Targus Digital TG-BGD40 Battery Grip for Nikon D40/D40x/D60
by Merkury Innovations
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Targus Digital TG-BGD40 Battery Grip for Nikon D40/D40x/D60
Customer Review: Targus BGD40 for Nikon D40,D40x & D60 (outstanding)
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my third attempt at owning a battery grip for my Nikon D40x.
My first was one of those grips that's also a built-in rechargeable battery in itself. Sounds great in theory but the fit to finish was horrible. It didn't sit/mount flush with the Nikon camera body. And the texture of the grip was shiny and smooth, while the Nikon body is purposely textured a bit rough and not as glossy. My second attempt was a similar battery grip by another maker, though it was identical to the one I've originally stated. Back it went for a refund, as did my first.
With that being said, the Targus BGD40 is my third attempt and it's a keeper. The fit to finish is the best I've seen on any after-market item for Nikon. It fits flush and tight to the Nikon body. No gaps are along the seems. Nothing rattles. And both the Targus grip and Nikon camera body compliment each other nicely.
This grip will hold either two Nikon batteries or six AA's. That's nice for times of travel, if your Nikon batteries can't be recharged for any reason. And of course this Targus grip gives you a full size camera, when you need one. Plenty to hold!
It does feature a vertical shutter release, but keep in mind that it functions via infra-red signal. You simply tell your camera to use remote shooting, and turn on the grip's vertical shutter. You also have to hit a switch on the grip that releases a little pop-out infra-red remote. That's all there is to it. It's not horrible. It's not great either. But if you need it, it's there. You can't half-press focus like you're use to doing with the vertical shutter release. You just press (just as you would your Nikon wireless remote control) and the camera quickly detects the best focal point and snaps the photo. That's not the fault of Targus. Nikon didn't include a way for battery grips to communicate to the camera body. At least not on our lower end D40 series cameras.
But all in all, I like the grip, and it's a nice option to have and at a fair price.
One more thing.. yes, the little battery door that comes off of your Nikon body gets stored inside the Targus grip for safe keeping.
Customer Review: Excellent as a grip, works as a vertical shutter release but cheap build.
Summary: 4 Stars
This Targus grip works on the D40, D40x, D60, D3000, and D5000 and for 30 dollars it is definitely worth the money. However, I would not pay anything more than 50 dollars at most for this product. There are some great qualities about the grip that I will mention. There are of course downsides as well.
First of all, this grip does exactly what it claims. It adds just the right amount of grip space on the small bodies of these Nikons. With the 18-55 kit lens it isn't really necessary but when stepping up to larger lenses the grip becomes invaluable. For example I am using my Sigma 12-24 full frame lens on my D40x and the Targus grip really balances out the feel of the camera. When I add my SB600 my whole setup would be unbearable without the Targus grip.
Next up is the vertical shutter release. It is incredibly annoying having to switch to the remote setting in order to use the vertical shutter but this is not Targus's fault. Nikon did not design these cameras to be used with a battery grip. There is not battery grip for these bodies that will have a traditional vertical shutter release. The vertical shutter release on my Targus has always been reliable and works as it should.
The weakest aspect of the grip comes in its build quality. The grip is made of very light plastic and made me a little nervous the first time I used it. However in the month I have owned it it does not seem to be wearing down. The grip does not have any sort of rubber grip; it is entirely hard plastic all around. It does however match the body texture of the camera very well.
Lastly, it will run on 2 standard batteries or 6 AAs. You almost never have to charge the camera. It lasts a little over a week of constant heavy use.
Overall I do recommend the grip to anyone with any of the mentioned cameras. For 30 dollars it provides much needed body to the camera, great battery life, and a somewhat useful vertical shutter release. I would have liked to see better build quality but for 30 dollars you can't ask for much more. I bought it and you should too!
Customer Review: Works Great!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
Just wanted to let people know about this item if they're considering buying one. I purchased my D40 over two years ago, and I shoot alot of kids sports, plays, family functions and the like. Last years I started looking around and found that Nikon didn't make anything for this camera. This year, after considering it again, I looked and found two or three companies that are making grips for the D40 crowd.
Each had decent reveiws, but the price of this grip lead me to try it out. I am normally a brand loyal kind of guy, but the recent economy is leading me to try some aftermarket stuff by reputable companies. I have bought Targus products before, and always found them to be well made.
Let me say, the grip works perfectly. I pulled it out of it's package, threw it on there, and installed the battery. Worked great.
Couple things you should be aware of. I bought this because I needed the battery capacity and because I wanted a larger area to hold onto as I have larger hands. I don't care about the shutter release for portrait cause I won't use it that way. However, since Nikon didn't ever want to sell a grip for the D40, there is NO way for the grip to trigger the shutter release EXCEPT through infrared. This means that you push the grips shutter release, and it will instatly focus and shoot. No half press for continuous focusing until you're ready. Also, you do have to take the battery do off for this to work, no problem for me. Stored it in a pocket in my lowpro bag with the hotshoe cover and other small items.
Finally, finish is decent. It is plastic, but I don't care, the black matches the D40 pretty well. This device is functional for someone needing a grip because they want more battery power and to make the D40 a little larger grip-wise.
Love it, and for $50, it was a great purchase. It balances my 28-70 f2.8 and Sigma 70-200 f2.8 very well.
Enjoy:)
Customer Review: Targus BAttery grip for NIkon D40, D40X, D60 etc.
Summary: 4 Stars
The Targus grip matches the color & pattern of the camera exactly. It is all plastic with the battery door at one end. I feel that the door hinge would easily break if stressed so be careful when opening & closing. The tripod mount is metal and embedded in the plastic body so not sure how strong it could be. When mounted, it has to bear the weight of the camera + attached lenses so it becomes a load-bearing area. Again, if you're careful it can last for some time. Don't drop this. A metal body would probably dent but this base would shatter. Time & usage will tell. The base bulges to the front under the lens mount and backward into your palms creating a slightly awkward grip and the feeling that the base of the camera is twice as thick as the body. This "battery bulge" accomodates the battery holder. I wish the designer had made the back of the grip flatter, and made the "battery bulge" project forward under the lens. This would have provided a more supportive base and allow the camera to stand up with a lens mounted. As it is, the camera will fall forward with even a 50mm lens mounted.
Now the pro's:
1. Perfect color / pattern match
2. Snug fit; slight distinction where grip & camera meet
3. Works with 1 or 2 ELM-3, or 6 AA batteries
4. Very lightweight
5. Gives camera a more substantial feel, especially if you have large hands
6. Very inexpensive compared to the competition
7. Does what it is designed to do.
8. Vertical shutter release is optional
So that's my opinion on the Targus battery grip. It's not designed for rough handling, is a little too fat at the base, doesn't allow you to stand your camera up, but it's a great add-on, doubles your image taking fun, works well and I would recommend it to other Nikon owners. Just don't expect the strength of a full metal jacket.
Customer Review: Very happy with this grip
Summary: 5 Stars
Okay, I read all the reviews and was a little skeptical of this grip, but went ahead and purchased it. Yes, it will extend battery life, but battery life on the D40 is pretty good already, veritical shutter works but is IR, might make the camera easier to grip...
Hmmmmm...
So I get it in the mail and open it up: light plastic. Put it on the camera (easy cheesy). Grip it. Not sure I like it, feels a little weird. I take a few pics and put it away.
Get it out later that night, take a few more pics, try the vertical shutter, nothing too exciting there, but maybe I like the bigger feel after all...
Get my two high capacity batteries in the mail and put them in. Go out and shoot for a while. The grip has grown on me. I now love it.
* I really like the increased size from the grip. It is much more comfortable for me. This is my only camera, so for me my D40x is my high-end camera. Some people with bigger cameras like a D300 have a D40 as their travel camera. The whole advantage to them is the small size and light weight, so the grip would defeat the whole point. For the rest of us, the extra size and weight can be a plus.
* Extra battery life is a plus. Not a necissity, but a luxury I will enjoy.
* Veritcal shutter button. I thought this was more useful than most of the reviews I have read. It has all the weaknesses of an IR trigger, but note the reviews on the IR remote trigger (ML-L3 or something like that)are all great. Taking a hundred wedding photos in portrait mode would not be feasible, probably should not have a D40. But I can imagine scenarios where I am just taking a few easy to compose pics and it might come in handy.
In the end, I am really glad I got this grip.