This is a guide covering the best battery grips for the Canon 5D Mark IV.
You wouldn’t expect to drive from California to Massachusetts on a single tank of gas, so should you not expect your camera battery to last an entire shoot, especially if you’re shooting in RAW format?
The truth is, battery technology has seen plenty of outstanding innovation in the last decade but still has a long way to go before we can stop worrying about how much juice our electronics have.
The Canon 5D Mark IV is an amazing and powerful professional-grade DSLR camera.
With that power comes a high power demand, and with that demand comes a need for multiple batteries.
However, nothing can stop a successful shoot in its tracks more than the sudden need to change batteries.
Not all battery grips for the Canon 5D Mark IV are created equal.
In fact, when you’re dealing with potential power sources for expensive electronics you want to ensure you’re getting a reliable product.
Choosing a poorly designed battery grip or one of dubious integrity could damage your camera.
With this in mind, I’d like to explore the fundamentals of the Canon 5D Mark IV, the constraints that the battery comes with, and the best way to overcome them.
In a hurry? Here’s a quick rundown:
- ⭐ Best Overall Battery Grip for the Canon 5D Mark IV
- 💸 Best Budget Battery Grip for the Canon 5D Mark IV
How to Choose the Best Battery Grip for the Canon 5D Mark IV?
Compatibility: Make sure the battery grip is specifically designed for use with the Canon 5D Mark IV. This will ensure that all buttons and controls are easily accessible and that the grip fits securely.
Battery capacity: Look for a battery grip that has a high capacity, so that you can extend the camera’s battery life and avoid having to change batteries frequently.
Durability: A good battery grip should be well-constructed and durable, able to withstand the rigors of outdoor photography. Look for a grip made from high-quality materials and with a solid and secure attachment mechanism.
Additional features: Some battery grips come with additional features such as a built-in vertical grip, remote control, or extra buttons and dials. Consider whether these features would be useful for your photography.
Brand reputation: Look for a brand that has a good reputation and a history of producing high-quality camera accessories.
Price: Compare the price with the features offered, to get the best deal.
Table of Contents
4 Best Battery Grips for the Canon 5D Mark IV
1. Canon Battery Grip BG-E20
You can’t get any more reliable than by going straight to Canon for your Canon 5D Mark IV battery grip.
While it perhaps requires the biggest investment, it will organically fit the rest of your 5D’s aesthetic, blending seamlessly with the body.
The grip itself fits two full-size batteries and also has a DC and AC power source if you wish to keep your camera plugged straight into the wall.
My Pros With This Battery Grip:
- Excellent design
- Easy to hold
- Ergonomically great for a large body Canon
My Cons With This Battery Grip:
- The battery tray can feel flimsy
2. Neewer Battery Grip
Neewer claims that this battery grip is the same as the Canon variety.
However, that’s obviously not true when you look at its design and the fact that it doesn’t support either AC or DC power.
It’s a highly reviewed product with minimal complaints from consumers.
My Pros With This Battery Grip:
- Great value
- Good stability
- Grip communicates well with the camera
My Cons With This Battery Grip:
- Focus joystick on the grip can feel a little slow and clunky
3. Vello BG-C14 Battery Grip
This battery grip by Vello has a distinctly different contour, which some photographers say fits their hands better than the shape of the official Canon battery grip.
It’s also a great alternative to the Canon grip.
As is typical with Canon 5D Mark IV battery grips, it features slots for two lithium batteries, which will double your camera’s charge.
My Pros With This Battery Grip:
- Great feeling grip
- Durable
- Good “bang for your buck”
My Cons With This Battery Grip:
- No seal for dust (not a big issue)
4. Newmowa BG-E20
The battery grip made by Newmowa is very similar to every other iteration of a third-party battery grip for the Canon 5D Mark IV.
It features a shutter, autofocus, and other miscellaneous function buttons for ease of use and has a two-battery capacity that will extend your charge by 100%.
My Pros With This Battery Grip:
- Comfortable grip
- Firm feeling
My Cons With This Battery Grip:
- n/a
What is the Best Battery Grip for the Canon 5D Mark IV?
To be perfectly honest, you can browse third-party battery grips for the Canon 5D Mark IV until you’re blue in the face.
There’s no end to the unheard-of brand names and the dubious reviews found on Amazon.
While these third-party grips should work for you, their craftsmanship is entirely unclear.
If I had to advise as to the quintessential best battery grip for the Canon 5D Mark IV I would go with the Canon battery grip.
Not only is it made by a reliable and credible company, but it offers AC and DC power, which many third-party grips do not.
If you’re still unsure of which one you should buy, think of it this way; you spent quite a bit of money investing in a Canon 5D Mark IV, not even including any additional camera lenses.
If you’re okay with that, then why cut corners on the accessories?
Whatever you do, just ensure you’re happy with your choice.
And if you do end up buying third-party, ensure your grip is covered by a warranty!
What Battery Does the 5D Mark IV Use?
The Canon 5D Mark IV, like any other digital camera of its kind, uses a standard lithium-ion battery.
Lithium-ion batteries are the go-to power sources for most of our rechargeable consumer electronics.
They are considered the ultimate high capacity, low discharge rechargeable battery.
To put it simply—no other battery on the market can provide as much power over as long a sustained period as the lithium-ion variety.
Surprisingly, the lithium-ion we use today to power our state-of-the-art wireless electronics comes from a technology invented in the 1970s!
It just goes to show how technology evolves and how some things are discovered well before their optimal application exists.
However, even the modern lithium-ion battery has its barriers.
Truthfully, most modern consumer electronics take a lot of power, thus draining lithium-ion batteries at a steady rate.
The push and pull of power, capacity, and rechargeability is a constant force in the photography industry.
Why Do I Need a Battery Grip?
First, let’s define what a battery grip is.
Wikipedia summarizes it well:
“A battery grip is an accessory for an SLR/DSLR (and occasionally other cameras), which allows the camera to hold multiple batteries to extend the battery life of the camera, and adds a vertical grip with an extra shutter release (and other controls), facilitating the shooting of portrait photography. Some models may also feature a continuous shooting boost which increases the burst rate of the camera’s shutter.”
While your lithium-ion battery is a lean and mean piece of technology, it simply can’t keep up with the requirements of a professional photographer.
For this reason, most professionals will enlist the aid of a battery grip to ensure they’re able to keep shooting once they start.
To put it in perspective, CIPA has rated the Canon 5D Mark IV as being able to take 900 photos on a single charge.
That may seem like plenty of photos for a hobbyist, but a professional photographer will blow through that number with considerable ease!
With that said, you must invest in the best battery grip for the Canon 5D Mark IV you can.
A highly-rated grip may come at an increased price but it will offer you plenty of reliability and more peace of mind than you can imagine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of a battery grip and how does it improve the functionality of the Canon 5D Mark IV?
It improves the functionality of the Canon 5D Mark IV by increasing the camera’s battery life, making it more comfortable to hold the camera in vertical orientation, and it also provides additional controls such as a shutter release button, control dials, and more.
How to maintain and care for a battery grip to ensure optimal performance?
Keep it clean, store it properly, use the correct batteries, charge and discharge the batteries properly, and use the grip as intended.
How to install and use a battery grip on the Canon 5D Mark IV?
Installing and using a battery grip on the Canon 5D Mark IV is a relatively straightforward process. Just make sure the camera is off, align the battery grip, secure it, insert the batteries, and then hold the camera properly.
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Nate Torres is a portrait photographer based in Southern California. Outside of photography, Nate specializes in SEO, content marketing, and entrepreneurship. He is also the founder of Imaginated.com, a platform for creator education.