ed_hurst Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>Hello all,</p><p>I recently used the optional battery grip with a D800E - which of course allowed me to attach two Nikon batteries to the body (one in the body itself and one in the grip). I expected this to work as the equivalent set-up does on my Canon - i.e. both batteries are used up and drained together. However, what I found after a long session of shooting was that the battery in the body was nearly dead and the one in the grip was fully charged.</p><p>Had the battery in the body died, would the camera automatically have switched over seamlessly to the battery in the grip (without interrupting shooting)? Or is there something I need to do to 'tell' the body to make a transition to the battery in the grip? Is it a setting? Or is there a way to use them both together from the start?</p><p>I have looked extensively and not found an answer in the manual or online. All help gratefully received!</p><p>Ed (very impressed with the D800E by the way!)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccosh Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>I have a battery grip for my D90 and D600 so presume the D800E works the same. Yes it will just automatically switch over once one battery is dead. Can't see the benefit of using both batteries together if this is what does happen in Canon's. Once one battery is fully discharged then you can remove this battery and charge it while still shooting with the other. Once you replace the fully charged battery the camera will continue to shoot with the other battery until this is fully discharged. You then just repeat the process.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed_hurst Posted February 12, 2013 Author Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>Thanks John. One question - presumably there is no way of getting at the battery in the body without removing the grip? I am shooting continuous sequences for hours (for time lapse and star trails) and it would be great to wait until the first battery is dead and take it out for charging while the second battery is being used for shooting - but I don't see a way of doing that without stopping shooting, as I could not get at the battery in the body (which is the first one to be used up) without taking off the grip containing the second battery. Now if there were a way to tell the body to use the battery in the grip first, that would help! But I guess there isn't...</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rene11664880918 Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>I don't have a D800 but a D700<br> Menu..... Costume Settings...... D11 Battery Order</p> <p>You can set up the camera to use the battery in the camera first or the one in the battery pack.<br> When one is empty it goes to the next one without any problem.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed_hurst Posted February 12, 2013 Author Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>Ah hah! Must have missed that! Thanks Rene'!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccosh Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>The camera will always use the battery that has already been used first. If your camera is using the camera battery with a fully charged battery in the grip then switching the two batteries around will make the camera use the one in the grip first. Try it. </p> <p>Custom menu D13 on the D600 to set up what battery to use first.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccosh Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>On a side note the battery grip for the D90 has both batteries in the grip. this allow's either battery to be removed without the need to remove the grip. I think having one battery in the camera and one in the grip is a backwards step in design. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed_hurst Posted February 12, 2013 Author Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>Presumably then if both batteries start charged, it will use whichever one you tell it to use in the custom menu, then use that one until it is dead, then switch seamlessly to the other. So I could put both in full, tell it to use the one in the grip first, wait until it switches over (not sure how I will know it has done that, but presumably the battery life indicator would go from low to empty to full), take out the battery from the grip for charging, then put it back in (or put in a third fresh battery) while it is using the battery in the body. That way the maximum continuous performance will be the life of three full batteries. Right?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed_hurst Posted February 12, 2013 Author Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>I agree John</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccosh Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>The display for the battery charge will change you will notice a small camera to the left or in the case of the D600 EL15 beside the battery symbol in the top display. This lets you know which battery is currently being used. Or press info for the back screen and the one in use will be white while the other is grey. Yes that's correct you will get the use of three batteries before you need to remove the grip and replace the battery in the camera.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rene11664880918 Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>John, in my case I like having one battery in the camera and one on the pack better. The way it is now, if I don't wanna take the battery pack I just remove it and I am ready to go coz there is a battery in the camera. With my old D80 I had to toy around putting battery in the camera and attaching the little cover. Also when carrying the battery pack separated, it was hard to accommodate with the long stick. I think now they have a better design</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccosh Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>I can see how that would be a benefit Rene now that you mention it. I however never remove the battery grip so find it a pain. But guess I am in the minority hence why they designed it to suit people like you who do remove it.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed_hurst Posted February 12, 2013 Author Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>Thank you all for your swift and very helpful answers!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccosh Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>Your very welcome Ed, glad we could help.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccosh Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 <p>Now only if they could design a battery grip with a digital readout for ISO / Qual / WB like the D4 wouldn't that be nice.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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