Nikon MB-D10 Multi Power Battery Pack for Nikon D300 & D700 Digital SLR Cameras (Retail Packaging) by Nikon
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Digital camera reviews of Nikon MB-D10 Multi Power Battery Pack for Nikon D300 & D700 Digital SLR Cameras (Retail Packaging)
Digital camera Review: 8FPS, Buttons for Portrait Shooting AND Uses AA if Needed
Summary: 5 Stars
The issue that made my mind up to purchase this for my new D300 was the ability to use AA batteries if I needed. I'll be doing some international travel and DO NOT want to be in a situation where I can't get my EN-EL3e batteries charged. I see this as good insurance against a problem like that or my charger stops working on a trip.
I had a good friend hike the Grand Canyon recently and he took two batteries for his DSLR expecting that to be enough power for a 5 day hike. To his surprise, they drained MUCH faster than normal. He spent the last few days of his hike trip without power for his camera. In this case, carrying the extra weight of the battery pack and AA batteries would be a negative, but it just depends upon how important it is to you.
Digital camera Review: A Huge Step Forward, Just Like The D300
Summary: 5 Stars
You might be wondering why this grip costs $235 from Amazon, when previous grips (like the MB-D200 for the D200) are almost $100 less.
The images can't convey it, but once you hold it grip in your hand, you know. Instead of using high-grade plastic to make this (like they did for the MB-D200), Nikon made this grip out of the same magnesium alloy and rubber that was used to make the D300. The MB-D10 also has the same weather seals on the buttons, and has the same robust, indestructible feel that the D300 body has.
It attaches tightly, with no flex or shake. You can flick it back and forth from portrait to landscape as much as you want; it doesn't matter if you have a big heavy flash in the hot-shoe or a big lens out front, the grip never gives you the impression that it was ever separated from the body.
Because of the hefty, solid construction, this grip is heavy too. If you thought the D300 was too heavy before, this grip is not for you. But if you can handle the weight, the MB-D10 actually makes the D300 more comfortable to hold in both portrait and landscape orientations. It adds surface area, which distributes the weight more evenly across your entire palm (the D300 body alone concentrated most of the weight on the top-half of my palm).
Battery life is stellar. I loaded my MB-D10 with 8xAA Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries, and the battery gauge has not moved at all in over two weeks of casual shooting. I estimate it will last at least 3000-4000 shots, but I won't know the final total for a while.
I also love the addition of the second multi-selector switch on the MB-D10. Not even the Nikon D3 has one of those! Perfect for flipping through images/menus while holding the camera in portrait mode.
Digital camera Review: A Must Have for D300 Owners
Summary: 5 Stars
I highly recommend this battery pack. It makes my D300 come alive with 8 frames per second using AA batteries or the EN-EL4A battery (NOTE: if you have the EN-EL4A battery you will need the BL-4 Battery Chamber Cover). The build feels sturdy and rock solid and makes your camera feel well balanced. If your an outdoors/adventurous kind of person the ability to use AA batteries is a huge advantage because they can be purchased almost anywhere.
Everything works well, the aperture dial, shutter dial, shutter release, shutter lock and directional buttons on the battery pack are all laid out well and function perfectly.
The only negative thing I can come up with is that you have to take off the battery pack to change out the battery inside your D300 but there is an option in the D300 to use the battery pack batteries first, so choosing this will lessen the times you need to charge the battery inside the D300.
Digital camera Review: A big improvement over the MB-D200
Summary: 4 Stars
When using the MB-D10 with the D300, you will find that it is a great improvement from the MB-D200 (the D200 vertical grip). For one, it is made of magnesium alloy, and is much sturdier. It is also weather sealed like the D300 body. It fits nicely and firmly with the D300. It also has an additional multi selector, which is a great added feature. The MS-D10 (holder for AA batteries) also comes in a very nice pouch. Of course with such improvement comes the price increase as well!
If you want to achieve 8fps on your D300, you can use the EN-EL4/a battery with your MB-D10 or AA batteries (8 pieces). The ability to use AA batteries is a real plus point. Imagine having a long trip where you may not have access to charge your EN-EL3e batteries. Having the ability to use AA batteries means that you can carry a bunch of them and still be able to shoot... even deep in the wilderness.
Another advantage of the MB-D10 is that it is not L-shaped, which means that you can easily slip it into your camera bag and pull it out when you need it. To mount the grip, you do not need to remove the battery from your camera and marry the grip to the camera as how the D200+MB-D200 was designed to. It does not take as much space and not as awkward as grips that are L-shaped. This is a versatility of the MB-D10, but also has some getting used to.
Here are some areas which either you like or hate or take some getting use to:
1. The battery in the camera need not be removed to use the grip. So for those who leave the grip on all the time and want to use 2 batteries at a time, it would mean that you would need to remove the grip each time you want to remove the battery in the camera. It would be nice to be able to swap both batteries without having to remove the grip, but the design is such and we would have to live with it. What I've decided to do is to remove the battery in the camera and just use the one in the MB-D10. Besides, you can get a lot more shots with the D300 than the D200 for the same battery charge.
2. The shutter release button on the MB-D10 is a bit too sensitive, which means that you can quite easily trigger the shot. The sensitivity between the shutter-release button on the camera and the grip is different, so when switching orientation of the camera, you'll need to be aware of the sensitivity so that you do not accidentally take a shot which you did not mean to do so.
3. The MB-D10 can take the EN-EL4/a battery. However, the battery chamber cover for the EN-EL4/a is not part of the package, and you would need to purchase it separately. The battery chamber cover is BL-3.
Digital camera Review: A little on the pricey side...
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an awesome accessory for my D300! It is a little on the pricey side but once you attach it and start shooting you'll forget all about that and realize it was all worth it! I do wish it came with the Nikon BL-3 Batter Chamber Door.. It kind of bothers me that we have to shell out more money on a little Battery Door, that IMO is over priced but again once you do it is worth it! All in all great product solid build.. seamlessly attaches to the D300 and as long as you're not using AA batteries it doesn't add much weight. The AA option is ALWAYS a good thing to have because you just never know :)
On a side note.. the muti-selector on the MB-D10 is better than the stupid "rocker multi-selector" on the D300.. it has an actual separate center button which is a good thing if you ask me!
If you're debating on getting it and shoot a lot hand held of portraits or just want the extra speed.. then what are you waiting for!?