Home > Consumer Reviews > Canon BG-E3 Battery Grip for EOS Digital Rebel XT Camera

This is a well-made accessory that makes the Rebel XT or XTi very comfortable to hold, either horizontally, or especially, vertically. Several camera controls are replicated on the grip (shutter release, AE lock button, AF point selector, AE compensation, and command dial) for ease in shooting vertical formats.
I'm used to the Digital Rebel, which fits my hand almost perfectly. I found the Rebel XT to be a bit too small. It felt OK with a 50mm 1.4 lens, but I found it hard to hold steady with a 70-200mm f/4 "L" zoom, or with a Canon 420EX flash attached. The battery grip adds extra room for holding the camera, and helps balance the lens or external flash by moving the center of gravity down and towards your hand, making the combination much more comfortable to hold and steady.
The grip works great with two NB-2LH batteries. I was more intrigued with its ability to use 6 AA batteries. Canon advises this option is for "emergency use" but after reading the supplied literature, the explanation for this worrisome statement became clear: Canon expects fewer shots from 6 AAs than from 2 NB-2LH batteries. You may try different types of AA batteries. I have found that the BG-E3 provides very good results with Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries. These batteries have long shelf life and maintain adequate voltage longer than most other AA rechargeable batteries. I also have used Energizer disposable lithium batteries with no problems.
I plan to leave the battery grip on my camera all of the time. I probably will use it most with two NB-2LH batteries, but like having the option of using the included AA battery holder, when necessary.

When I bought the XT, I had pre-ordered it like so many other people, which meant I hadn't had a chance to test it out before it arrived from Amazon. I knew it was a small camera based on the reviews and size descriptions but I didn't REALLY know until I got it in my hands! It felt alright in my hands, but I knew it could be better once I got the battery grip, and I am so glad I did.

The grip is great for extended battery life since it takes two of the lithium Canon batteries. As for the battery life itself, I shot an ENTIRE wedding, the bride getting ready, the pre ceremony shots, the actual ceremony, the post ceremony formal group shots, the entire reception, and the battery level never came on low. And you can imagine how often I had to use my 420EX flash! There was enough battery to last the car trip back while I looked at each picture on the cameras LCD screen, over 700+. That, in it of itself, is worth the purchase. To be able to have the peace of mind that you can just keep shooting and shooting and not have to worry about running out of juice is a godsend.

The added weight is great too. The camera feels more secure in my hands, especially when I have my telephoto lens on it.

I love the vertical shooting as well, I don't have to compromise my hand positions just because I am shooting vertically, because there is a shutter button on the bottom along with aperture & shutter length controls.

This really is one of those 'must have' accessories that if you are buying the camera, you might as well go ahead and buy this too, along with a few extra batteries. I can't say anything bad about it! If you were thinking of skipping over the XT because of the smallness, ask your camera shop to fit it with this grip and give it a shot, its a great camera and with a great grip, you can't go wrong!

Others said everything I need to say, but this is something they missed. In most situations, you don't really need two batteries. It is good that you can use only one battery for this grip. It is a feature, not a bug. Enjoy yours.

I tried this product out at local camera store before I was sold on the idea. The two main things I was concerned about were how does it attach and does it add too much weight to the camera.

The attaching to the camera was a little concerning, I was worried that it may damage the camera. But, after watching the guy at our local camera shop put one on a Rebel I was sold. Basically you remove the door to the battery compartment. Which comes off a lot easier than I anticipated. The grip slides in like a battery and you screw it on the bottom of the camera. Don't worry their is another hole on the bottom of the grip for the tripod.

The grip does add weight but its not that significant and I noticed it adds a lot of stability while holding it. Since the grip adds height to the camera its easier to hold the camera in one hand. Much like holding one of the more expensive models. It also adds battery life since the grip holds two batteries.

If you hold the new grip to take pictures with the camera on its side. You will be pleasantly surprised to see a duplicate set of buttons and the scroll wheel added on the new grip just for that purpose. It is now a permanent attachment and I am glad I decided to buy it. The buttons work just as well as the camera even at 3fps.

Another note is that the quality of the Canon grip is much better than the cheaper version.

Plus points

If you are concerned about the small size and low weight of the EOS350D camera the BG-E3 battery grip is a 'must have' accessory.

The grip makes vertical shooting a breeze and adds much needed size and weight to the camera when using a longer lens, improving the overall balance of the camera/lens.

Purchasing an additional NB-2LH battery to fill both slots of the BGM-E3L magazine instantly doubles battery life/shooting time and you can extend shooting time even further by loading the additional BGM-3LA magazine with 6x AA size batteries.
Using the figures quoted in the grips' documentation you can achieve a total of 1500 shots with no flash and 1020 shots with 50% flash using both fully loaded magazines. (@ min temp 20°C)

The optional Handstrap E-1 (purchased seperately) can be attached for a more secure grip.

Minus points

The magazines are quite flimsy in design and care is needed when handling them as they could be easily damaged.
There is an issue when using the BGM-3LA magazine loaded with AA size batteries where the camera display shows a low battery condition even with fully charged batteries. The number of shots is not affected by this false reading.

The AA size batteries can be difficult to insert and remove.

Care is need when inserting the magazines into the grip as it is possible in a rush to rotate and lock the locking knob even though the magazine is not fully pushed home.
When the locking knob is turned to the locking position, it is important to remember to flip the knob flush with the body of the grip as this closes an electrical contact and the camera will not power up unless this is done.

Slightly pricey.

Unique to the EOS 350D camera, not transferrable to other models (same issue as the 300D and 20D grips) as the grip matches the contours and size of the 350D

Additional magazines not available for purchase seperately.

Final thoughts.

The Pro's far outweight the Con's...this is probably the best value adding accessory you can buy for your EOS350D camera.

I have written a full web based review which can be found here:
http://www.shutterschool.com/bge3/index.htm