Battery grip and LP-E5 batteries

[Panchdara]

Hello. This is my first post. I am a total novice/beginner at this photography stuff: please bear with me as I begin this most interesting stage in my learning.

Before I bore with specific photography questions I would like to ask a question about battery grips and the batteries in the grip. I am starting out with a Canon T1i with the Canon battery grip BG-E5. This grip accomodates up to 2 LP-E5 batteries (can run on only one as both are in parallel). Question: What are the ramifications of mixing different type and size batteries in the grip? For instance 1080mAh and 1500mAh batteries. Different brands, for instance Power 2000 and Canon... assuming different manufacturers.

I hope this is a good question.

Hugh

[GadgetVirtuoso]

Mixing battery brands/types usually isn't recommended. Different brands discharge at different rates, especially when exposed to the elements. Just like putting AAs in your other electronics it isn't recommended to mix alkaline and NiMH or even different brands of the same type. Will they work? Certainly, but the performance may not be what you expect.

The savings over an non-OEM battery isn't that significant to be worth it IMHO. I was glad the 7D came with two batteries but I was prepared to buy another. For what its worth I don't like the battery grip nearly as much as I thought I would, even for portraits. The grip is too wide, for my hands, to fit as comfortably as the camera grip. Admittedly I've been shooting without a grip long enough that I may not be use to it. Until I buy the f2.8 70-200mm IS L lens I may not use it very often and then only to balance the weight of the lens.You may find you can work just as well with a second battery you can quickly swap out. The batteries do last a while unless you're shooting video.