Targus TG-BGXTI Battery Grip for Canon Rebel XT/XTi

5 Comments

1. Ronald J. Cichocki says:

   December 1, 2009 at 10:13 pm

   Unpackaged the grip, inserted my two Canon batteries in the unit and attached the unit. No problemo. Unit has worked flawlessly.
   The combination of the camera and grip adds to the overall weight of the unit, but I guess thats to be expected.
   So far I haven’t found anything negative, except that it would be nice if the unit had strap attached, much like a camcorder.
   For the price I paid, this is a good deal.
   Rating: 4 / 5
2. linh says:

   December 2, 2009 at 12:36 am

   Hi!
   Good but nothing.
   The firstly open it, the switch button on/off already broken and felf down.
   no chance to using it, hopeless.
   Bye.
   Rating: 1 / 5
3. Hrabanus Maurus says:

   December 2, 2009 at 2:19 am

   Normally, I avoid third party aftermarket add-ons for my Canon cameras; however, I just wasn’t in the mood to spend a couple of hundred bucks for the Canon battery grip. I figured that, at the price, the Targus grip couldn’t be too bad. After all, if it didn’t work, I could return it.

   Well, I have no complaints. It does the job. It has the accessory tray that allows you to use AA batteries in the compartment. The holding area for the battery door was a bit fiddly. It was difficult to get the grip all the way in with the battery door in place, at first. However, with a bit of adjustment, it worked just fine.

   If you don’t have a battery grip for your X-Ti, I strongly recommend getting one. With two batteries, you may be able to take pictures for a considerable amount of time before you have to recharge. I consider a battery grip a necessary appendage for a camera.

   This is a great one.

   Rating: 5 / 5
4. Captain Practical says:

   December 2, 2009 at 3:48 am

   I haven’t used the Canon brand version of the battery grip, but I can’t imagine it’s much better than this one. Battery life is at least doubled (be clear that this does not come with any actual batteries, you have to supply 1 or 2 of your own NB2LH batteries). It comes with a AA battery carriage (for 6 AAs, also purchased separately) you can use instead of the NB2LH batteries (this is meant to be used in emergencies as the battery life of the AA’s will be much shorter than the NB2LH’s). Functionality of the buttons on the grip is great; the vertical shutter-release is great when holding the camera sideways.

   The increased size and weight the battery-grip adds to the camera are generally considered to be positive features as well, as they increase the gripping area and stability of the camera. It does make the camera bigger and heavier than I expected, though. I can’t fit the camera in my camera bag when the grip is attached, and the extra weight has been more of a burden than a benefit for me (bear in mind I’m only an occasional casual photographer).

   Swapping the battery-grip in and out is fairly easy, but you do have to remove the battery door from your camera (the battery-grip does have a safe place for you to stash it so you don’t lose it) which makes me nervous about possibly breaking it off.

   Bottom-line: If you are a serious photographer (or aspire to be one), this is definitely a good accessory to have. If you only take pictures occasionally, you can probably live without it.
   Rating: 5 / 5
5. D. Vang says:

   December 2, 2009 at 6:27 am

   i just recently bought this add-on for my 3 year old canon rebel 350D(XT). im sort of disappointed that i didnt get this a lot sooner. the grip adds a nice weight to the body and also provides a more comfortable grip when using it in portrait orientation. the grip is very similar to my 40D and is very ergonomic. it attaches pretty easily and fastens firmly. i have heard some people complain that the shutter release button doesnt recognize a half-press, but i havent had trouble with that.

   pros:
   -ergonomic
   -nice additional weight
   -comes with AA battery alternative
   -rubber coating makes gripping easy
   -cheap

   cons:
   -plastic doesnt look/feel durable
   -buttons feel more plastic than rubber
   -scroll wheel is not as firm as the wheel on the body

   overall:
   very good product for a very low price. you wont get a rugged build, but you will get full functionality of an extended battery grip much like other manufacturers.
   Rating: 5 / 5