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Battery Grip for Canon 5D Review
The Canon BG-E4 Battery grip review and user guide
Battery grips are an essential piece of equipment for any photographer out on a lengthy shoot requiring maximum battery life with an emergency back up option.
The BG-E4 is the designated grip for the Canon EOS 5D. In its most basic function it acts as a means of holding two batteries simultaneously to ensure longer battery life and of course, more shots. If both batteries give up on you mid shoot then they can be replaced with six AA batteries which slot into a seperate holder which replaces the lithium batteries for a good two hundred shots. It should be noted that the AA option is regarded as a back up only, this will render your camera operation a little slower and shouldn’t be used for transfering data to your PC.
According to Canon a fully charged battery should last for up to 800 shots at an average temperature of 20 degrees C. so by doubling the capacity with a grip it should keep you going for a while.
It’s not just the extended battery capability that makes this worth having, it gives the camera extra weight and balance particularly when using bigger lenses and gives added grip particularly for vertical shots. If you do take a lot of vertical photographs then the additional vertical shutter release will prove invaluable, you can also access an AE/FE lock, the main input dial and focusing selector buttons with ease.
My camera of choice, the Canon EOS 5D with BG-E4 Battery Grip.
Miles,
Now I know that it is possible to access an AE/FE lock, the main input dial and focusing selector buttons with ease … I shall rest a little easier
Personally, during my brief encounter with cameras as part of an art course, I never really got beyond ‘and press the button here to take a picture …. however my time and effort in the dark room afterwards was never wasted apparently 
So in short, I’ve always been good at programming video recorders and technical stuff in general (not engines of course but that’s just because I haven’t set my female mind to it yet) but cameras with more than one button have always confused me. By the time I’ve got to grips with the aforementioned battery grip, the UFO will almost certainly have spun off to another more promising galaxy…
Cid
December 20, 2007 @ 10:09 am
Cid,
I knew you would find this post fascinating! As for what you used to get up to in the dark room, well, we shall have to wait until after the watershed!
Miles
December 20, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
Miles,
Will you be taking up position in the outlook post as pictured in Southery Wood? There will be no hiding from the searching lens of the Canon EOS 5D.
“If you go down to the woods today..”
springs to mind.
Elsie
December 20, 2007 @ 4:48 pm
Elsie,
The public aren’t allowed on the watch tower, much to my annoyance as the birds always head for the top of the trees!
Miles
December 20, 2007 @ 10:00 pm