monk3ym4jik
Senior Member
As the title says, I just ordered a D7000 to replace my D80 as my main camera. I'm so excited!
I have a sigma 18-35 f/1.8 lens which is fairly heavy. Would you suggest getting a battery grip? (For reference, I find the D80 plenty comfortable without a grip, but I've heard stuff about how people's pinky fingers don't fit on their grips? I don't have the largest hands, but they're definitely not small). If so, does it matter between the genuine Nikon OEM one or the generic ones I can get for a tenth of the price? I don't mind saving up if the quality of the OEM product is much better.
You can pick up a Nikon grip fairly cheap now, they really dropped in prices from when I was looking around last year. Luckily the site I brought from was ahead of the game and I snapped it up.
Check out the Lee Morris video about the MB-D11 grip where he realised he got ripped off. Fake Nikon Gear Alert! D7000 MB-D11 Knockoff It was a Neweer one. I've seen a few of these in person and they do feel different in materials, but when I asked the owners, they all seemed perfectly happy with the job it does. (of course you never admit to making a purchase mistake right!)
Also Nikon's own website has some more notes on spotting the fakes but this is old now: https://nikoneurope-en.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/49662
A lot of people rave on about the build quality of lenses, and for me, the camera body and grip are just as important if not more important. I trust that the Nikon grip will still work in a 'shower test' but I wouldn't trust another manufacture.
Also I'd recommend just making sure you pop into your menu options (D category) and ensure the grip battery is selected for first use. Like noted above it's annoying that your camera battery is effectively locked in by your grip. This way when the battery is dead in the grip you can keep using the camera one until you are ready to swap out the battery in the grip or put it on charge while using the battery in the camera.
hahah... Could be why I got exported to DubaiShower test,we have a name in the UK for people that do tests like that
Thanks for sharing...
I personally on purpose purchased the Neewer/Meike version, knowing that it wasn't the real deal...I find that the "knock off" is pretty much doing its job.
I have 2 batteries made by Wasabi which are actually better than the OEM Nikon battery that came with the D7000. They seem to hold a better charge and last longer.
I know that "you get what you pay for", but there are times that even non OEM can perform very well...plus saved me $$$
FYI, I'm only a hobbyist. If I was shooting as a Pro, then I would definitely go OEM and wouldn't consider the alternatives.