Recently I posted about how I have wanted a battery grip for my 7D mark 2 for some time, but how the official version is many hundreds of pounds, and is thus beyond my budget.

So I went ahead and bought a £38 alternative from a Chinese company advertising on Amazon. The packages included the grip, two new Li ion batteries and an adapter that would allow it to hold AA batteries instead. That’s a lot of kit for just £38, so it must be pants, right?

Well I’ve recently had the chance to give the grip a bit of a test drive; I’m going to be shooting at CosXpo 2020 this year and wanted to get more familiar with the grip, and my new flash equipment. It took me a moment to get used to where the shutter release is; it sits further forward that the camera release, but aside from that I found it very easy to use. It’s constructed out of a fairly light plastic, probably ABS, with a stippling of slightly softer material to enhance the grip. It locks securely onto the body of the camera, integrates flawlessly and makes portrait compositions far more comfortable.

I did notice that there is a fractional delay between half-pressing the shutter to focus, and the lens reacting, but it is such a minuscule difference it won’t make a difference.

All in all, I am very happy and cannot wait to get into the field/studio now.

Events, here I come!