When I got the D800e, I was unsure if I was going to get the MB-D12 battery grip, because of the cost, but also the added bulk and weight. But after a while, I took the plunge.
The obvious benefit of a battery grip is just that, it can house extra batteries. The MB-D12 adds these options, all in addition to the EN-EL15 in the camera:
Besides the battery options, the main benefit of the grip is vertical controls. When you shoot vertically without a grip, your right hand will often get into an awkward position, reaching around and getting your fingers to fall onto the right buttons. With the grip, there is a shutter release button, an AF-On button, and a four way rocker which you use to move the focus point. And they all fall very naturally under your fingers, so you don’t have to put your hand in that awkward position. For many photographers, I’d guess, this is enough reason to get a battery grip.
This varies between cameras, but when it comes to the D800/D800e, you can get an added speed boost from the battery grip. With one battery, you get up to four frames per second. With a second EN-EL15 in the grip, you can get an additional frame, for five frames per second. And with AA-batteries or the EN-EL18 battery, you can get one more frame, for a total of six frames per second. The caveat is that this is all with the camera in DX-mode, meaning it’s shooting at a lower resolution. This is all according to Nikon’s camera manual.
One aspect of a battery grip that is not always mentioned is how much the grip adds to holding and handling the camera, besides what I just mentioned. It just makes for a much more comfortable and secure grip. Holding your camera by the bottom of the grip, for example, is comfortable and feels secure.
When it comes to how many photos you can take, that also varies, of course. Here is what Nikon says about that:
- One EN-EL15 battery: approximately 2,400 photos (I guess we can assume with two EN-EL15 we can get approximately 4,800 photos)
- One EN-EL-18 battery: approximately 3,800 photos (in addition to one EN-EL15 in the camera, this would mean a total of 5,200 shots)
- AA-batteries: approximately 2,400 photos
Should you get the Nikon grip or one of the numerous third-party models? Only you can decide. The Nikon one is more expensive (right now it sells for 5,090 SEK from Nikon Sweden, almost as much as I paid for the D800e), although I got mine in good used condition for about what a new third-party one costs. A third-party one is probably made from plastic, the Nikon one is magnesium alloy, like the camera. So, fit and finish might not exactly match the camera, but that’s likely not a big deal.
Here’s a good overview of the MB-D12:
