rowan57 Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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Hey folks, i got my Phottix BP-40D Battery Grip yesterday, and am very happy with it, so i thought i would write a short review. I bought it from ebay seller Etefore (Hong Kong Supplies), who also stocks a wide range of other Phottix stuff, wireless remotes etc. I paid £50 for it, so under 1/2 the price of the Canon alternative. I believe it also fits the rest of the XXD range but you would have to check.
Shipping was fast, it was shipped within a couple of days of purchase, and with the standard shipping option, arrived in 7 days to the UK from Hong Kong. The packaging was good, the plastic pack that holds the grip was folded over to allow it to be squeezed into a smaller padded envelope, which was fine. I did not buy the batteries with it, in hindsight i wish i had.
The grip is very solid, i havent felt the BG-E2N but let me make a few observations. Once the wheel is tightened up, there is no play between the grip and the camera: (Apologies for the quality of the shots, taken with an old Canon P&S)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/3233144107_7198859f60_b.jpg
The grip adds a nice weight to the camera, despite me only having one battery in it (Long story).
The buttons all work and feel nice (I believe they are the same layout as the BG-E2N) and the build quality seems very good:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3302/3233993030_9ea7bedd42_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3472/3233992838_a0749b660f_b.jpg
There is no rattle in my battery door, it feels good and solid:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3481/3233143133_c62b43546f_b.jpg
The battery bay seems good, i havent tried AA batteries in it yet, and probably wont have the need to, but it does come with the tray for however many AA's it is.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3233992606_b93e98c8bb_b.jpg
The bottom of the grip has a tripod hole as it should, and also a strap connector, same as the BG-E2N, which i wouldn't hesitate in trusting, it feels very strong.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3422/3233991302_e130753505_b.jpg
Overall, extremely good for the price. A couple of quick notes: Online there have been reports of issues getting 6.5fps, i did a rudimentary test with a remote release and timer, and seemed to comfortably get 6.5fps, maybe people were using slow cards, had high-iso NR on, i dont know.
You have to switch the grip on to use it, but dont have to have the grip switched on to use the camera, which helps save battery when not shooting in portrait mode.
I will try and follow up in a few weeks when i have had more use out of it.
Regards
Rowan
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