im honestly so fed up with the battery situation on my canon r8 like i knew it was gonna be bad but i didnt realize id be charging things every single time i sat down for a coffee. was just out in the PNW last week for a hiking trip and i missed some incredible shots of the fog rolling in over the trees because the red light started blinking right when the lighting got perfect. i felt like a complete amateur fumbling through my bag for those tiny lp-e17 batteries and by the time i swapped it out the moment was basically gone. its just frustrating because the images are actually great when the thing stays on but the workflow is driving me crazy right now and making me regret the purchase a little bit.

the camera is so light and small which is why i bought it for travel in the first place but it honestly feels a bit like a toy when i try to use my heavier lenses and i keep worrying im gonna drop it because there is barely any grip to hold onto. i have a big trip to italy coming up in about 8 weeks and i refuse to go through this constant battery anxiety again while im trying to enjoy my vacation. i need to figure out a better setup before i head to europe or im honestly gonna end up selling this thing and going back to my old bulky dslr just for the peace of mind.

ive seen people talking about dummy batteries or cage grips or specific types of power banks but i dont want to carry a literal generator in my backpack. budget is around $300-400 to just fix these annoyances and make the r8 actually usable for long days of walking around cities and trails without me losing my mind.

so for those of you who actually travel with this thing what are the absolute essential accessories you use to keep it alive and comfortable? are there specific small power banks that work well while shooting or a specific grip extension that doesnt add ten pounds of weight? what do i actually need to buy to stop hating this camera on the road...