Jea Lee Photography – blog

First thoughts on the packaging, I wasn’t too impressed. The box seemed a little cheap and once you open it, the battery grip is wrapped in thin bubble wrap. Vello packages their user manual with a plastic sleeve, which i thought was pretty neat.

I put the Vello BG-C2 next to the Canon BG-E6 just to compare it visually. I was pretty impressed, both grips feel and look similar, however Canon’s grip has a thicker grip which I like better.

(Canon on the left – Vello on the right)

Here is a close up of the button of Vello’s version. These buttons are very different from Canon’s version. Canon’s buttons are a little harder to push and don’t make a sound. Vello’s focus buttons are much easier to press and it makes a click sound when depressed. Some people may like the click, some may not; I personally like it.

(Close up of the buttons)

(Shutter release and scroll wheel and ON & OFF)

I’ve read other reviews on this product and people have complained about this grip not fitting perfectly on the body. I must have received a good copy of it because mine fit just fine. The color matches well and is flush with the body. One thing that I was worried about this grip was that I read reviews about generic LP-E6 batteries not allowing the body to read it’s meter, so I assumed this grip wouldn’t read it either. I was wrong. I was able to read an accurate reading in the Menu > Battery Info and it also gave me the shutter count for each battery. Sweet.

The 3 main reasons why I use a battery grip are:

1. The 2nd battery. I dont have to worry about my batteries dying on a job.
2. Vertical photos. It’s much easier to get the vertical shots with the 2nd shutter release button.
3. My hands are big. Without the grip, I personally hate it when my pinky finger is under the camera body while I’m holding it. The grip gives the body that secured feeling.

In conclusion, who is the Vello BG-C2 battery grip for? I would say, if you have the Canon 5d mark2 body but don’t want to spend almost $250 on the Canon BG-E6, then you definitely can’t go wrong with this $70 purchase. If I didn’t already have the BG-E6, I would honestly use Vello’s.

Good job, Vello.

Thank you B&H Photo and  Video for giving me the opportunity to review this product. More reviews to come. Stay tuned & follow me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JeaLeePhotography