Canon EOS 550D T2i

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I was asked by several people to do a review on the Canon 550D / T2i aftermarket battery grips that are found on eBay. I decided it would be best to do a side by side comparison to the real deal OEM Canon BG-E8 battery grip. Here's some video footage I hope helps clear some things up. The video is a bit long, but what's 10 minutes out of your life compared to the $$$ savings if you decide you want to go aftermarket.

OEM Prices:
The Canon BG-E8 OEM retails for $160.00
LP-E8 Rechargeable OEM retails for $60.00

AfterMarket Prices:
BG-E8 Grip available from $59.00
LP-E8 Rechargeable from $10.00
(I got the grip + 2 batteries for $69.00)

Ordering normally takes several weeks from overseas. There is never an option for overnight shipping from eBay overseas, so don't expect to place an order the weekend before your next event. The buyer I received mine from on eBay (found here),shipped it to me in just 7 business days after I placed the order. Very very fast for on overseas seller. The box and packaging inside the box is impressive and everything was bubble wrapped or came with a plastic shell cover. It even comes with some very clear, descriptive, instructional manual in different languages. Looks like quality stuff.

For the most part, the aftermarket battery grips functions exactly the same. Note: The battery trays cannot be swapped out. The OEM tray only fits in the OEM grip, the aftermarket tray ONLY fits into the aftermarket grip. The batteries of course don't matter. Aftermarket and OEM mixed up always show the battery life meter. One thing I highly suggest you purchase for any Grip owner is another charger. The grip requires 2 batteries to be used, and it truly sucks to be waiting on one charger. This is a must have for any Grip owner, so that you can charge another battery without waiting. As low as $1.99 + Free Shipping.

click image to purchase this charger for as low as $1.99 + Free shipping.
LP-E8-Chargerfind-price-button Canon LP-E8 Battery Chargers

The build quality is almost exact. At first I believed these aftermarket grips were coming out of the same factory and just being rebranded (like most things), but in fact there are some differences in design. The color is a bit darker and doesn't match the T2i exactly, but you would never know the difference unless they were side by side. The texture on the grip is a bit different too, but feels the same (non slip). Weight also feels very close, and again, you'd never know unless they were side by side. If you look very very closely, you'll see the buttons are just millimeters off from the OEM, but basically in the same area and laid out just like the OEM.

As you can see, by going aftermarket you can save a ton of money. In fact you can buy almost three sets of grips + batteries compared to going OEM. If you're wondering about the longevity of these products, i've been using aftermarket Grips + Batteries on my 5D Mark II and my Canon 7D without any problems. Of course you do have to order overseas and through eBay for the best deals. Some sellers might not have the best customer service, but if you're looking to grab one from the same person I received mine, check out this link.

Next on the review is comparing the battery life from the OEM vs. Aftermarket. I can already tell you that it's probably going to be exactly the same, so why waste time and just grab them online now for as little as $7.99 US. Check out my article here: http://cheesycam.com/?p=752

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find-price-button Canon T2i / 550D AfterMarket Battery Grip

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aftermarket-550d-grip

Finally! The 550D / T2i aftermarket battery grip + 2 batteries is sitting here at my desk, and i'll have more photos and full review later when I get back home. There are many sellers, but the boxes seem to be the same packaging. Does anyone have a different box? Send in your photos and comments, i'll do an awesome review for everyone when I get back home. Click the image above if you want to buy one from the same eBay seller I purchased mine from.

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camera-armor-5d
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camera-armor
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This one looks a bit more beefier than the last Silicone Skin case I blogged about earlier. This one uses the term 'Armor'. Even though the higher end bodies are a bit more weather sealed, If you plan on going rough with your gear (paintballing?), you might want to give these guys a go. Especially for those of you who plan on taking the lighter weight 550D / T2i camera bodies out in the field. Available for different camera bodies, yes even Nikon, Check out some of the different available Camera Armor cases here.

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When DSLR video's hit the market, the companies weren't ready for it. Although FCP has had some plugins designed and some Compression settings to convert them to an editable format, I think Adobe is setting the bar. Jason Levine shows off some of the new Native DSLR Editing on Adobe CS5. I like it, I think i'm going CS5 just for the editing ability.

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550d-waterproof-housing

Wow, awesome stuff here by NauticamUSA.com. Yeah first time i've heard about them too! Maybe because I was never crazy enough to take my gear underwater. The rig looks pretty sick and they've got something for the Canon 7D as well. I believe there is a Nikon D90 in there too, but who cares. JK Nikonians!! (sorta). Hopefully they'll be flattered that i've 'borrowed' a few images from their galleries to showcase it to you to guys. Hey it's free advertising Nauticam, now if only I can get one to review...hint hint nudge nudge. You can find way more cool photos of these rigs in the water, cool video samples, plus other housings at their website https://nauticamusa.com

These things look soo cool, i'd run around with them 'out of water'!

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Well thanks to some good tips, I was reffered to a pretty sweet deal on Amazon US. These appear to be the aftermarket batteries like the ones everyone has been searching for, but this kit also comes with a few other nifties. Not too bad of a price if you're looking for a reliable Amazon seller compared to an overseas eBayer. If you follow my blog, i'm STILL WAITING on my aftermarket grip to review from overseas. So if you're impatient about getting your batteries in a hurry, Here's more of the information about the 'kit'.

Technical Details
LP-E8 ACCESSORY PACK includes 6 of our top Canon accessories
1) 2 -Professional DIGITAL LP-E8 1500mAh Batteries w/2 Year Warranty
2) Mini black wire bendable tabletop tri-pod
3) Digital Matrex SD/SDHC Card Reader
4) Memory Card Wallet 5) LCD Screen Protector Kit.
Available Here:

Here's a snapshot of their Amazon feedback as a seller.
thememstore-amazon

Tweet it, FB it, Digg it.

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The above video is from Justin Salman shot with a Canon EOS 550D / T2i + Canon 50mm F/1.8

Not long ago shooting video with a consumer camera in low light would be a waste of time. The footage would be pretty much unusable unless you went for a more higher end $2,000.00 + pro-sumer camera with 3CCD. Once you start getting into these larger video cameras, it's probably something you won't be able to bring into most casual public venues. DSLR's are quickly changing that mindset, shooting great quality HD video under low light environments and yet coming at way under pro-sumer prices. The Canon EOS 550D / T2i is one of those cameras changing the world of video as we know it. Sure the Canon 5D Mark II was the first and recognized as the 'Game Changer' for video producers, but I strongly believe that the 550D / T2i is going to be part of a bigger wave this year.

Justin has only been a registered member of the Vimeo video community for about a month. I found Justin talking about the use of the Cheesycam Bodypod, so I thought i'd share his video. Thanks Justin for allowing me to post your video and share with others the great quality the Canon 550D / T2i can provide.

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aftermarket-battery-grip-550d

Originally the battery grips for the 550D and T2i were very hard to come by. There were no aftermarket ones available. There were of course aftermarket batteries, which I was able to purchase and they work great, but I had to special order an OEM canon grip from Calumet in San Diego. I just got a comment on my last post about the aftermarket batteries for the T2i / 550D, stating that the Aftermarket grips are now available for as low as $69.00 dollars and they come with x2 batteries + Free Shipping. You can find a list of these grips following this link.

Below are some images i've grabbed from an eBay seller, and they look pretty spot on to the real thing.

Click here to buy Aftermarket Battery Grips + Batteries from eBay for the Canon EOS 550D T2i
If anyone has already received these items, holla back, comment on this post, or share it through the Share widget below.

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I'm always networking and learning from professionals so that one day I might be able to step up my game. One of the guys I turn to for technical DSLR videography questions is Michael Sato at www.DSLRUniversity.com. Recently Michael announced that he'll be possibly holding a workshop closer to my area, and I thought i'd share this information.

If you are looking to make the transition from a video camera to a DSLR camera let Michael Sato from Satostudios give you a jumpstart on camera operation, Lenses, stabilization, and workflow. Learn how to use your Canon 7d,5d, 550d, 1dmkiv to fit your video needs. Whether you are a current film maker, photographer, or just starting out he will help you become an expert to fit your projects. Michael offers 1 day 4 or 6 hour workshops or a 2 day complete training.

For workshops and commissions go to: https://www.dslruniversity.com/education/satostudio