Does the Canon EOS R8 require a specific battery grip for vertical shooting?

Question

I am honestly so fed up with how small this R8 is in my hands. The battery life is a complete joke, I barely get through a morning at the local track meet before it dies and I actually missed a huge finish yesterday because I was fumbling to swap the LP-E17 out again. My hand literally cramps up trying to hold it vertically for portraits too because there is just nothing to grab onto. I have been searching high and low for an official battery grip and I cannot find a single thing made by Canon which seems insane for a full frame camera.

I really need something that meets these points:

has a vertical shutter button because reaching over the top is killing my wrist

lets me use two batteries at once so I dont have to stop every hour

stays under $100 since I am already over budget for my kids sports season

actually fits the R8 body without blocking the battery door or being super wobbly

Is there a specific model I am missing or does Canon just hate this camera? I saw some weird third party ones on eBay that use a cable to connect to the remote port but that looks so messy and unreliable. Does anyone know if there is a real solution or am I just stuck with this tiny brick...

Merleabell · Accepted Answer

Canon actually didn't build the R8 with internal communication pins for a grip, so an official one simply doesn't exist. It is pretty frustrating for sports shooting when you need that extra bulk. I have used the Neewer Vertical Battery Grip for Canon EOS R8 RP and it is a decent option that stays way under your $100 limit. It fits two Canon LP-E17 Lithium-Ion Battery packs which should get you through the afternoon without fumbling for spares. Because the R8 lacks native pins, that messy cable is actually the only way to get a vertical shutter button to work. There isnt a way around it, unfortunately. Quick tip: always carry the tiny allen key these grips come with in your bag. They tend to wiggle loose after a few hours of tracking runners, so you wont want to be caught without a way to tighten the mounting screw. It is not perfect, but it definitely beats the hand cramps.

Bluey Snapper · Answer

Re: "Canon actually didn't build the R8 with internal..." - yeah it is a huge bummer they left those pins out. I went through the exact same thing when I started shooting my kids soccer games and honestly, the R8 felt like a toy in my hands at first. I was constantly worried I was gonna drop it during vertical shots because there just wasnt enough surface area to grab onto. I ended up getting the Vello BG-C18 Battery Grip for Canon EOS RP R8 and I have been really happy with it so far. It definitely solves that "tiny brick" problem and makes the whole setup feel way more substantial and professional. A few things that worked for me:

It lets you load two Canon LP-E17 Lithium-Ion Battery units at once which basically doubled my shooting time at the track.

The vertical shutter button is super responsive, even though you have to use that tiny bridge cable to the remote port for it to work.

It's usually around $60 to $70 so its well under your $100 limit. I know you mentioned the cable looking messy, but honestly, once its tucked in, you dont even notice it after five minutes. I also started using the BM Premium LP-E17 Battery 2-Pack for my backups since they are cheap and work perfectly with the Vello grip. It really changed the whole experience for me and my wrist doesnt ache anymore after a long morning of shooting portraits. Let me know if you need help figuring out how the cable routing works or anything!

penelope.duncan · Answer

Been thinking about your struggle and honestly, I would suggest being really careful with those super cheap ones from random sites. I had a bad experience where the cable snagged and almost ripped my port out... total nightmare. If you want a better grip, just look at what Vello offers. They usually make gear that fits a bit more snug than the generic ones tho so you dont feel that wobble.