Call me lazy but although the battery grip can be used to carry out certain camera functions such as focusing I have only used it for its main purpose which is to provide additional power. I have used my battery grip for 2 years with both Canon and Power Extra camera batteries and I am very impressed. I can take over 700 photos at an event without changing the camera batteries.

I use a Canon Rebel T3i which looks very small with no accessories attached. When I add the battery grip however I am told that the camera looks more "official". I totally agree as with the battery grip many persons assume that the camera is a full frame camera or that I forked out big bucks for my cam. That perception can be good for marketing!

I have used the grip in light rainfall and I have had no issues. I have also had instances where sand gets caught in the crevices of the battery grip on windy days at the beach but the grip works flawlessly just the same. The grip is sturdy and the cam fits perfectly onto it. If I at some point decide to use the other controls on the battery grip I'll update this post with my findings.

I must admit though that the additional weight of the cam when using the battery grip for long periods of time - especially if there is a speedlite flash unit on the cam as well - was a bit concerning initially but I have gotten used to it overtime since I do alot of photoshoots and event photo coverage.

Neewer is a great alternative to the official Canon Brand and for much cheaper

First off this battery grip is very functional the most obvious benefit is that you can put two batteries inside and you have close to twice the amount time between battery changes but it is much more than just that, the first one is that using this grip my camera feels heftier, more solid and easier to grip. this is very important for getting steady /smooth shots with video work. 

This also helps when replacing batteries while you're using a tripod you no longer have to take your camera off of the tripod adaptor just to change those pesky batteries, with just a simple spin of the side lever both batteries come out with ease. (even tho you will be changing batteries 50% less than you have been)

Second with the addition of the buttons on the grip itself you can easily hold this sideways while still having full control of the necessary buttons (note I didn't know this when I bought it and it was a great surprise)

The build quality of this device is very good as well, the buttons click nicely and are easy to find, the grip feels more like a part of the camera, not just some cheesy thing slapped onto a nice DSLR. 

Some people have noted they had issues with the pins inside the grip lining up with the pins inside the actual camera but I have had no such issues on my device.

Also, note this grip comes with an alternate AA adaptor that takes 6 AA Batteries I have yet to use this but it could be a good feature in a worse case scenario

I bought one of these Neewer BG-E8 Battery Grips for my Canon EOS Rebel T3i and it works amazing. It fit like a glove and I couldn't be more happy with the feel it brought to my camera. It gave my camera more depth and I love that I can shoot vertically and take pictures with the button on the side. A favorite feature I loved was the storage compartment for the original battery door. For one, I had no idea that the door came off so easily, and for two.. the fact that it's stored inside is convenient, and awesome. I won't lose it now! I'd also like to express how happy I was with the shipping, packaging, and the included instructions. Shipping was extremely prompt. Packaging was very neat and secure and the instructions with pictures, were very easy to follow. I'd definitely buy again!

I did so much research on third party grips before buying, review after review, and video after video but I finally decided to get the Neewer grip. First of all, don't buy the OEM canon battery grip if you're using a rebel, it cost $100+ and it's still plastic. Unless you own a high end crop sensor camera (7d, 70d) that has a magnesium alloy body then go for the OEM grips, but all rebel camera's have a plastic body construction so you'll just be wasting a lot of money buying the canon version of this battery grip.

Now on to the Neewer battery grip itself, it's really sturdy! The second I unboxed it, and picked it up I felt that it wasn't cheap, and my god was I happy because my mindset was for $30 it'll probably be really cheap plastic, but this thing feels solid in the hands. After a two minute installation the Neewer grip was on my camera, and looked awesome. The vertical button of the grip works great, it'll shoot even if you only have one battery in the grip itself, the wheel works as described, but man now my camera has some real weight, and just feels awesome in the hand. Do yourself and buy this.

As a struggling photographer trying to break into the world of wedding photography; I recognized the need for a product to extend my battery life and ensure my camera last through the blood, sweat and tears of every wedding day. Or at least I wanted to avoid that embarrassing moment when my battery shamefully died.

Unfortunately, I still have two kids I have to feed everyday, so I needed to fund a budget friendly option as well. After wasting what felt like 15 minutes but was really hours reading reviews and checking ratings, I decided this grip was within my budget and wouldn't make my cry too hard if I had the unfortunate experience of getting the freak disfunction one.

I received the grip quickly (Thanks prime! Best I forgot to cancel my trial suck in I've every gotten!!) - I eagerly tore open the box and awkwardly stared at the pieces. There weren't any directions, but luckily I was able to figure out what went where and didn't screw it up. Much to my pleasure, the piece connected seamlessly to my camera (I have a rebel t3i) and powered up like a Champ.

I am not disappointed by my purchase and can't wait to get out and get shooting to try it out in action. If that sucks, I'll update, but I'm pretty optimistic that I made a purchase that won't keep me up at night with buyer's regret.