Meike Pro Battery Grip for Canon EOS 6D as BG-E13

I originally posted a very positive review for build quality, the tight seal, etc. HOWEVER, You actually get more battery life without the grip than with it. I was wondering why the battery was being drained so fast. For example, a 30 minute video takes the battery from 100% to 80% on my camera. With the battery grip, it takes one battery down to about 75% and the other to about 90%. Doing the same exact video of the same exact test subject. I came across this when I noticed it drained a lot faster than my 5D Mark iii ever did, and I'm using OEM batteries. So, the contacts are telling the camera the batteries have less power than they actually do or it is taking more power than it does if you don't use the battery grip. This is with the grip switched to the off position.I have to say, if you absolutely want a grip, save for the Canon one. But keep in mind, even when shooting portraits, the 6D is light and it's more comfortable shooting portraits without the grip to me. When I took the grip off I noticed I could hold the camera much steadier with video and photos. I can grab onto the barrel of the lens. With the grip on, I can't grab on to the lens as well because of the bulge in the front from the grip.I'd stick without a grip or go Canon.

When I first installed this battery grip, I was impressed with the build quality and performance. Externally, it appears to be every bit as good as the Canon version that is more than triple the price. But after using this after-market grip extensively for several weeks, I've discovered a fatal flaw that makes it unsuitable for me.This grip works flawlessly when the camera is held or anchored horizontally. But when tilted counterclockwise to the vertical position with a heavy lens attached, the connection between the grip and the camera tends to separate ever so slightly, especially on the handle side where the spring-loaded pins connect to the camera. This almost imperceptible amount of "give" is sufficient, on occasion -- and usually right before the most important shot of the day -- to interrupt the connection and shut down the camera. It doesn't happen every time, but it happened often enough and randomly enough for me to remove this grip and order the OEM version to replace it.The problem is especially apparent when the grip is mounted directly to a tripod. It's less apparent when using a lens collar. And it might be less apparent if the camera were rotated clockwise to vertical, where I presume the separation would occur on the non-electrical side of the grip. This is not an acceptable workaround for me, however, as it puts the controls in an awkward position below the lens.It took me a while to figure out why my camera was shutting down, seemingly randomly, but now that I know, I can demonstrate the problem at will by simply flexing the connection between the grip handle and the camera. I suspect the spring-loaded pins that connect the grip to the camera aren't long enough or don't have enough tension to maintain contact when the grip shifts slightly.Given that this grip is less than one-third the cost of the OEM version, some might consider this flaw to be a tolerable inconvenience when shooting for fun. But for professional use, where speed and dependability are paramount, I would think twice before using this grip on a shoot for hire.

Be careful with this battery grip. I used it for almost a year before I realized it was defective. When I first attached it to my 6D, it worked fine, but then every few weeks, while shooting, my 6D would shut off completely. I thought I had Sleep Mode enabled at first, but that turned out to not be the case. I'd be on photo assignments and jobs and, in the middle of shooting, my 6D would just power off. I would try to turn it back on, but it wouldn't turn back on no matter what I did. I realized that the only way the 6D would turn back on was when I physically removed and then reconnected the Battery Grip and/or battery cartridge. I kept thinking that something was wrong with my 6D, but since the problem only occurred every few weeks, I just ignored it. Finally, after about almost a year of living with this power problem, I took my 6D to multiple camera shops throughout the city. Every single camera shop tested my 6D and confirmed that nothing was wrong with the camera. Ironically, not a single camera expert that I brought my 6D to even considered that the Battery Grip could have been causing the power problem.One day, after going to yet another camera shop to hear the same answer, I decided to go into B&H Photo to see what one of the experts there had to say. After talking to a few of the technicians who repeated what the previous technicians said (nothing was wrong with my 6D; since the power problem only occurs once in a while, just live with it), I realized that I would never find a solution to my problem (foolishly, I never thought to just take off the Battery Grip). As I was about to leave B&H, one of the older, more senior camera experts noticed the dejected look on my face and asked me if he could help. I went over to this station and told him about my power problem. He examined my camera for a few minutes and then said, "Why do you have a Battery Grip on this camera for?" I wasn't sure how to respond to his question; I had been using Battery Grips on my DSLRs for years. I told him that I used Grips so that I could have extra power when I shoot events or have to shoot for a long time. He smiled and just said, "Just walk with another battery. Battery Grips, especially third-party grips, have been known to cause power problems." I thought for a minute than agreed to try using my 6D without the Grip for the next few weeks to see if the power issue would be affected in any way, and, to my surprise, not using the Battery Grip completely resolved the issue. I've been using my 6D since that day more than ever, and not once has it shut off on me like before when I had this Battery Grip attached to it. The Battery Grip was faulty and had trouble transferring power from the batteries to the camera itself and, after doing some research online, I found out that many Battery Grips have been known to do that. So, I took the older gentleman's advice, and now I always keep a fully-charged extra battery in my bag when I'm taking photographs.Of course not all Battery Grips are defective, but I know for a fact that this particular Grip caused the power problems with my 6D. I even re-attached it a few weeks ago just to see if the power problem would return, and it did. So my Canon 6D will forever be used without a Battery Grip. Also, on a side note, if you're using a Battery Grip, any Battery Grip, with a Canon 6D, in conjunction with a Telephoto Lens attached to a tripod using a Tripod Ring, then you will not be able to mount your camera with the Battery Grip attached to the camera's body on the tripod while using the Tripod Ring attached to your Telephoto lens. I've tried it on a few tripods and had the same issue with the Grip; there isn't enough room between the Grip and the mount. There may be tripods that have higher or longer mounts that allow for a Battery Grip to be used in with a Telephoto lens and Tripod Ring, but I thought I'd just mention my experiences here in case it helps anyone.Thanks.