What is the best battery grip for the Canon EOS R5 Mark II?

Question

So I upgraded to the R5 Mark II a couple months ago and the battery life is just killing me. I shoot weddings here in Chicago and im constantly swapping batteries mid-ceremony which is a total nightmare. To try and fix it I bought this cheap third-party grip off Amazon last month to save some cash, but it keeps disconnecting and giving me communication errors right in the middle of shooting. I literally almost missed the first kiss at a wedding last weekend because the camera froze up and I had to rip the grip off. I am honestly so fed up with this thing. I have another huge wedding gig in two weeks and I cannot risk this happening again. My budget is around 300 or 350 max but I just need something that actually works.

What is the best battery grip for the Canon EOS R5 Mark II that is actually reliable? Do I just need to bite the bullet and buy the official Canon BG-R20 or is there a high-quality third-party option that wont randomly die on me?

lookatme · Accepted Answer

> Do I just need to bite the bullet and buy the official Canon BG-R20 or is there a high-quality third-party option that wont randomly die on me? Honestly, when you're shooting weddings, third-party grips are just a ticking time bomb. I've learned that the hard way over the years. You need absolute reliability when someone is paying you to capture their big day. Here is the good news for your budget. You don't actually need to buy the expensive new model. I've been using the older Canon BG-R10 Battery Grip on my R5 Mark II and it works flawlessly. Since the newer version came out, you can find the BG-R10 brand new on sale for around 250 bucks, or even cheaper if you buy a mint condition used one from a reputable outlet. It has the exact same weather sealing and build quality, and it doesn't give you those nightmare communication errors. The only thing you miss out on is the high-speed ethernet port, which you probably don't need for weddings anyway. Seriously, save yourself the stress and grab the older official Canon grip. It fits your budget perfectly and won't let you down mid-ceremony. Let me know if you want me to look up some pricing options for you, I track the used market pretty closely...

VirtualVortex · Answer

I ran into this exact issue when I tried pushing 8K video on my R5 II! Cheap grips have terrible internal resistance and cant handle the massive 7.2V current spikes. I ended up biting the bullet on the Canon BG-R20 Battery Grip and it solved everything instantly. Quick tip: if you want to save money, grab an Anker 737 Power Bank PowerCore 24K to fast charge it via USB-PD between sets. It delivers a solid 140W!

paige.mack · Answer

Saw this thread today and totally feel your pain! Wedding day freezes are the absolute worst! Quick question before you buy anything: are you using the newer Canon LP-E6P Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery or older NH versions? The R5 II is super sensitive to battery communication. Also, quick tip: clean the cameras internal contacts with isopropyl alcohol, sometimes manufacturing residue causes those disconnects! Let me know what cells you run and I can help you troubleshoot!