Panasonic BGG9 Battery Grip Review

The Panasonic Lumix G9 is a compact mirrorless camera that, like many other mirrorless models, has a relatively short shooting life when compared with DSLRs. This is because of the electronic shutter but you can increase the camera's battery life with a compatible battery grip but by doing so, you increase the size and weight of the mirrorless camera you're using (something which is a major selling point of these popular cameras). 

The Panasonic Lumix G9 is one such camera that is compatible with a battery grip (the DMW-BGG9E to be precise) but is the extra weight you have to carry around and price (£309) worth it for reliable power? MFT fan David Thorpe has put it to the test to find out. 

The DMW-BGG9E doubles the G9's battery life and it's also weather-sealed, both of which are two positives to kick off with. It also blends with the G9 body seamlessly (even if it does add quite a bit more weight to the device). 

To attach the battery grip, you simply screw it onto the bottom of the G9 via its tripod socket and David says that once it's connected, it really does feel part of the main camera body. In fact, David says that even when used in portrait orientation, thanks to the grip, it feels as comfortable to shoot with the camera as it does in landscape. 

Even though the G9 body battery can be charged in-camera, the battery in the grip can't be and you also don't get a battery with the grip so you'll have to spend a few extra quid on purchasing a spare. 

Overall, David says the battery grip for the Panasonic Lumix G9 is 'as about as good as this type of product can be'. 

To find out what else David thinks, take a look at his video review above.