention:

1. You cannot really use the viewfinder. 1/3 of the view is blocked by the lens housing so you'll end up using the screen and using more battery power.

2. The camera is a TINY bit loose in the case. It will shake just a little bit. It was fixed by ising a small amount of tape on the "rails" that hold the camera. Really no big deal.

The strap is really nice and can be worn like a traditional SLR which is nice for boating or rugged use. Really a neat case if your camera would normally be in danger.

One thing-- I had read a review elsewhere which made it seem like the display could not be turned on or off in the case. Not true, you do have access to the display botton for conserving power.

I have used abused this case for over a year and it hasn't failed.
After a year or so it gets scratched up and you need to polish it in order to see through the back.

looking at canon's website and seeing this charger available on the accessories matrix, one would assume that it would power the camera. it does, kinda, the power goes into the battery compartment. so you can not chage a battery with this device. it only powers the camera if you are using the usb connector. it is practically useless.

If you plan on connecting the camera to a computer via a USB connection, then this product is probably a must buy, else you'll drain the batteries a lot. However, if you have some type of Compactflash peripheral (I have one on my HP 1315 printer), then you can copy directly from the card to your PC. Hence, no need to power the camera. If this is your situation, I'd just buy an extra battery, and possible the 12v adapter so you can charge the battery in the car. Unfortunately, the latter is not sold at amazon.com, at least not at the time of this writing...