Canon BG-E11 Battery Grip, Black, 5.00 x 6.00 x 4.00

This Cannon battery grip is a great addition to the EOS 5D Mark III camera I put it on. It expands the utility of the camera and gives it the look of a professional tool. The base is a grip with an extra set of shutter and control buttons so the camera can be comfortably operated in landscape or portrait mode. Inside the base is a tray for up to two batteries allowing you to effectively double your battery life. The status of both batteries is monitored by the camera. The grip secures to the camera through the tripod mount and has a tripod mount of its own. The battery door of the camera must be removed to use this grip but it can be easily popped back on if needed.

First off, this is the first Canon made battery grip I've purchased, all my previous grips have been knock offs made by Zeikos, which I feel offered a better value than the canon grip. So what made me change my mind this time and shell out the bucks for Canon's priciest grip to date? Two things - first, the construction - this grip is made of the same magnesium alloy as the 5D's body where the previous ones were made of plastic. Second, Canon changed the orientation of the batteries to load from the side instead of the rear. So now the palm of your hand rests on the solid metal portion of the grip vs. the battery door on the older models. This brings a much more solid, one-piece feel to the grip and brings it in line with the MarkIII's upgrade in construction over the MarkII - It's nice not having the battery door creaking under your palm as you squeeze.The side loading batteries *should* have allowed Canon to improve the ergonomics of the grip to be more like the 1D series cameras too, but this is where I think they missed the mark. The old, rear loading grips were always a bit thick because they had to be as wide as the batteies are long. Because of this, the rear the grip where your palm would rest, would protrude in addition to the forward grip area. This made the grip thicker feeling than a 1D and was a bit much for those with small hands. So now with the batteries loading from the side, just like a 1D, the grip should now be able to be dimensioned just like a 1D grip - but it's not. This version still protrudes as much in the rear as the old models. I absolutely love the vertical grip on my 1D and was really hoping this new grip design would bring my 5D to the same level but it doesn't.So is this a bad product - absolutely not. Extra battery life and improved vertical shooting ergonomics and controls are still there and the much improved quality of construction has made me comfortable with the decision to go with the Canon branded version. Most should be very happy with this grip.

You can find more in depth reviews elsewhere. I'll just give a run down on what I noticed.First let me say I got this for the ergonomics of having the buttons in a more accessible place when shooting in portrait mode. A single battery could honestly last me all day of shooting and I have no problem stopping in the middle of a shoot for a few seconds to change out the battery.The grip is held in place by screwing it into the tripod mount socket in the bottom of the camera. The dial you turn to tighten the screw could be a little bigger, but I have small hands so you may not have any problems. There is a place on the grip itself to hold the battery door so you don't accidentally lose the door. The package includes two battery trays: one that uses two canon batteries and one that holds four AA batteries. This is nice if you're on location and your batteries run dry. Just go to the nearest CVS/Rite-Aid/Walgreens and pick up a pack of AA. A nice note also is that it includes a rubber flap so that you can use a power adapter without having to take off the grip.All in all a great grip. Took off a single star for the dial that screws in the grip.

As a professional wedding photographer, I shoot thousands of images every week. After retiring one of my old cameras and picking up a 5DmkIII, I had to wait to get the battery grip since my local camera shop was sold out. Using it without the grip is awkward, since I've always either shot with 1D series bodies or 5DmkII's with battery grips. I have relatively large hands, being 6-feet tall, and though my hands fit on the standard body just fine, the camera just doesn't feel as comfortable without it. Not having the vertical shutter release is also awkward when shooting, so this grip was a necessity. I like the design of this grip, the added joystick is perfectly placed and I use it to move my focus points while shooting vertically, just as I would with the joystick on the camera itself. Construction feels much sturdier than the battery grip for the 5DmkII, and the battery compartment has been redesigned to a magazine style that will pull out and hold 2 batteries. Also included was a separate magazine that accepts AA size batteries should you be in a pinch and don't have standard batteries available. All in all, I love this product, it exceeded my expectations, and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a battery grip for their 5DmkIII. Stick with OEM when it comes to grips, you won't be disappointed!