MB-D12 Battery Grip

<p>I can't be the only one who thinks Nikon is just plain screwing us over with the utterly usury pricing if this accessory at $450. Holy crapy, I can get a nice Japanese LCD/LED television for that. The MB-D11 is $220, and the MB-D10 is $250. That are all the same thing!</p>

<p>How can this be anything but screw-you customer, we got you and we're ripping you off?</p>

<p>Grrrrrrrr </p>

<p>Dan, nobody forces to buy an MB-D12 or for that matter a D800. If you think the price is too high, skip it. That is exactly what I am planning to do concerning the MB-D12. Wait for third-party clones. When there is competition, prices will come down, as we are discussing on this thread: <a href="00aE24">http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00aE24</a></p>

<p>While the MB-D12 costs a lot more than what I would expect, the D800 is cheaper than what I expected. I don't see a whole lot of people complaining about that.</p>

<p>I just noticed the other thread.</p>

<p>Still, this is worth complaining about, since Nikon needs to feel the market's reaction to its arbitrary decisions. That's a good thing about the Internet and industry forums like this :-)</p>

<p>Dan, there are several items that it hard to artificially fix prices:</p>

<ul>

<li>Battery grip</li>

<li>Batteries</li>

<li>Lenses</li>

</ul>

<p>mainly because there will be third-party options. Some of the clone batteries and grips may or may not work very well, but when there is substential savings, people will figure that out, and we can exchange such information here.</p>

<p>For example, if Nikon charges too much for the 70-200mm/f2.8 AF-S VR 2, it would only benefit Sigma. I tested the Sigma and it is a very good lens, might not be as good as the Nikon, but at close to half the price, it is clearly much better value for the money.</p>

<p>I hope Canon does well too. Competition is a good thing.</p>

<p>If the D800 was $3450 and included a free grip, would you feel better?</p>

<p>Well, how is the D800 grip a different market analysis from the D700 grip?</p>

<p>Since the new Nikon grip is expensive, now it would make sense for Leica to make one.<br>

Just wait until Leica makes a vertical grip for Nikon D800, and see how expensive it would be?</p>

<p>... and wait until Zeikos makes one.</p>

<p>Do you really need a Rolex to tell exact time any better than your cell phone ?</p>

<p> </p>

<blockquote>

<p><em>"Just wait until Leica makes a vertical grip for Nikon D800, and see how expensive it would be?"</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>It would cost more or less the same, but it`d be just a grip, without batteries nor shutter release, up to the middle of the camera body and in a fabulous "good plastic" looking composite...</p>

<p>Sorry to say this, but I see a lot of "Only buy genuine Nikon" comments on this forum. As long as there are enough people with that attitude, then Nikon will screw every penny they can from that sector for their accessories. How fancy can a simple battery or cabled remote get? And yet the price of these items branded from Nikon is at least 3 times what they're actually worth.<br>

Same could be said about the crazy price of an SB910. Other companies can produce a professional quality studio flash with over 5 times the power for around the same money. A hotshoe flashgun is no more complex or expensive to make than a $50 DVD player.</p>

<p>Dan, I do have the MB-D10 for my D300 and I my only complaint about it is the multi-selector that it is to tiny and not as accurate as the one in the D300; my question is : have Nikon improved this on the MB-D12 at least ? By the way, I do agree with you that is is pricey. </p>

One problem with

deferring purchasing a

grip is that many of us

will want to buy an L-

bracket from Kirk or RRS

and will need to decide

which one. If we don't

want to remove the grip

to use the bracket and

vice versa, then it seems

we must either buy the

Nikon grip and matching

bracket or decide that we

won't buy any grip at all

and get the bracket for

the non-gripped body. Or

I suppose we could delay

purchasing either one

and go with the good old

1/4-20 screw for the time

being. What are others

thinking on this issue?

<p>Kent, as you said I have the RRS L-bracket on order for the D800 with grip. I have always used a grip for the extra battery capacity and in some cases extra frame rate. Since I also have a D3s I like the grip on my other cameras so that the handling and balance will feel the same to me. Another reason is that I use the 70-200mm VR lens a lot and the grip keeps that combo from feeling "top heavy". Of course all of this is just my personal preference and others may not feel the same.</p>

<p>Check the price of EN-EL18 and MH-26 charger for it, and that's a ridiculous price!</p>

<p>MB-D12 battery grip provides the option for EL18, which increase the battery capacity and frame rate. But I think the reasonable scenario is for the D4 owner, as D800 backup camera!</p>

<blockquote>

<p>MB-D12 battery grip provides the option for EL18, which increase the battery capacity and frame rate.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Using the D4's EN-EL18 battery on the D800 will <strong>not</strong> change the frame rate. You are still stuck at 4 frames/sec on the full FX frame. That is partly why I am not interested in the MB-D12. The EN-EL15 can last a long time already. I am not sure why people need more than that. You can find some opportunities to change batteries during the day.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Check the price of EN-EL18 and MH-26 charger for it, and that's a ridiculous price!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Wow!<br>

EN-EL18 - $ 169.95<br>

MH-26 - $ 349.95</p>

<p>Just got the MB D12 battery grip. It feels good with D800 (I hope it has to be, because it is expensive!)</p>

<p>I don't have a second EN-EL15 so I filled in 8 AA Eneloop. I changed the battery type in the menu to Ni-MH. There is no battery indicator for this kind of source, which I think is reasonable.</p>

<p>The framerate does go up to 6 fps BUT not for FX.</p>

<p>By the way to be honest, I think this kind of design of grip is not as good as previous ones like D200 grip. D200 grip looks ugly and inconvenient to carry, but it makes sense: You can insert/recharge two batteries easily, but now, when the one inside camera died, you have to take off the grip, charge it, then put it back. Nikon has changed the grip design long time ago, but this is my first time so it seems a bit late. :P</p>

<p>....so that means we only get the 6Fps on DX mode with both batteries inserted? I hate the inconvenience of having to take the grip out to replace the battery in the body compartment.</p>