Canon BG-E18 Battery Grip for Canon EOS Rebel T6i, T6s Review

The Canon BG-E18 is the battery grip designed for the Canon EOS Rebel T6i and Rebel T6s. All of Canon's Battery Grips are fundamentally similar to each other in design and functionality, and once again, the BG-E18 includes the basics.

Canon Rebel camera models are compact and light, but these bodies are not so comfortable to shoot with in portrait/vertical orientation for long periods of time. An accessory battery grip resolves this problem by adding a vertical grip complete with shutter release and other relevant buttons. And, the grip allows a second battery to be used for double the battery life.

Being easily removable, battery grips allow the DSLR's other advantages to remain available.

To install the BG-E18, the LP-E17 Battery is removed from the camera and the battery door is detached. The Rebel cameras provides a small spring-loaded latch release switch on the battery door to make its removal especially easy. The battery door then attaches to (installs into) the grip for storage (snapping into place over a small instruction diagram).

The BG-E18 slides up into the empty battery compartment and locks into place via the tripod socket screw on the BG-E18. The BG-E18 provides its own tripod adapter threads – this functionality is not lost.

The BG-E18 holds two Canon LP-E17 Batteries that deliver double the number of shots or video time from the DSLR. The BG-E18 works fine with only one battery installed – a second battery is not required.

Don't forget to turn the grip's power switch on.

The Canon BG-E18 Battery Grip is very nicely built and it integrates well to the camera body with little flex remaining. As usual, the amount of battery grip flex is slightly more than with an integrated 1-series grip (with minor tripod use implications), but Canon has again done a nice job of meshing the grip to the camera.

Batteries load into the back of this grip.

With the BG-E18 attached, the additional grip real estate makes even vertical camera orientation shooting better and the difference in comfort that a grip makes for portrait/vertical shooting is huge. I can feel reduced fatigue difference in my arms and shoulder after using a battery grip for even a moderately long shoot. I can hold a gripped camera steadier in vertical orientation as my right arm can be stabilized against my body instead of being held overhead. And, it is easier to control larger and heavier lenses with the grip installed.

Overall, like the rest of Canon's battery grips, the BG-E18 is very useful. The Canon BG-E18 Battery Grip is a great accessory and, if not for the cost factor, most Rebel T6i and T6s owners would have one.