Canon BG-E21 Battery Grip Review

Battery grips are functional extensions of your camera that increase your battery life and improve camera holding ergonomics. If you haven’t read our article on why we think everyone should use a battery grip, check it out here. We cover the pros and cons of grips which will certainly help you make a decision on this pricey accessory.

Check out the Canon BG-E21 on Amazon

Today we’re checking out the BG-E21 battery grip for the Canon EOS 6D Mark II. So let’s dive in! Here are the main features we get with this grip:

FEATURE HIGHLIGHT

BATTERY GRIP INSALLATION

I’ll quickly go over how this battery grip is installed on the 6d mark II for those who are curious. If you’re familiar with this already, skip ahead to the functionality and performance section next.

The first step in the installation process is to remove the primary battery and the battery door itself. There is a low profile latch on the battery door that releases the hinge and frees the door. If you’re worried about losing this piece, don’t worry. There is a snug home on the BG E21 grip stem, a nice touch common with Canon battery grips. With the 6D battery compartment empty and the door removed, we can now install our battery grip. First we will insert the electrical contact stem into the battery compartment. Once the stem is fully seated and the tripod screw of the battery grip is making contact with the tripod threads on the camera, we can tighten the screw with the thumb dial. You’ll notice the alignment pin on the battery grip will line up with the alignment hole on the base of 6D mark II.

For the final step we will remove the battery magazine (BGM-E21L, if anyone is curious) and install our two batteries by inserting the contact end of the battery towards the center of the battery magazine. Viola! The battery grip and the camera have become one, and your camera has increased functionality!

FUNCTIONALITY AND PERFORMANCE

BATTERY LIFE

First, let’s talk about battery life as this is one of the most attractive reasons to purchase a battery grip. With a grip we effectively double our battery life through the use of two batteries. It’s no secret that the Canon LP-E6 & LP-E6N batteries perform incredibly well alone. I can shoot most of an entire day with only one of these batteries.

Having two of these batteries in the 6D Mark II really makes the camera feel like it has an infinite battery life. Couple this with a large memory card and you can have smooth uninterrupted shoots with peace of mind. Through the 6D Mark II menu, you can also monitor the individual battery levels. This menu illustrated which battery (left or right) each level pertains to, along with an estimate of how many shots can be captured based on the battery levels.

ERGONOMICS

Canon already provides good ergonomics on the Canon 6D Mark II body alone. However, as a somewhat compact full frame camera, there is still a significant increase in comfort when adding a battery grip.

The grip adds length to the base of the camera which does two things. First, it allows your fingers to spread a bit more when shooting horizontally. Second, it provides a dramatic increase in area for your palm interface with the camera. This may not seem like a big deal just judging from the images, however when picking one up, the difference is absolutely noticeable. Having more area for your palm reduces the gripping forces required from your fingers.

For portrait photography, the grip provides you with a comfortable hold for vertical shots. As you can see in the images below, the portrait shooting position provides us with a slightly different button layout and grip geometry. Due to the wider grip on the vertical hold, your fingers will not be able to wrap around like they do on your standard shutter control. This is why the controls are angled out slightly.

I actually prefer the vertical grip geometry over the horizontal orientation. In the vertical position, I have a smooth and continuous grip, unlike the horizontal mode where you can feel the interface between your camera and the BG-E21. This allows a very strong and stable hold on the camera body.

VERTICAL CONTROLS

The vertical controls provided with the BG-E21 battery grip include the shutter button, AF selection button, main dial, AF on button, AE lock button, and AF mode button. In addition to this, there is an On/Off switch which activates and deactivates these vertical controls. This is to prevent you from accidentally pressing one of vertical control buttons. This on/off switch does not affect the power circuit, and will not disconnect the batteries from your camera. Power is always maintained as long as the battery magazine is inside the camera with charged batteries.

HAND STRAP

The BG-E21 comes with a mount where you can add a hand strap. The strap connects from the battery grip mount (bottom) to the right side neck strap mount (top). This provides your right hand with a very close and secure grip on the camera, especially with the battery grip installed! With the grip and a hand strap, there is no strong hand grip needed to hold the camera due to the snug fit of your hand.

If you don’t have a battery grip, and wanted a hand strap, you would purchase a strap like this: https://amzn.to/2LBnBZ5. This requires the bottom connection of the strap to be interfaced with the tripod mount of your camera. However in doing so, you clearly no longer have tripod holding capability from your camera. (I don’t recommend the straps that duplicate the tripod mount. You are trusting a cheap accessory to hold your expensive camera. You wouldn’t want to learn this lesson the hard way).

WIRED BATTERY COMPATIBLE

A feature that I don’t see many people discussing is the possible use of a canon AC adapter with the battery grip. Of course you don’t need a battery grip to use an AC adapter, but Canon added a small feature to the battery grip that cleanly facilitates its use. In the photos below, you can see where Canon added a small rubber push out tab that allows a wire to be run from inside the battery magazine to an external power supply. The battery slot closest to the magazine door is where this AC adapter battery would be placed. Canon added a little reminder to the battery magazine base. The way this works is the camera uses a “dummy” LP-E6N shaped battery whose electrical contacts are routed via insulated wiring to outside of the camera. See the kit here, pretty neat!

BUILD QUALITY

THE FEEL

First impressions upon holding the installed BG-E21 grip, the build quality and materials feel and look almost identical to the 6D Mark II body. This is the quality you can expect from Canon OEM products, and canon shooters know this well. There are many aftermarket options for battery grips, however the build quality and the feeling of having a natural extension of your camera is mainly what you sacrifice with these more affordable options. Not that they are a bad idea at all! (An example of an after market battery grip for the 6D Mark II is this grip offered by Neewer: https://amzn.to/2E1IVR1)

Now I say the materials feel almost identical because I did notice a slight difference in the tactile feel of a few buttons. Some buttons have a slightly different resistance (shutter), or slightly longer throw before being pressed (AE Lock and AF Point Selection). These are definitely minimal differences that are hardly even worth mentioning, but differences nonetheless.

SIZE & WEIGHT

We found the BG-E21 along with an additional Canon LP-E6N battery adds an entire pound to your 6D body. The body and single battery weighed in at 1.7 lbs., while the added grip totaled to 2.7 lbs. A significant increase in weight. Steel components can be seen lining the interior of the grip, which speaks to the weight. Canon would likely sacrifice build strength and quality to achieve a lighter product. Without question I prefer the strong build quality equal to the camera while dealing with the increased weight, than risking the use of a plastic grip with low structural integrity. This would not only risk our camera body, but all of the glass attached to it!

With regards to the increased size of the camera, the BG E21 adds about 1.75” to the bottom of your body. This is only really an issue if you use a fitted camera bag or case for your 6D Mark II. Otherwise this is an expected feature of battery grips.

Canon claims this battery grip is dust and weather resistant. With the canon 6d Mark II having weather protection, and the build quality being solid and near identical to the BG-E21, I have confidence with the battery grip in its ability to keep out the elements. The grip’s interface with the camera has a few features that help shield the internals from the elements as well, seen in the images below.

TIPS AND TRICKS

I covered this in my previous article here, but let me briefly repeat myself because I don’t see them discussed very much elsewhere.

• If you plan on using the portrait grip on a shoot, remove your tripod quick release plate. This plate can destroy all of the ergonomic qualities that the vertical grip provides!
• If you want to keep the ergonomics and shed some weight, use the grip with only one battery. The battery grip will still be functional with only one battery.
• Keep a fresh set of two batteries charged and ready for the day that both batteries in your grip die. It wouldn’t be very convenient to wait for two LP-E6Ns to charge while the golden hour is fading away.

SUMMARY

Coming from Canon, there are no real surprises with this battery grip. The build quality is solid, provides dust and weather protection with fantastic ergonomics. As with any battery grip, the increased weight and camera profile are certainly tradeoffs that need to be considered. Especially considering that this accessory is priced around $200 at the time of writing. If you don’t have issues with the size, weight, and the initial cost of a battery grip, and could use double the battery life along with a comfortable shooting experience, this grip is for you!

If you’re a fellow Canon 6D Mark II user, and are still debating on purchasing a battery grip, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you have a strong need for continuous camera usage with little to zero down time? Doubling the batteries in your camera at all times does exactly this.
• Are you generally comfortable shooting with heavier lenses? If so, you will be more likely to tolerate the added pound of battery grip. If not, battery grips allow better handling of long/heavy lenses as well.
• Is your camera hold uncomfortable or do you find your hands crammed on the available area on the 6D MK II? The increased grip area can alleviate the discomfort.
• Do you shoot in portrait mode very often? The vertical controls facilitate this shooting mode well, and you can say goodbye to the awkward tilted pose that results in those angled horizons.

Depending on your answer to these questions, you should have a pretty clear picture of whether the BG-E21 battery grip is for you. I hope you found value in this review and hope it helped you make a better informed decision! Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think of battery grips!

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