Recently many people are asking about battery grips. Unquestionably these battery grips have become very popular in recent days. We received many questions that does a battery grip increase fps? Or what are the advantages of a battery grip?
In this response post we are going to show you all the notable advantages, disadvantages and use of battery grips generally and will particularly answer the question about does fps increase with battery grip or not?
Table of Contents
DOES A BATTERY GRIP INCREASE FPS?
In short Yes! A battery grip increases the FPS somehow because the multiple batteries give an additional performance boost to the camera and help increase its fps.
There is nothing more frustrating than seeing a blinking battery symbol in the middle of a shoot. Nevertheless, battery grips, also known as vertical grips, unlock several benefits, aside from extended battery life.
WHAT IS A CAMERA BATTERY GRIP?
A battery grip is a camera accessory or gadget that can be attached to a camera body which can upgrades the current performance of the camera.
This gadget is an amazing addition to the camera gear which helps in upgrading current functional ergonomic capability of the camera. These Battery Grips can be used with both Mirrorless cameras as well as DSLR cameras.
But that’s not all, along with benefits, it also has some shortcoming which we will discuss down below.
Advantages of using camera battery grips
Following are some of the reasons why you should use camera battery grips.
1- EXTENDED CAMERA BATTERY LIFE
The most important reason people use extended battery grip is to increase the battery life of their camera. This battery grip can instantly increase your camera’s battery life and doubles the shots per charge.
Another reason for using battery grips is that you can upgrade your camera functionality. Imagine you want to record a longer video or time-lapse video but in this case your existing battery will run out of charge and it won’t be possible.
It can be made possible by using extended batteries along with your camera. Though modern manufacturers are introducing bigger battery time of their cameras but still battery grips are important.
For Example, the Fuji X-H1’s continuous shooting time is increased to two of the original means increase from 15 minutes to 30 by attaching battery grips.
2- HIGHER FRAME RATE
You might be confused but yeah frame rates are increased by using battery grips. Of course it not for all cameras but some cameras do enjoy this upgradation in functionality.
For example the Fuji X-T3 doubles the frame per second or “fps” if you attach the original battery grip. Also the King of cameras D850’s fps increase up to 9 from 7 fps in burst mode when you connect the battery grip.
3- ERGONOMICS OR COMFORTABLE GRIP
Another important reason for using battery grips is that they provide a very ample and comfortable grip to the camera as it has a larger surface area. Thus, the camera is easier to hold and one can take shots mode confidently without blurring of photos due to shaking hands. Also the overall weight of the camera is increased which makes it easier to adjust while during orientation.
4- UPGRADED FUNCTIONALITY
The battery grip increase the overall performance of the battery as you can get better grip, more battery time, higher fps and thus you can be more professional in your photography and video recording. Due to increase in availability of power, it’s not unusual to get an upgrade in fps.
5- MORE STABLE HANDHELD FOOTAGE
The battery grips are a new innovations in the field of handheld photography as these grips improve the handling and you can capture more stable and crispy photos.
The extra bulk out of grips reduces unsteadiness and jitter and creates more creates more spectacular photos and videos at a higher fps then before. Therefore if you are not a fond of tripod photography, then these camera battery grips are doing best for you.
6- VERTICAL GRIP FOR PORTRAITS
Most of the time portrait photos are portrait or vertical oriented and so it can a little bit tiring and the camera would fell slightly clunky. But don’t worry vertical camera battery grips are here to solve this problem for you as it provides an easy and comfortable handling for camera.
Also there grips also have the essential controls and buttons which can be harder to access in portrait mode like dial wheel, shutter button and AF-L button etc. Therefore it is going to help you out in your photography.
7- STRAP MOUNT FOR VERTICAL GRIP
There are specific strap posts which are specially designed to attach battery grips to provide better photography and safety. With these strips, the gadget feels less like an external device but like a glove with a lens making the camera look like a high-tech gadget extending the hand.
These straps help in reducing stress on shoulder, arm and wrist if you are holding camera for long. You don’t have to tire yourself in this case which also increase the need of battery grips.
8- SIDE BATTERY ACCESS
Another advantage of using battery grip is that you can easily replace batteries just like connection ports and other required parts. Meaning of this is that it increases the adaptability of the camera batteries and makes it comfortable for the user to change the batteries faster while shooting.
There are two batteries for a battery grip. These batteries goes into the battery grip easily by themselves and you can replace batteries in just a few seconds which reduce waste of time significantly.
9- ALTERNATIVE POWER SOURCE
There are two kinds of photographers and videographers. The first kind of photographers are those that don’t work constantly on a project for hours and don’t need any extra batteries.
The other ones are those who to shoot and record for longer time like for hours and that’s not possible without additional batteries or power bank or powerline. Therefore, battery grips are essential for the later ones.
DISADVANTAGES OF USING BATTERY GRIP
Although I agree with the advantages of the battery grips, but there are a few shortcomings of using them too. These are the given as under:
1- ADDITIONAL COST
There are types of battery grips, the good ones and the bad quality ones. If you are looking for an original good quality battery grip, then I assure you that these are going to cost you an extra 100 bucks.
Although these are available in the market but the OEM grips which comes as an accessory from the manufacturer has its own swag. It gives you better quality, better texture and is highly compatible with the model you are using. The cheap ones which are available in the market don’t give the same quality and often less compatible.
Also, if you are going to buy a battery grips, then it is better to have an extra 2 original spare batteries to provide the best performance and can be used interchangeably when charging. A good quality Canon or Sony originals batteries are going to cost you an additional $100.
2- ADDITIONAL SIZE
Yeah! Battery Grips add stability to the camera but at a cost of size and weight. It is added to the camera in the form of a heavy bulk and it might be a problem for you if you are a person who loves to travel a lot and use lighter cameras.
This extra bulk out makes the camera look professional and appealing to some but for some others it might not suit well. It is difficult to do you lowkey and quite camera work with this bigger sized camera with a grip. That is why it is best to be used by professional photographers, portrait photographers, in studios and while making high quality videos at high fps.
3- ADDITIONAL WEIGHT
With that out of the way, the higher weight can be advantageous when using big, heavy telephoto lenses and even primes. The added weight can help balance the body and the lens so that the whole unit becomes less front-heavy and more comfortable to hold.
LOL! Extra weight comes with additional bells and whistles which make it a question mark to move your camera all around with a heavy battery grip the whole day. This makes which can make you reconsider your thoughts about the battery grips.
If you are using a bigger lens which is obviously going to be heavy, then it can be difficult to add more weight to your camera. Though the additional weight can help in stabilizing your body along with the lens letting the camera appear less heavy from the front and easy to hold.
CAN YOU USE A TRIPOD WITH A BATTERY GRIP?
In short Yes! You can use a tripod with a camera grip, but this option is applicable to only those cameras which support it. It depends on upon which camera and lens you are using.
It’s best to use a collar if your lens comes with one and thus you can drop the camera battery grip altogether, but it depends on the camera and how you are using it. If you are using timer function or applying shutter remotely, then the camera requires to be stable before the exposure to avoid blur in photos.
Lets, suppose you are clicking options without removing your hand from the camera, then the additional weight of the battery grips the you find will help in stabilizing the camera on a tripod.
Also, and L-Bracket is the most possible option in case you want to shoot in vertical orientation. It is because it adds an extra plate to the side of the camera and other components like mic and card door are kept unhindered.
In case you want to go with the OEM L-Bracket, then go with the ones which comes with the camera from the manufacturer. Be known that the third-party brackets are not always compatible with the camera layout in terms for blocking purpose.
Last but not the least, the camera battery grip inclines to produce downward force on the camera especially when the lens is pointing on the object. The is more common in macro and product photography.
TIPS AND TRICKS
Here I’ll show you a few tips and tricks to get the most from your battery grips. Read out these tips and use in your daily-life photography.
1- Consider the Use of Your Camera
Think about your type of photography. Do you keep recording to hours or just a few minutes or do you move fir hours or stay stationery? If you record a lot and don’t move around too much, then it’s best for you to buy a battery grip. Instead if you don’t record much and your camera battery is enough for that or if you move around much then not using battery grip with be a good choice as it would make your camera heavy.
2- Get Original Equipment from Manufacturer
Although the same functionality can be had at a fraction of the cost, it’s usually better to invest in original equipment. There is less risk, better resale value, and an overall better experience.
3- Use Original Batteries
I know, original batteries are expensive and cheap batteries are available at a half price in the market but trust me, its worth the price. The work for long time if you use them in a good way. Means you should use batteries in sync while charging the other ones.
That’s why you need 2 pairs so you can get maximum performance of your camera. As a battery pack contains two batteries, so you might need a pair of two packs or simply 4 batteries so that you can swap them when a pair needs charging. In this case you will have an extra battery pair and nothing can stop you from recording.
4- Avoid AA Batteries
We would suggest you avoid aa batteries. Some of the camera battery grips have an extra insert that allows aa batteries because these batteries are cheaper and available in any market.
We have reviewed these batteries and can to a result that these batteries perform no where near the original batteries from the manufacturers like Sony, Canon, Fuji etc. And we also found out that these batteries are harmful for your camera and difficult to use.
FINAL VERDICT
Now we hope that you are clear about does a battery grip increase fps or not and also about the advantages and shortcomings of battery grips. Concluding our discussion, once again indeed the battery grips increase that fps (framerate per second). A wide range of battery grips is available in the market but we would suggest the original product from the manufacturer to get the best performance from your battery grips.
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