“I thought you might like a closer look at the battery grip for the Lumix G9. It’s called DMW-BGG9 (catchy!) and is designed specifically for the camera – it doesn’t fit any others. If you pre-order the G9 before 14th January in the UK this grip comes free (see the Panasonic site for details), but even after the offer is over it is an accessory worth considering especially if you shoot a lot of upright compositions….”
Commentary
Many photographers and cinematographers of my acquaintance who rely on Micro Four Thirds cameras for their work seem to be unaware of the usefulness of battery grips.
I certainly was until I had a little spare cash sitting around after buying my Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 and wondered what accessories might improve my experience of the camera.
Now I cannot conceive of buying a new camera for moviemaking or photography without including a battery grip in its purchase, if one is offered by the camera’s manufacturer.
My GH4’s DMW-BGGH3 battery grip is attached almost all the time and only comes off when I need to place the GH4 in a cage for moviemaking.
The grip is lightweight when loaded with a battery, does not add much size or weight to the camera, and allow me to carry camera-plus-battery grip in the same shoulder bags and backpacks that easily hold my gripless GH4.
Battery grips are especially useful for better balance and handling safety and comfort when attaching long, heavy lenses to the camera.
They also make it easier to hold and operate the camera and its controls when shooting in portrait or vertical format.
I note that some camera cage makers are now producing cages to hold gripped cameras, such as SmallRig’s Professional Half-cage Kit for Panasonic Lumix GH5 with Battery Grip 2025.
When I add further cameras to my production kit like the GH5, GH5s or G9, I will most certainly be purchasing their battery grips at the same time.
Damien Demolder’s article about the G9’s battery grip reveals that Panasonic has improved the ergonomics and their grip design beyond that of the GH4’s battery grip, substituting an on/off toggle switch for the GH4’s on/off slider and moving it to a more sensible location, and adding a joystick.
Links
- Lumix G Experience
- Panasonic UK – Lumix G DC-G9, A Nature Photographer’s Best Friend
- Photography Blog – Panasonic G9 review
- Trusted Reviews – Panasonic Lumix G9 hands-on
Help support ‘Untitled’
Clicking on these affiliate links and purchasing through them helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled: Stories of Creativity, Innovation, Success’.
- Panasonic DMW-BGG9 Battery Grip – B&H
- Panasonic DMW-BGGH3 Battery Grip for Lumix GH3 and GH4 Digital Cameras – B&H
- Panasonic DMW-BGGH5 Battery Grip – B&H
- Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera (Body Only) – B&H
- Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H