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)
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:
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.
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.
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.
I bought the BG-E2N, but you can't really tell any difference from the Phottix when looking at your pictures, other than the obvious Made in China, Phottix labels.
If there's no play between the grip and camera, I'd say it's better made than the Canon's grip. I bought one for my 450D and even after the wheel was tightened, the grip still moved, albeit by a fraction of a mm.
Great pics and review. Thanks. This looks like quite a viable alternative, especially considering the Canon option is not exactly perfect. I was never thrilled with my grip on the 20D.
rowan57 wrote:
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.
It saves battery life? Really? Where'd you hear that?
I was under the impression it only disables the additional buttons so you don't hit them accidentally.
I also bought a BP-40D Battery Grip and a wireless remote along with other items from the same place. I was surprised by the quality considering the price and all items were just as Rowan explained. The only thing I found not to be up to par was a hood for my 100 2.8 Macro, it is loose. Overall happy with the place though.
I bought a 40D off ebay recently and it had this grip...it wan't until I removed it from the camera that I noticed.
I have a 10D with the Canon grip and both are equally solid...almost as solid as the grip on my 1V.
There is a slight styling difference however...the Canon has a'textured' surface on both back and front of the grip....and a space to store the detachable camera battery door which has to be removed when fitting a grip. I believe the latest Canon grip can take AA batteries as well.
dhphoto wrote:
Actually, I take that back. My 'backup' battery has lost 55% of it's charge in just over a week. So Phottix has gone down a bit in my estimation
David
David, it might be worth dropping Etefore an email about it, he seems like a decent guy and he may send you a new battery or something along those lines.
hwy101 wrote:
I also bought a BP-40D Battery Grip and a wireless remote along with other items from the same place. I was surprised by the quality considering the price and all items were just as Rowan explained. The only thing I found not to be up to par was a hood for my 100 2.8 Macro, it is loose. Overall happy with the place though.
I think unfortunately with the non official products, there is always likely to be more sample variation, i use a different ebay store for hoods currently because i know they fit nicely. pm me if you would like the name.
anthonygh wrote:
I bought a 40D off ebay recently and it had this grip...it wan't until I removed it from the camera that I noticed.
I have a 10D with the Canon grip and both are equally solid...almost as solid as the grip on my 1V.
There is a slight styling difference however...the Canon has a'textured' surface on both back and front of the grip....and a space to store the detachable camera battery door which has to be removed when fitting a grip. I believe the latest Canon grip can take AA batteries as well.
However...at the price...this is a bargain.
The only thing that is different is the texture not being on both sides. The Phottix does have a battery door compartment (Next to the battery compartment shaft) and it can also take AA's, you may not have been provided with the cartridge necessary.
n0b0 wrote:
If there's no play between the grip and camera, I'd say it's better made than the Canon's grip. I bought one for my 450D and even after the wheel was tightened, the grip still moved, albeit by a fraction of a mm.
I don't exactly want to rip the grip off the camera but after messing with it for a while, i can certainly say that with my copy, there is NO play between it and the camera.
rowan57 wrote:
I don't exactly want to rip the grip off the camera but after messing with it for a while, i can certainly say that with my copy, there is NO play between it and the camera.
Cheers
Rowan
My BG-E2 had a tiny bit of play on my 20D. I didn't have any ERROR99 problems but my lenses are small and light (biggest is EF 300 4L USM). Oddly the same BG-E2 is super snug and tight on my 40D and 50D. Feels like it is part of the body. Apparently Canon improved the underside of the XXD cameras.
There is no play between my Canon grip and 40D, but I certainly wouldn't call it sealed by any stretch. If you look close enough, there are gaps in the seam between the body/grip.
